Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 19:30:15 -0700 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Greg Miller Subject: Re: Shameless/Visible/W MD birds MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Howdy All! Glad some other folks are having luck with the shrikes. I *did* have a scope along and used it while there. Shrikes are known to range widely and were probably just not in view when I was there. I'll try again, probably Sunday afternoon on my way back home from Ohio (here visiting my father again, just released from intensive care). Rick, you're right about the shameless plug...I will have to get one, I guess, if I consider myself a birder? I opted for a little sleep deprevation as opposed to missing yet another opportunity to bird in western Maryland on my way in to Ohio today. I've driven through western Maryland 15 times now this year and have only bird there two half days. This morning's birding was fun, but my visits to my favorite spots were far too hurried. On 3 hrs sleep, my first visit was to Dan's Rock in Allegany. Was pretty quiet except for a group of 6 COMMON RAVENs. Highlight was a calling BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. Missed hopefuls were Golden-winged Warbler and Henslow's Sparrow. The wind was already a factor at 6:30am. Next stop--Finzel Swamp...er...well, I couldn't remember where it was. I drove around a bunch of roads up there and couldn't conjure up the recollection of just which tiny road to turn onto... Only find was that a lack of sleep only magnifies frustration. I'll probably remember after a night's rest. Oh, well. I made a quick pitstop at Piney Run, but only found a Great Blue Heron (many calling Blue-headed Vireos). A singing BALTIMORE ORIOLE was near the intersection of I-68 and Rt 42. Without wasting any more time, I made tracks to Cranesville Swamp. I spent a productive 10 minutes from the little church parking lot. Calling ALDER FLYCATCHER and CLIFF SWALLOWS cruising over the swamp were welcome additions to the morning list. I drove down to Snaggy Mountain Rd and stopped at the dead end road (about 1/2 mile south on Snaggy Mtn). This is one of my favorite areas. Today's surprises included a pair (male & female) of CANADA WARBLERs. Back north on Cranesville Rd up to Maple Glade Rd (another one of my faves). First bird there, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER. Then BLACK-THROATED BLUE, BLACK-THROATED GREEN, BLACK-AND-WHITE, MAGNOLIA, CHESTNUT-SIDED, AM REDSTART, HOODED, YELLOW, COM YELLOWTHROAT and OVENBIRD. LEAST FLYCATCHERs were fairly common and I heard a couple HERMIT THRUSHes. A BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER was in the pines near the camping area. I didn't have enough time to hunt down any Waterthrushes, Red-breasted Nuthatch, or Brown Creeper at Swallow Falls St Pk. The weather was extremely pleasent (80 F) and it made me feel like napping in the beautiful setting... I fueled up in Oakland, got a gas station sandwich on the fly, and drove southeast of town to Combination Rd. Hampered by wind, listening was a bit more difficult. But, there is at least one HENSLOW'S SPARROW there this year, much to this lister's delight. BOBOLINKs and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWs are in the field as well. A singing VESPER SPARROW was near the houses at the west end of the field. My six hrs of birding came to an end and I drove the remaining 200 miles to my parents home in Ohio. Hopefully, this post is more coherent than how I feel...zzzzzz Greg Miller Hollywood, MD __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos.yahoo.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================