Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Garrett Mid-winter count highlights, Anne Arundel WW Crossbills

From:

Mikey Lutmerding

Reply-To:

Mikey Lutmerding

Date:

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 21:43:34 -0500

Hi All,

I just wanted to post some of Jo Anna and I's highlights from
Saturday's (7 February 2009) Garrett Mid-winter count.  The highlight
of the owling was a SHORT-EARED OWL that responded to about 20 seconds
of playback by barking directly over my head, that experience proved
that my flight response is as strong as ever!!!  Our next highlight
came in the form of at least 5 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS flying around
the Swallow Falls parking lot at dawn, we also heard one in a stand of
spruces behind the Federal Credit Union near the Walmart in Oakland.
From there we worked the Pleasant Valley where we turned up a few
surprises- a flock of 43 NORTHERN PINTAIL mixed in with 105 MALLARDS
were in a corn field along Paul Friend Road, a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
at a traditional summer spot was a very nice surprise as was a flock
of 18 BLACK VULTURES just west of the 50/219 intersection.  We headed
to the Jennings Randolph Reservoir area by mid-day, this is much lower
in elevation than most other parts of Garrett, some of the nice (by
Garrett standards) lingerers/ lower elevation winterers were 2 HERMIT
THRUSHES which were a first for me in Garrett in February, as well as
3 CAROLINA WRENS, a NORTHERN FLICKER, and an EASTERN TOWHEE.  We also
saw a Dark-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK at the powerline cut along 135
between Kitzmiller and Mt Zion rds.

Yesterday afternoon, Jo Anna, Jim Stasz and I checked the Hemlocks
along Wrighton Road for the previously reported WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILLS, where after about an hour of hearing sporadic soft calls,
we finally saw 4 fly out around dusk.  I headed back there this
morning to try for some pictures and was able to re-locate 3 of them
hoping on the ground foraging.

Pictures of the crossbills can be seen at-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeycerw/

Good Birding!
Mikey Lutmerding
Lothian, MD