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Subject:

Yard "Big Day"

From:

Rick Sussman

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Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:30:07 EDT

Hi all,
 Because of a combination of factors I stayed home and birded in my  yard 
most of yesterday, actively from about 6:45 till 9:30 or so, then more  passively 
throughout the rest of the day, off and on as time permitted. I ended  the 
day with my last new bird around 8 PM when a single Common Nighthawk flew  over. 
 
Although nothing really new (no new yard species) showed up, and there  
weren't many neo-trops passing through, I managed to see 42 species yesterday,  and 
since my yard list is now at 100, that's 42% of my entire list! Not a bad  
effort for the time of year, all things considered.  
 
I had 1 Scarlet Tanager (already molted into non-breeding plumage), 1  
immature Red-eyed Vireo, 2 BG Gnatcatchers, 4 Baltimore Orioles, a small flock  of 
Cedar Waxwings feeding juveniles, both common wrens, 3 Gray Catbirds (all  very 
young, recently fledged), E. Wood Pewee, E. Kingbird, lots of Bluebirds, a  
single N. Mockingbird (odd since they are so common all summer), and lots of  
commoner species. I saw an immature Cooper's Hawk being harassed by hummers 
(and  again this morning!), and by mid-afternoon the vultures were moving around, 
with  many Turkey but fewer Blacks. I saw a flock of Mallards fly by  early 
and some Canada Geese, but no heron, shorebird, gull or terns. Really,  just 
the average common birds for this time of year, so I was surprised by my  total.
 
Biggest miss would have to be Red-tailed Hawk, as there is almost always  one 
or two around, but none yesterday. And Red-winged Blackbirds were absent, as  
were Common Grackles.
 
A fun day!
 
Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD




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