Arrgh. I started to reply that the Calvert Cliffs Louisiana Waterthrush was
close enough that I could easily see the yellow front. Doh! I again have
flipped Northern & Louisiana Waterthrushes. Last time I posted one though it
was the other way around. Haven't heard their calls enough to tell them
apart by sound but would assume the one I heard was a Northern also.

As for the Bufflehead, I thought it unusual but I see on looking it up that
I should have looked more closely, since apparently it shouldn't be there
and shouldn't be in anything like breeding plumage. Hard to think what else
it could have been - cute little black and white duck - but I wasn't in
birding mode, just an after-dinner stroll with no optics - but I'd only had
one glass of wine and don't think I was hallucinating. Don't know if the
alleged bird has been there in the summer since this was my only visit.

Thanks for asking - I sometimes hesitate to post since I don't take my
birding very seriously but this reminds me that even I would prefer not to
perpetuate mistaken identities.

Now for the Waterthrush Mnemonics... "Northern white, like snow..." - oops -
wrong. OK - how about "it's the opposite of what you think it is...?"

fdp
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred Pierce (DNRC)- avialantic.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------

  -----Original Message-----
  From:  [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
  Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 7:30 PM
  To: Fred Pierce
  Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] a week's worth of sightings


  Fred,
     As a matter of personal interest, how were your Louisiana Waterthrushes
identified? There have not been any reported in the past three weeks.
     Also, in what plumage was the Bufflehead? Has it been there through the
summer? Thanks.

  --
  Bob Ringler
  Eldersburg MD
  

    -------------- Original message --------------
    From: Fred Pierce <>

    > Sorry - I've been practicing computer abstinance this week, sort of.
    > > 9/6/07
    >
    > Calvert Cliffs
    >
    > Lots of Bald Eagles - some down low but a few kettles high above the
    > Vultures, which were much fewer in number. I was able to count at
least 9 in
    > sight at one time but the milling about and disappearing behind trees
makes
    > me think that was a conservative count. More were seen intermittantly
from
    > 0930 til my last sighting of 4 of four overhead at 1300. I'd guess
more than
    > 80% were juveniles.
    >
    > Others:
    > Louisiana Water Thrush
    > Hooded Warbler
    > Great Blue Heron,
    > Red Headed WP (adult and juvenile, two families of
    > Wood Peewee - two families feeding fled glings

    > > Solomons Island - evening
    > 3 Osprey
    > 1 Bufflehead
    > Cooper's Hawk in restaurant parking lot
    > usual G Black Bakc, Laughing, Herring, Ring-billed Gulls
    >
    > 9/7/7
    >
    > Solomons Island - morning - Eagle, Osprey
    >
    > Chestnut Land Trust - B&W Warbler, Wood Thrush, Parula, Scarlet
Tanager
    > heard Pileated
    >
    > 9/8/7
    >
    > St. Mary's S.P.
    > late morning start, very quite. only one clump of activity in
    > circling the
    > lake.
    > Osprey
    > Ruby-throated Hummingbird
    > Red-Eyed Vireo
    > Hooded singing
    > Various uncooperative warblers zipping about in one area.
    > Also heard Louisiana Water Thrush, Black-throated Blue, White-eyed
Vireo