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Subject:

Cecil, Baltimore, Howard, Carroll--3/19/2009

From:

Ronald Gutberlet

Reply-To:

Ronald Gutberlet

Date:

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:11:32 -0400

Hi Everyone,

On Thursday, I started my birding day in Cecil County and then birded in Baltimore and Howard Counties.  I ended the day with a brief but enjoyable AMERICAN WOODCOCK show at Morgan Run in Carroll County.


CECIL COUNTY

The first thing I learned was that a hunting permit is needed to enter Courthouse Point MHA.  I've heard that this is a good birding location--I'll have to find out some other time.  I did drive a couple roads in the area and lucked into my first GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET of the week.  I also saw two male RING-NECKED DUCKS near the end of Courthouse Point Rd.

Next I did a quick check for crossbills on Williams Rd, but no luck on that.  A light rain began to fall, and it continued during the rest of my time in Cecil.

Two SNOW GEESE were hanging out with the domestic geese in Northeast Community Park.  Gull numbers were high here, but I couldn't pick out anything other than the three most expected species.

My best Cecil birding was at Perryville Community Park.  I've only birded this park once before--during last year's spring break tour--and it was raining then too; but at least this time there wasn't any fog!  Some highlights:

American Black Duck--4
Gadwall--20
Green-winged Teal--2
Wood Duck--7
Ring-necked Duck--10
Hooded Merganser--2
Common Merganser--4
Red-breasted Merganser--52
Common Goldeneye--200
Bufflehead--150
Pied-billed Grebe--1
Horned Grebe--1
Killdeer--1
Greater Yellowlegs--2
Purple Finch--4 (1 ad male, 3 brown)

I counted the large groups of Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye at 60x.  Many more ducks were even further out, beyond id range (in the cold rain anyway!).


BALTIMORE COUNTY

A quick stop at Cromwell Valley Park yielded a PINE SISKIN at the feeders and my first RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET of the week.


HOWARD COUNTY

Centennial Park had more fishermen than ducks, but there were 2 RING-NECKED DUCKS.  Also present were a PIED-BILLED GREBE, 2 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, and an EASTERN PHOEBE.  I did a quick check for the crossbills but didn't see or hear them.

The 3 RED-NECKED GREBES were all alone on Triadelphia Reservoir as viewed from Brighton Dam.

After reading Jim Nelson's recent post on Schooley Mill Park, I decided to check it out.  I had a nice walk and encountered:

Hairy Woodpecker--2
Pileated Woodpecker--1
Eastern Phoebe--1
Field Sparrow--2
Fox Sparrow--1

Schooley Mill Park looked perfect for woodcock, but I wasn't sure about evening access.  So...up Rt 97 I went, since I was also "in need" of woodcock in Carroll County.


CARROLL COUNTY

At Morgan Run, before the woodcock show, a FOX SPARROW was singing.


LISTING FUN

Through Thursday, spring break has yielded 126 species and 750 county ticks.  No closeouts yet within the week, but several species are contenders.  Three more days to go!

Have fun,

Ron Gutberlet
Salisbury, MD