Along the Gunpowder this AM. Had two greenish birds flit across the path in
front of me. I found both of them in a bush - KENTUCKY WARBLERS. You know I
like that! Also had a nice look at a CANADA WARBLER.
Amongst all the other tanagers, warblers, thrush, flycatchers and vireos, I
had a couple of birds chasing each other and raising quite a fuss about it.
At one point one of them flew directly at me in an effort to get away from
the mean one chasing him. It veered away at the last minute and landed where
I could get a naked-eye look. It was a pair of WORM-EATING WARBLERS having a
go at each other. And they meant it. Somebody apparently didn't belong
there, wasn't going away at the sound of the other one's song and drew a
physical attack for it. All they were lacking was light sabers.

Speaking of Dicksissels, I spent yesterday in the Catoctins (yes, there was
a fly rod involved) and came home by way of Sixes Bridge Road. The location
where there were several Dicksissels singing last year was void of them this
time. No Bobolinks either. Drives a grassland-bird lover crazy. I did hear a
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW at another location, closer to Keysville. Nothing else
of much interest.
    Best bird while I was fishing was a female (I am guessing female by the
way it acted) WATERTHRUSH that flew across the stream in front of me and
landed in a low bush not far from me. It sat there quietly watching me. I
think I probably spooked it off a nest and it was waiting patiently for me
to get the hell out of there. Only once have I spooked one off a nest so
close to me that I actually found the nest under the roots of a tree next to
the stream. On several occasions, as I have related here, I have had the
thrill of watching little fledglings running along the stream. They bob
their tails just like the adults do. Very entertaining.

Jerry Tarbell
Entertained in Carroll County.

############################

To unsubscribe from the MDOSPREY list:
write to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
or click the following link:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MDOSPREY&A=1