Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

North Baltimore Evening of 6/9/2011

From:

Jon Corcoran

Reply-To:

Jon Corcoran

Date:

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 06:45:15 -0700

Hello,

I spent from 5:30 to 8:30 last night driving around North Baltimore County, hoping to luck into a Dickcissel, but was unsuccessful with that. A few decent sightings was Grasshopper Sparrow at several stops, Calling Eastern Meadowlarks at one stop, Field Sparrows and Indigo Buntings at pretty much every stop, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Willow Flycatchers, and a male Kestral which I was happy to see in June (Possibly a breeder?).

I started birding 439 Old York Road and hit every street that looked open until the Harford line. The first stop was Bond Rd, where I stopped at every open patch. Habitat seemed less than ideal on pretty much every stop along Old York Road. The fields were either crop, hay that had been largely cut, grazing fields that appeared to have been cut fairly recently, or grass/ hay that appeared all burned. None-the-less Bond Rd held Field Sparrows and Indigo Buntings at every stop, along with a few Bluebirds. At a one-lane bridge at W Liberty and Bond, I picked out a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO and Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Phoebe.

I drove up Gibson Rd, and this was more of the same. Lots of common birds, but it was good to hear Field Sparrows and Indigo Buntings. There were vast fields near the power lines that had been all burned looking, really just dry yellow. It appeared as if the grass had been partially torn out. There were several healthy, scrubby looking sections within this patch. They yielded Field Sparrows, chippers, and Song Sparrows.

Ensor Rd had a little more going on. There were many Black and Turkey Vultures on the Power lines and soaring. Also a male AMERICAN KESTRAL hunting/ hovering over the fields was good to see. Also two BROWN THRASHERS perched on a fence post. WOOD THRUSHES could be heard from the wooded areas. Stopping the wooded patch that the road runs through yielded a posing BARRED OWL. A scrubby patch below the power lines on Stablerville Rd and Ensor Rd yielded two fighting (Courting?) WILLOW FLYCATCHERS and a calling YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT.

Further stops along Old York and Garrett Rd yielded more of the same, Field, Song, Chipping Sparrows, Indigo Buntings. There were vast hay fields on either side of Old York Rd and they yielded many Red-winged Blackbirds. I listened for about 10 minutes but didn't hear any Grasshopper Sparrows or anything of note. 

Many stops along Freeland Rd yielded more of the same, until I got to a field south of Morris Rd. I was heading west and the fields were to the left. This was the best habitat I had seen and it yielded at least one calling GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, along with Red-wings and more Indigo Buntings.

Working up Middletown Rd I made several stops, and then at the corner of Ruhl and Middletown Roads I had calling EASTERN MEADOWLARKS (alternate calling) and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS on both the south and north side. After that I drove the back roads as it was getting dark. I could hear WOOD THRUSHES from the wooded areas around the roads near Ruhl Rd. Other than that the same common birds I had been encountering. 

After that it was back home. I don't get up to that area too often so it was a nice change of pace!

Jon Corcoran
Catonsville, MD



   

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

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