Hi Everyone,

While returning from Garrett Co. this morning, I decided to look for a couple hoped-for county birds on Orleans Road SE (eastern Allegany Co.). The fields on this road have struck me as good contenders for my nemesis Allegany County Horned Lark and/or Blue Grosbeak. I heard a meadowlark zrrrt call in the distance near the north end of Orleans Road SE, and noticed that there were a couple nice fields just west of the road. I then noticed that a side road made these accessible, and found myself turning west onto Open Plains Road. This short road held much of the suite of birds I was trying to find: Killdeer, Eastern Meadowlark, Field Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird. Although I struck out on Blue Grosbeak and Horned Lark, I stopped my car when I thought the impossible - that I'd heard a Purple Martin. It must have just been that mockingbird... But no, I heard it again. I drove forward and found that the home closest to the intersection of Orleans Road SE and Open
 Plains Road has a martin house. On it was perched a female Purple Martin, and overhead a second bird was hunting and calling. The martin house is close to the human house and the human residents were out and about, so I moved on before tallying any additional martins. 

This is the only extant, accessible martin house I know of in Allegany Co., and finding it was the end of a long search for that species in the county. Most people who have them in the county seem to get them by being at Rocky Gap on the right day during migration, usually a miserable one, when the swallows are swarming over the lake. I've tried many times, including on days that HAD to be the day, but it wasn't to be. For some reason I never expected I'd run into them here as nesters. Very cool!

In Garrett, I just enjoyed the usual great birds at some of my favorite spots. 

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com