I know there are some birders who are hoping to check the box for Common Raven in Anne Arundel County, so here's an update of my description from yesterday. (Sorry, I was time-constrained yesterday, but wanted to get info about the sighting on MDOSPREY).

Annapolis Junction Business Park , Anne Arundel, US-MD
Sep 24, 2011 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments:

I was standing at the end of Deer Creek Court in the Annapolis Junction 
Business Park (the park is under construction, with just a few completed 
or in-progress buildings). Deer Creek Court is accessed from Dorsey Run Rd.

I observed and heard two Common Raven flying overhead from the 
North heading South - generally from the industrial area in the vicinty of 
Dorsey Run and Guilford Roads.

What first caught my attention was the croaking I heard. Because I was not 
looking up but at the American Kestral, I initially thought it was a Great Blue 
Heron (making the kraak sound) taking off from nearby. But I kept hearing the 
croak and so I looked around and saw two large black birds flying overhead. 
Neither of the birds were Great Blue Herons. They also looked more like crows 
than vultures or eagles. The wingbeats were slower than crows and they had large 
thick beaks. I observed them with my binoculars and could see one of them 
croaking as it flew at the same time I was hearing it. The two Common Raven flew 
to the largest pond (not accessible from the street) and each landed on the tops 
of two different power line towers. I got both of them in the scope and watched 
them for a few minutes. When I took my eyes off and then looked back, both were 
gone from the towers. I then observed one of them flying back to the North 
seemingly along the same path it flew South. 

Marcy Stutzman
Russett, MD


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