Hi all,


   Since I was unable to go to regular Tues walk yesterday due to O.C. count but now was cancelled due to snow but is moved to next week.  John Landers, Paul Noell and I went to the trap club today.  Not too bad with 41 species, but our average was around 50 species.  As we were ready to head out to the meadow, John called out to me of a bright glossy blackbird on treetop in partly sun. It flew down to frozen mudflats (odd habitat for it, but there is large field and a golf course across street from the cove and a dry meadow up the path)  We both had a good look in partly sun and full sun during 14 minutes of observation. Paul came back to join us in time to see the bird.  We think it may be the same one last seen on dry shoreline on November 17th.  Adult male Brewer's Blackbird with beautiful black overall with slightly glossy head and back (very bright when in full sun, very beautiful), slightly pale eyebrow, light colored yellow eyes, short
 tail (but longer than Rusty), short thick bill w/ curved culmen, top part of body has gray edges visible when cloudy. Smaller than grackle w/ shorter bill and shorter tail.

  Made phone calls & texting to several BBC members. After John and Paul left, I joined Leslie and Joe around noon to Peerce's Cove across from Peerces Plantation in front of large field and next to a golf course. John Dennehy joined us shortly afterward.   After waiting an hour and 54 minutes before a blackbird-type flew out of frozen mudflats to other side of reservoir and lost it. Less than a minute later, another blackbird appear from pine tree from the left and drop down to wet (not frozen) mudflats with a Killdeer. It was a different bird, Rusty Blackbird with more pale head in a odd plumage.  This time of year it should've been more rusty. After many photos and reviewing bird for the next 3 hours, and a response back from Matt Hafner.  Matt mentioned that Rusty is "not rusty" by early January, so this bird is only a few days off.  

  On Nov 7th, I had a flock of 9 very "rusty" Rusty Blackbird at Old Picnic Area Trail of the reservoir and 2 also "rusty" at Hart-Miller Island on Nov 8th.  Anything closer to January will likely to be in nearly breeding plumage as mentioned on field guide in breeding plumage from January to August. 



12/29/10 - 825am-1155am
Loch Raven Reservoir--L R Skeet & Trap Club, Dulaney Valley Rd.,

WEATHER: Fair/MC, 30-44 degrees, calm- WNW 6 mph
OBSERVERS: Kevin Graff, John Landers, Paul Noell

Canada Goose - 59
Mute Swan - 7
American Wigeon - 2
Mallard - 2
Ring-necked Duck - 9
Bufflehead - 6
Common Merganser - 10
Great Blue Heron - 2
Black Vulture - 19
Turkey Vulture - 3
Bald Eagle - 2
Red-tailed Hawk - 2
Killdeer - 1
Wilson's Snipe - 2
Ring-billed Gull - 5
Rock Pigeon - 30
Mourning Dove - 1
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 2
Blue Jay - 4
American Crow - 11
Carolina Chickadee - 13
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE - 1 
Tufted Titmouse - 6
White-breasted Nuthatch - 3
Carolina Wren - 1
Eastern Bluebird - 8
American Robin - 5
Northern Mockingbird - 4
European Starling - 1
Eastern Towhee - 2
Song Sparrow - 2
White-throated Sparrow - 75
"Slate-colored" Junco - 56
Northern Cardinal - 29
Red-winged Blackbird - 6
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD - 1 (adult male, seen by me, John Landers & Paul Noell)
American Goldfinch - 1
SPECIES: 41


Rusty Blackbird on returned trip to the cove with Leslie Starr, Joe Turner, John Dennehy and David Yeany.


I was unable to have time to post last three Tues walks to Prettyboy, Loch Raven and Marshy Point which was very birding epecially at Prettyboy and Marshy Point.   Next week on Jan 4th will be at Marshy Point. I may not go due to O.C. count that week but some of BBC members will be going there. 


   Kevin Graff
   Jarrettsville, MD