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Subject:

Green Ridge State Forest, 4/23 to 4/25

From:

Bill Hubick

Reply-To:

Bill Hubick

Date:

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:49:14 -0700

Hi Everyone,

I spent the weekend camping in Green Ridge State Forest, making plenty of time for birding and looking at bugs and wildflowers. I was joined by Matt Tillett for most of the weekend, and for the second half by Tom Feild and Geraldine King. Since it's rather late and I have a car full of wet gear, here are just the highlights. One of these days I'll make time to process some photos.

Firsts of the year for me were:

CERULEAN WARBLER - Singing male seen well on Stafford Road, 4/25.
HOODED WARBLER - Two singing on Dug Hill Road, 4/25.
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER- Kasecamp Road near Bond's Landing, 4/25.
AMERICAN REDSTART - Oldtown Orleans Road SE. Singing adult male, 4/25.
YELLOW WARBLER - C&O Canal near Outdoor Club Road (3), Rocky Gap SP (2), 4/24 and 4/25
SCARLET TANAGER - Singing along Outdoor Club Road, 4/25
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO - Stafford Road, 4/25, and Outdoor Club Road, 4/24
WARBLING VIREO - Singing at Bond's Landing, 4/25
BANK SWALLOW - 1-2 at Rocky Gap among Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged. No martins. Jim Brighton and others had Cliffs here on 4/24.
RUFFED GROUSE - The bird gods decided it was finally time for my long- awaited Allegany County grouse. It was a beautiful rufous bird, standing in a sunny patch just after a sudden lightning and hail storm. The bird gods can be so dramatic... 
COMMON NIGHTHAWK - Hunting over the woods at 7:30 p.m. just west of Conococheague Creek, Washington Co., 4/25

Out in force were in Green Ridge were Louisiana Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Pine Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Northern Parula, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Chipping Sparrow, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. We had a few Black-and-white Warblers and Red-eyed Vireos, but they were rather scarce. Yellow-throated Warblers were singing along the C&O Canal near Outdoor Club Road. Broad-winged Hawks were paired up in several locations, calling, and hunting along the roadsides under the forest canopy. I had three Winter Wrens along Outdoor Club Road. Migrant flocks of White-throated Sparrows were easy to come by. One flock near Bond's Landing held three Field Sparrows.

Some other cool moments were finding an American Woodcock foraging beside our campsite, tracking down a Great Horned Owl being mobbed by jays and crows, and easily riling up the Barred Owls near our camp. Most interesting of all was a WHIP-POOR-WILL calling in broad daylight along Oldtown Orleans Road SE. It was just a couple phrases, but it was loud, close, and 12:20 p.m. 

Favorite non-avian sights: Silvery Blues (local butterfly species), Shooting Star in full bloom, and calling Upland Chorus Frogs. It's unfair that most of us have to work between now and June! 

Good birding,

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com