Howdy,

A canceled class afforded me the opportunity to bird Finzel Swamp this morning. Just after leaving the car, I spotted three Blue Jays mobbing a slightly smaller MERLIN. In the woods east of the pond, I heard a RUFFED GROUSE drumming, and warbler activity was fairly busy- many BLACK-THROATED GREEN, a TENNESSEE, PALM (one yellow, several western), PARULA, REDSTARTs etc. Two COOPER'S HAWKS, squabbling mid-air, dove close enough for me to feel the wind beneath their wings (insert Midler Joke). 

On I-68W from Cumberland to Frostburg, there was a dead-on-road wild turkey. 

Good birding!
Matt

Matt Tillett
Cumberland, MD
www.flickr.com/photos/mattyfioner/


Location:    Finzel Swamp
Observation date:    9/16/10
Number of species:    36

Ruffed Grouse    1
Turkey Vulture    1
Cooper's Hawk    2
Merlin    1
Belted Kingfisher    1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)    1
Pileated Woodpecker    1
Eastern Phoebe    3
Eastern Kingbird    1
Blue-headed Vireo    2
Red-eyed Vireo    1
Blue Jay    14
American Crow    2
Black-capped Chickadee    25
Tufted Titmouse    1
White-breasted Nuthatch    1
Carolina Wren    1
House Wren    3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher    1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet    4
Gray Catbird    4
Cedar Waxwing    3
Tennessee Warbler    1
Northern Parula    2
Magnolia Warbler    1
Black-throated Green Warbler    16
Palm Warbler (Western)    6
Palm Warbler (Yellow)    1
American Redstart    3
warbler sp.    3
Eastern Towhee    8
Field Sparrow    1
Swamp Sparrow    3
Scarlet Tanager    1
Northern Cardinal    1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak    1
American Goldfinch    2