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Catoctins

From:

Gerald & Laura Tarbell

Reply-To:

Gerald & Laura Tarbell

Date:

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:03:24 -0400

This is that time of year when my right arm develops a nasty twitch that can
only be worked out by taking a fly rod and waving it at some trout.
Specialists have tried desperately to find another cure, but this is the
only one that works. Praise the lord for that.

As I have stated many times over the millennia, the best way to get birds up
close is to sneak up a trout stream and watch them gather along the banks
for the show. Somehow watching old guys with fly rods amuses them. The
chickadee that tried to perch on the rod while I was changing flies once was
the ultimate spectator.

So today's audience included the following:

LA Waterthrush (the usual drop from a bush along the stream)
Wormeating Warbler
Am Redstart
Ovenbird (many!)
Black-and-white Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Wood Thrush
Red-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Pileated Woodpecker

On a trail near the top of the hill/mountain, I had good look at a pair of
Black-and-Whites. Yes folks, he was achasing her. That time of year for lewd
behavior in public. Can't birds afford to get a room?

Ate lunch with some Tiger Swallowtails. I had a sandwich and pretzels. They
ate mud. Odd diet. When I finished my pretzels, I considered dumping the
excess salt on their mud for them but thought better of it. Might give them
high blood pressure, heart attacks. etc.

Got home to Carroll County and Laura had spent a day off gardening. She
heard local WOOD THRUSH and BALTIMORE ORIOLE. The hummer isn't here yet. Got
a bottle full of food waiting for him.

Jerry Tarbell
E-mailing after a nap in Carroll County