Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2004 21:50:27 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Bill Hubick Subject: Re: Woodcocks in Anne Arundel Co. In-Reply-To: <002301c4018a$c53bc600$236bf7a5@DAD> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Hello Everyone, Like Stan and Charlie, I also discovered woodcock activity in the Baltimore area, these birds in Anne Arundel County. It doesn't seem like you can find a bad spot right now! There were at least two birds peeanting and displaying in a field at the intersection of Solley Road and North Shore Road (off Mountain Road/MD-177). There is a gravel shoulder just after turning right onto North Shore Road from Solley Road, and this proved to be a fine spot to observe the performance. It's a fairly developed area with some traffic noise, but the woodcocks and Spring Peepers didn't seem too bothered tonight. For those looking to see a great display in this area, I say follow Stan Arnold's directions to SWAP. I just wanted to post this for anyone looking for the birds in Anne Arundel. Take care, Bill Hubick Linthicum, Maryland bill_hubick@yahoo.com At 08:48 PM 3/3/2004, you wrote: >Hi Folks, > >For those living in the south Baltimore area who have not had a chance >to get out and find woodcocks, Southwest Area Park in Baltimore >Highlands would be a good place to visit. I was a bit skeptical as to >the appropriateness of the habitat, being scant on trees and woodland, >and heavy on fields of phragmites. But Charlie Kucera and I were more >than pleasantly surprised this evening by the woodcock activity. To >say that the place was crawling with these birds is little exageration. >We heard our first peent at 6:18, and the last at 6:42, and in that 24 >minute period we heard continuous peents, and probably encountered 20 >birds; this number, however, was limited simply by the amount of ground >we could cover during the narrow window. > >We saw only one good flight display, and I viewed the entire 15 or 20 >second episode in the binoculars, from ascent to some rediculous >altitude to the tumbling toward the earth. We also saw about half a >dozen short "point A to point B" flights, and heard an additional eight >or ten displays or short flights. One woodcock landed on the ground >about 25 feet from us, and I was able to get a flashlight on it briefly >before it bolted. > >It's hard to say where in the park would be the best vantage point, but >we spent most of the time along the main road or trail within about 300 >yards either side of the bridge at the back of the park by the boat >ramp. > >Also heard during the evening was a single crowing note that most >certainly came from a Ring-necked Pheasant. > >SW Area Park is best accessed by taking exit 5, B&A Blvd, off of I-695 >south of Baltimore. Go north on B&A maybe two miles to the Patapsco >River, then continue less than a mile to Baltimore Highlands. Turn >right on New York Ave., or any of the next three or four streets >bearing names of states. At the end of the road, turn left, and look >for the Baltimore Highlands Light Rail parking area on the right, where >you can park. There is currently no vehicular access into the park due >to the Light Rail construction. Walk the road into the park, turn left >a short distance, then turn right up an incline along the main road to >the back. > >If anyone does go to see the woodcocks, and doesn't post their findings >to the listserve, I would appreciate any notes on activity sent to me >offline at the address given below, since I am currently covering this >area for the atlas project. Charlie Kucera also reports good woodcock >activity at UMBC, which I am also covering for the atlas, and would >likewise appreciate any reports from there, particularly later in the >season. > >Stan Arnold >Glen Burnie >dy.dx@earthlink.net > >======================================================================= >To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com >with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey >======================================================================= ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================