Hi Folks,

It was a good weekend out in Garrett and Allegany Counties.  No earth-shaking finds, but lots of the great birds that prompt us to visit the mountains periodically.

I left home Friday evening to look for whips in a couple of places, and at 9 p.m. I flushed a WHIP-POOR-WILL from the roadside on Mt Ephraim Rd. in Frederick Co., and it was close to 11 p.m. when I heard some whips off in the distance along Woodmont Rd. in Washington Co., about 3.5 miles from the north end of the road, and just past a small settlement of houses.

It was after midnight when I settled into Carey Run in Garrett Co., but I would be up shortly after 4 a.m. on Sat. morning to get in plenty of birding in the southern part of the county.  Shortly after 5 a.m. I was on the road, and it was already beginning to get light.  My first stop was Pea Ridge Rd., where I counted 12 HENSLOW'S SPARROWs calling along the usual stretch of the road just off Avilton-Lonaconing Rd.  Once south of Oakland, I found a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER along Mason School Rd., and would later find another in the usual location on Pleasant Valley Rd.  I never did find Upland Sandpipers during the weekend, but while looking along US 50, I was amazed to see six BLACK VULTUREs circling low together on the south side of the highway (county closeout #103).  I later found another one along Blue Ribbon Rd.  Trout Run WWTP had little of interest other than a singing LEAST FLYCATCHER, and I would find two more later along Maple Glade Rd.  And it was along Maple Glade that I ran into Mikey Lutmerding and Joanna Leachman, where we exchanged intel and stories for a while.  At Swallow Falls park was a singing BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, but I only stayed a few minutes.

A bird I was intent on finding was ORCHARD ORIOLE, and I looked along Blue Ribbon Rd. where Bill Hubick had had one while scouting for the big day.  No luck there, but I eventually found a singing male along Cranesville Rd., not far from Muddy Creek Rd. (county closeout #104).  At Cranesville Swamp were a singing WILLOW FLYCATCHER and two ALDER FLYCATCHERs.

Probably the best birding of the day was along the Youghogeny Reservoir at the end of Old Morgantown Rd., coming from Friendsville.  I've wanted to hike the trail south of the boat launch for a long time, and this was the day I would do it.  Even though it was 12 noon when I started out, I was pleased that a lot of birds were singing.  I periodically made Barred Owl calls as I headed down the trail, hearing mostly Redstarts and Red-eyed Vireos, but the song of a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER from across the water was music to my ears.  Shortly after that, the song of another choice Garrett bird whistled through the air--a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, also from across the water.  After more than 30 minutes of hiking south, I passed a skinny little pond, after which a power line crossed, and then paralleled the path.  In this general area I heard a GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER do its familiar four buzzes, the only one of the trip.  The path ended in a former bridge that once crossed the Yough where some gentle rapids provide a scenic setting.  By the end of the return trip I had counted seven Baltimore Orioles, and also had a singing Louisiana Waterthrush.

On my way back for an afternoon rest, I stopped at Piney Reservoir, where the pair of LESSER SCAUP found by the big day folks were still hanging around.  A couple of cormorants were also there.

A hot shower at Carey Run sure felt good, and I enjoyed a quiet afternoon on the front porch eating a light meal.  While sitting there, I was totally shocked to have a calling FISH CROW fly over, heading to the east.  This is probably the best bird of the trip, and totally unexpected.  One has to exercise great caution when identifying Fish Crows this time of year, since the begging young American Crows sound the same.  But this was a single bird associated with no others, going someplace late in the afternoon, and I see no reason to think that this would be an American Crow.  This was county closeout #105, and provided another little milestone as county tick #4800.

The evening agenda would be a trip to the Forest Trail next to the little George's Creek Church on Avilton-Lonaconing Rd. in my former atlas block.  I heard the only HOODED WARBLER of the weekend just prior to reaching the church, but the trail itself offered little this evening other than another singing BLACKBURNIAN and a pair of Barred Owls that engaged me in conversation for a while.

My last stop was at Finzel Swamp, where I was hoping for some night birds.  No luck there, but two or more VEERIES sang incessantly, and the usual ALDER FLYCATCHERs sang.  Also, a female HOODED MERGANSER flushed from the back pond, and was seen again in the swamp from one of the little bridges.

It was another short night last night, as I was up at 4 a.m. this morning, and met JB Churchill at Finzel shortly after 5:00.  He had heard some Whips calling before I got there, and we both heard a Barred Owl, but that was it for night birds.  A singing NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was my only one of the trip.

From Finzel, JB and I headed to Old Legislative Rd. in Allegany Co., and here he led me on a hike off the road where we found a singing KENTUCKY WARBLER, my closeout #106.  A hike up the four-wheeler trail netted four singing HENSLOW'S SPARROWs, along with some Meadowlarks, a Willow Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo and Chat.  No Golden-wings today.

JB and I parted from here, and I went to Spring Gap along the C&O Canal.  I took the trail heading toward Cumberland, and was not on the trail for more than five minutes when I heard my target bird--a singing PROTHONOTARY WARBLER.  Within a minute or two I had excellent looks at this little gem.

From there I meandered home through Warrior Mountain WMA and then along the C&O Canal to Hancock.  I was tired, and decided to call it a day early.  Since I had had only about eight hours of sleep in the previous two nights combined I had to take a nap when I got home.  While I was resting, I heard the tone on my Blackberry telling me that a personal message had come through.  I knew someone had found a good bird, but I was in the middle of my nap, and couldn't get up.  When I eventually did get up around 4 p.m., I checked my messages to see that Bill Hubick and Jim Brighton had seen Mississippi Kite at Ft Smallwood, and Dan Haas had one over Annapolis.  Wow, this was the day!  Gotta get outside, I told Elaine, and still half asleep I found my bins, and positioned myself where I could see the most sky.  I really didn't think anything would come of this, but at 5:03 p.m. I fixed my binoculars on a hawk coming from the south, and within half a minute Elaine and I were watching an adult MISSISSIPPI KITE flying northward directly over the yard.  So, it looks like at least three flew over AA Co. today; where are these birds going?  Thanks to Bill, Jim, and Dan for getting the word out on these birds.

There have been so many good birds found this year, which means there have been an awful lot of birders out looking for them, which means that so many more good birds have been seen this year, which means... Let's keep this vicious cycle going!

Stan Arnold
Ferndale (AA Co.)