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By Michele Melia, Compiler
One note of good news: the Bank Swallow colony at Day's Cove that was bulldozed two years ago by the state is re-establishing itself, and Bank Swallow once again heads the count as most numerous species. It is followed in distant second by Myrtle Warbler - the first time in my tenure as count coordinator that a warbler species has appeared in the top five. Rounding out the top five are Herring Gull, Gray Catbird, and Red-winged Blackbird (a perennial top five finisher). Many thanks to all of you who participated in this year's count.
The list:
COMMON LOON 1 DBL-CR CORMORANT 133 GREAT BLUE HERON 98 GREAT EGRET 6 SNOWY EGRET 4 CATTLE EGRET 14 GREEN HERON 9 BLACK-CR NIGHT-HERON 1 YELLOW-CR NIGHT-HERON 4 CANADA GOOSE 228 WOOD DUCK 8 MALLARD 73 LESSER SCAUP 1 COMMON MERGANSER 1 RUDDY DUCK 1 BLACK VULTURE 31 TURKEY VULTURE 67 OSPREY 22 BALD EAGLE, immature 1 NORTHERN HARRIER 4 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK 2 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 11 BROAD-WINGED HAWK 4 RED-TAILED HAWK 13 AMERICAN KESTREL 4 RING-NECKED PHEASANT 2 WILD TURKEY 5 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER 2 SEMIPALMATED PLOVER 12 KILLDEER 35 GREATER YELLOWLEGS 6 LESSER YELLOWLEGS 19 SOLITARY SANDPIPER 22 WILLET 1 SPOTTED SANDPIPER 40 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 16 LEAST SANDPIPER 119 PECTORAL SANDPIPER 1 DUNLIN 9 PEEP SP. 20 BONAPARTE'S GULL 8 RING-BILLED GULL 30 HERRING GULL 384 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL 185 CASPIAN TERN 294 ROYAL TERN 5 COMMON TERN 4 FORSTER'S TERN 1 ACCIPITER, species 1 LEAST TERN 8 ROCK DOVE 87 MOURNING DOVE 121 BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO 1 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 9 GREAT HORNED OWL 1 BARRED OWL 3 COMMON NIGHTHAWK 4 WHIP-POOR-WILL 7 CHIMNEY SWIFT 49 RUBY-THR HUMMINGBIRD 15 BELTED KINGFISHER 12 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER 82 DOWNY WOODPECKER 34 HAIRY WOODPECKER 7 NORTHERN FLICKER 31 PILEATED WOODPECKER 5 EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE 13 ACADIAN FLYCATCHER 15 WILLOW FLYCATCHER 1 EMPIDONAX SP. 1 EASTERN PHOEBE 28 GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER 31 EASTERN KINGBIRD 109 PURPLE MARTIN 13 TREE SWALLOW 147 N ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW 42 BANK SWALLOW 900 CLIFF SWALLOW 50 BARN SWALLOW 294 BLUE JAY 333 AMERICAN CROW 182 FISH CROW 36 CROW Sp. 24 CAROLINA CHICKADEE 106 TUFTED TITMOUSE 136 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 24 CAROLINA WREN 84 HOUSE WREN 62 MARSH WREN 6 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET 10 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER 105 EASTERN BLUEBIRD 49 VEERY 59 GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH * 1 SWAINSON'S THRUSH 24 HERMIT THRUSH 4 WOOD THRUSH 110 AMERICAN ROBIN 264 GRAY CATBIRD 383 NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD 69 BROWN THRASHER 4 AMERICAN PIPIT 3 CEDAR WAXWING 235 EUROPEAN STARLING 260 WHITE-EYED VIREO 63 SOLITARY VIREO 1 YELLOW-THROATED VIREO 27 WARBLING VIREO 6 RED-EYED VIREO 163 BLUE-WINGED WARBLER 19 TENNESSEE WARBLER 1 NASHVILLE WARBLER 2 NORTHERN PARULA 126 YELLOW WARBLER 94 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER 45 MAGNOLIA WARBLER 17 BLACK-THR BLUE WARBLER 173 MYRTLE WARBLER 552 BLACK-THR GREEN WARBLER 66 BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER 4 YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER 2 PINE WARBLER 7 PRAIRIE WARBLER 30 PALM WARBLER 3 BAY-BREASTED WARBLER 7 BLACKPOLL WARBLER 56 CERULEAN WARBLER 1 BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER 138 AMERICAN REDSTART 230 PROTHONOTARY WARBLER 1 WORM-EATING WARBLER 19 OVENBIRD 120 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH 14 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH 20 KENTUCKY WARBLER 7 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT 287 HOODED WARBLER 17 WILSON'S WARBLER 1 CANADA WARBLER 21 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT 5 SUMMER TANAGER 1 SCARLET TANAGER 98 NORTHERN CARDINAL 257 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK 28 BLUE GROSBEAK 11 INDIGO BUNTING 70 RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE 80 CHIPPING SPARROW 96 FIELD SPARROW 34 SAVANNAH SPARROW 55 GRASSHOPPER SPARROW 2 SONG SPARROW 133 SWAMP SPARROW 12 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 249 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW 15 BOBOLINK 270 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 336 EASTERN MEADOWLARK 11 COMMON GRACKLE 232 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD 152 ORCHARD ORIOLE 21 BALTIMORE ORIOLE 90 HOUSE FINCH 58 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH 209 HOUSE SPARROW 65 TOTAL SPECIES 162
