Hi Everyone,

I spent the first half of the day today (7/16) looking for field birds between Prettyboy Reservoir in Baltimore Co. and northwestern Harford Co. The best bird of the day was a SAVANNAH SPARROW singing on territory on Bradenbaugh Road. This is a rare breeder in the county, but appears to have been found as a probable in three blocks during the latest breeding bird atlas. The previous BBAs did not report the species in the county and it is not listed as a breeder in the current Yellow Book. There are also no previous records in eBird for the county between the first week of June and the last week in September. Also at this location was a singing WILLOW FLYCATCHER, only my second breeder in the county.

Photo: 
http://www.billhubick.com/images/201107/savannah_sparrow_ha_md_20110716.jpg

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of AMERICAN KESTRELs I encountered on my route. I had them on Peterman Road east of Ruhl Road (Baltimore), Oakland Road west of New Freedom Road (Baltimore), and three on Harford Creamery Road, including a parent feeding recently fledged young. Alas, the RED-HEADED WOODPECKER did not make an appearance during three or four checks of the snags it had been using.

BLUE GROSBEAKs were singing on Bond Road at Dunk Freeland (Baltimore) and Carico Lane (Harford). HORNED LARKS were on Amos Road (Harford) and on Harford Creamery Road. I had singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROWs on Peterman Road east of Ruhl (Baltimore; pretty tough in the county), Harford Creamery Road (near the pond; Harford), and Carico Lane. 

The bridge over Prettyboy Reservoir at Beckleysville Road hosted at least 10 CLIFF SWALLOWs.

Good birding!

Bill

 

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com

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