Squish, squish. Ok so the world is sorta wet. No need to build an ark yet.
But stay tuned. One more week like this and I'm heading for Home Depot.

Ya ought see my truck after running around up there on the plateau. It's
getting a full bath tomorrow.

Trout streams were in real bad shape so I spent a lot of time birding this
weekend. I left Sat Morn and hit Dan's Rock and the New Legislative Road
spot for Henslow's etc. Since it is a new spot for me I don't feel right
calling it Old Legislative Road, so pardon me while I rename it. Lots of
HENSLOW's up there. But I couldn't find the Golden-winged Warblers. Spotted
a TURKEY on the opposite hill from the Legislative place. Thanks to Stan
Arnold for the directions. And the Turkey for showing up.

It was 11 AM by the time I got to Finzel and the only remarkable bird on my
quick stop here was ALDER FLYCATCHER. I didn't put on the duck boots so I
was limited on how far I could get. Squish squish. Even the parking lot had
standing water. On the way in there was a mother KILLDEER with 2 sort of
grown little ones near the ball field.

I stopped off at Carey Run to dump my stuff and encountered a group from
Allegany College led by Gary and John (forgot the last names already) that
were checking and documenting the bluebird box activity. TREE SWALLOWS are
again outnumbering the BLUEBIRDS, but both are doing well. I have complained
in the past about the number of Bluebird trails that get put up and then
ignored. This is clearly not happening at Carey Run. Gary had a nice
notebook full of stats. Every bluebird trail ought to have a notebook full
of stats.

Took off in the afternoon for various places where I could monitor trout
stream activity and didn't like the looks of most of what I saw. Savage
River for one was running pell mell from bank to bank. But I got some good
birds while I was chasing that dream. Nice look at a BLUE-HEADED VIREO along
Big Run Rd. Flushed a GROUSE on Blue Lick Rd. SCARLET TANAGER somewhere - I
forget details.

After grabbing a sub and heading back to Carey Run, Kevin Graff and his band
of birders were there making dinner. They were already closing in on a
hundred species. John Dennehy, Leslie Starr and the great Niko Sarbanes
completed the group. Niko will soon be eclipsing Bill Hubick as the top
photographer around here. Bill, start looking over your shoulder. Niko's
gaining on you.

They talked me into a rail run over to Finzel. We encountered JB Churchill
and managed to call in a VIRGINIA. BARRED OWL serenaded our efforts and we
also had a WOODCOCK circle us along with the bats. Nice evening. They went
on to try for Saw Whet at Cranesville while the old man went back to Carey
Run and turned in. Slept well.

This AM I finally got a ROSE- BREASTED GROSBEAK just as I was leaving Carey
Run. Then it was back to Finzel for some unfinished business. The Graff
Group had told me the night before that they had heard a Golden-wing at the
far end of the pond that morning (before I got there obviously) On my way
out past the pond - nothing. However I did hear 2 of them off in the old
field along the trail in the back. Yes I had the duck boots on and yes I
went out there looking for them. This former farm field is starting to get a
lot of bushes and young trees and the warblers are taking notice. No luck
seeing them. But I did flush another GROUSE on my way back.
When I got back to the pond, the GOLDEN-WING was doing his thing. He was
right near the trail. As I tried to sneak up on him for a look, he flew.
Right to the top of a small nearby tree where I got an excellent look. First
one I've actually seen in maybe 5 years.
Thank you to Kevin, John, Leslie and Niko.

I drove around to several spots including Pea Ridge where I finally got a
BOBOLINK. I can't be going out there this time of year without getting at
least one. But now it was finally time to fish. Yes I found some headwaters
of a small stream that has treated me well in the past in fairly good
condition. Translation - it had settled down faster than some of its
neighbors.Unfortunately there was no Canada Warbler there to greet me this
time. Fishing went well - I got a 10" beauty and some 9-inchers amongst the
willing participants. And a young LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH  that was pumping an
imaginary tail.

On the way back up I had another one of those confusing encounters. Clear as
a bell- a squeaky wheel- Black-and-white Nuthatch (see my prior post about
this. It does not want to be a warbler any more!) I was trying to locate the
singer in a tree right where my trail bends real hard to the left when the
singer dropped down right in front of me. And it was a REDSTART doing a very
good Black-and-white.

Folks, it's this simple; if Black-and-whites want to be nuthatches we should
accommodate that. And if Redstarts want to be mimic thrushes, so be it. One
of their songs sounds more like a Prothonotary anyway. I say they can move
into that group very nicely. In fact maybe all of the rest of the warblers
should be reclassified as butterflies. Everybody calls them "the butterflies
of the bird world". Wormeaters sound a lot like insects. Let 'em be bugs.

A soon as the AOU finishes all the reclassifications, be ready with your
erasers.

I did 84 species on this trip. I am sure Kevin will provide the detailed
account of their trip. This was a very enjoyable weekend to be out there. In
spite of the constant squish squish underfoot.

Jerry Tarbell
Reclassified in Carroll County