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By Joy Wheeler
Its 275 specimens make up a large part of Maryland's 400 possible species. We have a permit, renewed yearly, to salvage birds in Maryland and receive them in our freezer whenever offered. We have an extinct bird, the bird that is our national symbol, the Maryland state bird, and one of Baltimore's Peregrine Falcons. It is valuable for all the ordinary citizens of the area who have never bad a chance to see birds close-up, for artists, carvers and photographers, and for school-age children to become aware of the diversity of life on our planet.
With that introduction I am proposing that many more of you seize the opportunity to be on hand in the museum to engage visitors in conversation about birds, bird conservation, and environmental issues.
During the 1998-99 year we have had a team of willing hosts to whom we are very grateful: Elfriede Carney, Tim Carney, Catherine Bishop, Kathryn Alden, Dorothy Baranauskas, and Martha Bromberger-Barnea. Each of them expressed their pleasure at the opportunity to talk about birds and the museum. It means 2 hours on a Saturday or Sunday whenever Cylburn Arboretum Association has an Open House or other event like Market Day. We need to spread our message about the pleasures and responsibilities of bird study. Baltimore Bird Club's Museum of the Birds of Maryland is the perfect place to do it. Please say YES when I call, or call me at 410-825-1204.
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Postcard from Australia
March 10, 1999
Dear Chippers,
You should consider taking a vacation to Australia. There are lots of endemic birds (and bird families) and most are easy to see. I had a one-day layover, and went birding in the rain forest just outside of Brisbane. For the day I saw 97 species, but could only add one species to my life list - the recently "split" Russet-tailed Thrush. However it was fun to see again many exceptional birds such as Black Swan, Red Knot, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Eastern Yellow Robin, Rainbow Lorikeet, Golden-headed Cisticola, Blue-faced Honeyeater, and of course, the incredible Kookaburra!
Best regards from back on the edge,
Hank Kaestner
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Yosemite: Another View
By Peter Lev
Well, to begin with, the weather in the Sierras is obviously variable. On June 4-7 of this year, temperatures were on the cool side. It had snowed on June 3 (briefly closing the Tioga Pass Road in Yosemite), and we saw snow on the ground at about 6,000 feet on June 4 and 5. Daytime temperatures ranged from 45 to 75 degrees, wonderful birding weather.
We stayed in the small town of Groveland (40 minutes from the Route 120 entrance to the park) in the funky but functional Charlotte Hotel. No air conditioning, which was one of Steve's complaints, but none was needed. Groveland was perfect for us because Yvonne's brother owns a property nearby. Staying within the park would be even better for a 100% birding trip, but would require reservations several months in advance.
We developed two strategies for beating the crowds in Yosemite. First, visit popular tourist sites early in the morning. We got to Glacier Point before 9 AM on a Saturday and were the fifth car in the parking lot. A Pygmy Nuthatch was singing from the top of a tree, and the views were delightful. On Monday, we reached Mirror Lake by midmorning, and found it only moderately populated by tourists. I'm sure that afternoons at Mirror Lake are overcrowded. Our second strategy was to spend some time outside of the very popular Yosemite Valley. We explored areas both north and south of the Valley.
