On this beautiful fall day I headed west to one of my most under-birded
counties, Allegany, to look for some cool season birds. I started the morning
at the C&O Canal Terminus in Cumberland where things were pretty slow, the
best birds being 2 male HOODED MERGANSERS, 2 PIED-BILLED GREBES and 3
GREAT BLUE HERONS. From there I went to North Branch, where I crossed paths with
Jim Green. There were enough of the expected species to keep things
interesting, and although sparrow diversity was low, a FOS FOX SPARROW in a mixed
flock was nice to see. Best birds at North Branch were 2 DUNLIN on the
tarps among the Killdeer and Green-winged Teal. I decided to make a quick run
to Finzel Swamp, just over the border in Garrett, but it was deadly quiet.
Coming back east on route 68 I stopped briefly at Rocky Gap, where on a tip
from Jim I picked up 4 RUDDY DUCKS as well as 2 AMERICAN COOTS. Thanks Jim!
Since I wasn't running too far behind schedule I decided to make one more
stop at the Town Hill Overlook, a spot I'd never visited. Raptors had been
few and far between all day so I wasn't expecting much. But in a 25-minute
stay I tallied 1 TURKEY VULTURE, 2 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 1 BALD EAGLE and 1
GOLDEN EAGLE. The BAEA, a probable 3rd year bird, came by headed NE at 1:52. A
few minutes later a beautiful adult GOLDEN EAGLE flew by at fairly close
range, heading SW, and even made a lazy loop in front of me to show off its
colors. Very special.
The full eBird list from North Branch is below.
C and O Canal--North Branch, Allegany, US-MD
Nov 6, 2011 9:05 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.75 mile(s)
Comments: Weather sunny, calm, 45-50 degrees F.
27 species
Canada Goose 30
Green-winged Teal 11
Killdeer 20
Dunlin 2 Two birds foraging together on tarps. Stocky shorebirds,
slightly smaller than Killdeer with relatively small head, long downcurved black
bill heavy at base and tapering to a point. Upperparts, head, neck and
breast medium gray, remainder of underparts white. Open wing not observed.
Distinguished from peeps by size, from dowitchers by strongly curved bill, from
Stilt Sandpiper by short legs.
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 3
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 7
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Eastern Bluebird 4
Northern Mockingbird 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Fox Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 7
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 5
Dark-eyed Junco 3
Northern Cardinal 4
American Goldfinch 2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (_http://ebird.org_
(http://ebird.org) )
Joel Martin
Catonsville, MD
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