J.B. et all,
Yes, I'd like to thank you (J.B.) and David for showing me around the
famous Finzel Swamp. What a treat to be greeted by a singing ALDER,
two BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS, SORA and the VIRGINIA RAIL.
My 'other' highlights from the grueling two-day excursion to Western
Maryland are as follows:
-GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, WILLOW & ALDER FLYCATCHERS and HENSLOW'S
SPARROWS on Old Legislative Road.
-Calling and displaying AMERICAN WOODCOCKS and BARRED OWLS round about
9PM Sunday night near Blue Lick Road.
-The previously-mentioned UPLAND SANDPIPER, PURPLE MARTINS and WILLOW
FLYCATCHER that I saw on Sunday afternoon in Pleasant Valley.
-A slew of (by a slew, I mean 8) CLIFF SWALLOWS over a farm pond on
495 South (no, not the Beltway... the two-lane road in Garrett).
-Warblers (CHESTNUT-SIDED, MAGNOLIA, BT BLUE, BT GREEN, B&W, YELLOW,
BLACKBURNIAN, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, OVENBIRD, REDSTART and
YELLOW-THROATED) on two separate trips through West Shale Road.
-Oh, also a very close-up encounter with a real, live,
thankfully-not-hungry BLACKBEAR on West Shale (photos to be posted on
the blog). That was a memorable experience to say the least. (I
missed LEAST FLYCATCHERS by the way... one of my target species.)
-And despite my attending many games over the year at M&T Stadium
(even Memorial Stadium), watching real COMMON RAVENS turned out to be
not only more enjoyable, but far less expensive (despite the gas costs
for my trip).
I can't thank J.B., David and Matt Hafner for all of the assistance
with my trip. It was a superb experience to do this section of
Maryland solo. I firmly believe that the list of species seen / heard
would be far more substantial with an extra set or two of eyes and
ears. Never the less, the BEAR decided once he (or she) knew they
were caught on film, that the only safe option was to RUN into the
woods. I think it was my nervous smile that convinced the bear to
move it along... or, not.
I'll be back... perhaps in the fall. There is the matter of that
GROUSE that eluded me this weekend.
Dan Haas
West Annapolis, MD
http://wahzoh.blogspot.com/
On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 7:50 PM, J.B. Churchill <> wrote:
> David Yeany and I spent Monday am birding in Garrett County meeting first
> with Dan Haas at Finzel Swamp. The three of us also stopped at Piney
> Reservoir before Dan headed East and David and I headed West. Highlights
> were gobbling Wild Turkeys, Alder Flycatchers, Veery, Black-billed Cuckoos,
> and Virginia, and Sora Rails at Finzel Swamp.
> At New Germany State Park we had Blackburnian Warblers, Blue-headed Vireo,
> Brown Creeper, Cedar Waxwing and Magnolia Warblers.
> We also saw a Black Bear crossing New Germany Road in front of us as we
> headed south towards Pleasant Valley.
> In the Pleasant Valley area we had Red-headed Woodpecker, 3 Black Vultures,
> more Alder Flycatchers (and Willow and Least Flycatchers),
> a single Upland Sandpiper, Purple Martins, an Orchard Oriole, and tons of
> Bobolinks.
>
> Good Birding,
>
> J.B.
>
> --
> ======================================================
>
> J. B. Churchill
> Frostburg, Maryland
>
> webpage: http://www.westernmdbirding.com/
> |