Howdy-
Finzel Swamp was electric with activity yesterday morning. Four ruffed grouse were drumming along the trail to the back pond which held a ring-necked duck, a female common merganser and four hoodies. Along a thicket of rhododendron, a NORTHERN PARULA called several times. It did not stick around for me to entertain it with pishing, but it sang its buzzy rising call with the full-stop chip many times before retreating. At the pool next to the parking lot, there were two wood ducks, and great numbers of red-spotted newts. Common green darners and cabbage whites round out the highlights of aerial taxa at the Finzel frost pocket.
Piney Reservoir was also fairly active. The ospreys and tree swallows are back, and insect activity is rising with the temperature. Caddisflies in tube cases were abundant just under water's surface, as were piles of freshly-cracked Elliptio complanata freshwater mussel shells. This week's high temperatures and a wet weekend will certainly get spring moving right along.
Fiona, Kermit and I went en masse to Rocky Gap State Park to round out the day. While more focused on play than birding, I noted 11 BONEPARTE'S GULLS foraging on Lake Habeeb.
eBird lists below.
Good birding!
Matt
Matt Tillett
Cumberland, MD
www.flickr.com/photos/mattyfioner/
Finzel Swamp, Garrett, US-MD
Mar 22, 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
30 species
Canada Goose 8
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 5
Ring-necked Duck 1
Hooded Merganser 4
Common Merganser 1
Ruffed Grouse 4 all heard drumming
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 6
Common Raven 3
Black-capped Chickadee 10
Tufted Titmouse 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 7
European Starling 2
NORTHERN PARULA 1 calling on the trail. rising buzzy call with a *PIP* at the end. no tape used- I walked into a BCCH/TUTI/NOPA party
Eastern Towhee 3
Field Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 1
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 2
Piney Reservoir, Garrett, US-MD
Mar 22, 2012 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
29 species
Canada Goose 13
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 2
Ring-necked Duck 1
Bufflehead 2
Hooded Merganser 4
Ruddy Duck 2
Ruffed Grouse 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Osprey 1
Killdeer 1
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 1
Common Raven 1
Tree Swallow 5
Black-capped Chickadee 8
Tufted Titmouse 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 3
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 3
American Goldfinch 1
Rocky Gap SP, Allegany, US-MD
Mar 22, 2012 4:30 PM - 5:50 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments: w/Fiona & Kermit. Unusually warm- around 80.
22 species
Canada Goose 8
Ring-necked Duck 2
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Turkey Vulture 2
American Coot 6
Killdeer 1
Bonaparte's Gull 11
Rock Pigeon 2
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 5
Common Raven 1
American Robin 12
European Starling 4
Pine Warbler 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Song Sparrow 6
White-throated Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 4
Common Grackle (Purple) 13
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
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