Hi Everyone,

I was excited to see a COMMON RAVEN along Route 32 in Anne Arundel Co. this morning. It was perched on a tower south of the road, approximately 1 mile east of exit 8. (This is slightly east of 295.) Over the last few weeks, I have had several looks at what I considered a strong candidate, but I had been unable to stop and confirm. Since these are interesting records of the species' slow but steady range expansion, I wanted to be certain of the ID. This morning, I was ready when I saw the beast perched far ahead of me, and carefully pulled way off the shoulder to observe it. It's large size and massive bill were obvious, and when it was chased off by a much smaller American Crow, I saw its wedge-shaped tail in flight. This location is very close to the Annapolis Junction site reported by Jay Sheppard, Marcy Stutzman, and Joe Hanfman, and it would seem reasonable to be one of those birds. I only pass this area in the early morning, so that might be its
 favorite time to hang out here. There's also a pair of Red-tailed Hawks that use these towers religiously in the early morning. Please be exceedingly careful pulling over on this stretch of road for two reasons. First, there is heavy traffic on weekday mornings and accidents are frequent. Second, this stretch of road borders Fort Meade, so if there was a location where you're likely to be harassed for suspiciously pointing binoculars, this is it. Perhaps Saturday or Sunday morning would be safest. The Annapolis Junction site is also probably a safer and more reliable alternative.

In any case, a satisfying start to an otherwise busy day!

Good birding,

Bill
 
Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com

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