I spent a few hours birding on each day of the trip. The complex of meadows around Crane Flat, recommended by all the books, was disappointing. I checked the area twice, and discovered nothing more exciting than a Red-breasted Nuthatch. However, I did find two interesting birding spots.
By far the most productive area was Badger Pass Ski Area, off Glacier Point Rd. This is one of the few less-than-beautiful areas in the park. However, its mixture of meadow, marsh, young trees and parking lots was loaded with birds. In a little more than an hour here, I saw Ash-Throated and Hammond's Flycatchers; Red-Breasted Sapsucker; Hutton's Vireo; Green-Tailed Towhee; Western Bluebird; and MacGillivray's Warbler. Mountain Chickadees and Yellow-Rumped (Audubon's) Warblers were abundant. And there were a few more birds that I'm still wondering about, including a large songbird (bigger than a robin) with generally gray plumage and a pink wash on the belly. What a wonderful spot!
Mirror Lake is a gorgeous place at the east end of Yosemite Valley with a nice mixture of birds. Here I saw Pacific Slope Flycatcher; Violet-Green Swallow; White-Headed Woodpecker; and more familiar birds such as Yellow Warbler and Spotted Sandpiper. Definitely worth a visit for the mixture of birds and scenery.
I also did some birding in the Sierra foothills around Groveland. Nice birds for me here were Lark Sparrow (with adults feeding juveniles!); California Quail; Western Wood-Peewee; Acorn Woodpecker; Bullock's Oriole; and Anna's Hummingbird. Black-headed Grosbeaks were everywhere - one eventually tires of their songs.
This was my first trip to the Sierras. They are overwhelmingly beautiful, and Yosemite is a stunning park. The bird life, though widely dispersed, is impressive. I would love to go back, to search out more high-altitude birds, to visit Mono Lake (outside the park, near the Tioga Pass entrance), to do more hiking. For Steve's "California Disaster," I would substitute "California Dreaming."
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Thanks to the Big Help Team
By Joy Wheeler
On April 10, the Baltimore Bird Club took part in The Big Help, a project of the Nickelodeon TV Channel. It was like nothing we had ever done before. Along the shores of Middle Branch Park we set up our bird club traveling display with a whole team of Baltimore Orioles - eight stuffed birds from our loan collection and one from Essex Community College's collection, that is. We attracted many children with their adult leaders from recreation centers all over Baltimore City. Children and adults alike had never seen a feathered Baltimore Oriole before, though well acquainted with their baseball player namesakes. Each person who approached us received a 3-oriole bird picture-info card to take home to learn more, stamped with our name and telephone number.
At noon the team from a local home improvement business arrived with 100 wren house kits for the children to assemble and take home. Our BBC volunteers were kept busy helping the youngsters put these together. We had expected bluebird house kits and had come prepared with info about caring for them, but were generally relieved that we were not assembling bluebird houses of questionable use in an urban setting. The wren houses went together readily and we can only hope they will not house House Sparrows instead.
Altogether it was a lively day. We proudly took our place along with the Maryland Entomological Society, Carrie Murray Outdoor Education Center, grass-seed ball making, Baltimore City Forestry Board, and others. The Big Help Nickelodeon characters entertained the entire group with dancing Rug Rats and magical tricks, all televised and shown on Channel 28, April 29th at 7:30 .
Did anybody out there see us on TV? I, for one, did not. First hand experience is always better than stale TV, don't you agree? But let us know if you did. Patsy Perlman, Karen Morley, Mike Callahan, and Bix Wheeler were all on hand helping with the kits, talking about our Baltimore Orioles, and pointing out the birds on Middle Branch. Many thanks to them for their support and participation. Thanks, too, to Jon Boone of Oakland who contributed 100 bluebird cards, his beautiful business card.
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Roberta Ross
4128 Roland Ave
Baltimore MD 21211-2034
(410) 467-8137
Dues are $20 for an individual or $30 for a household.
New members who joined after April 30, 1999, and paid a full year's dues at that time, have already paid for the 1999-2000 membership year and do not have to pay any further dues now.
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Native Plant Seminar and Sale
The seminar registration is $50.00. Those who register before August 1 will receive a discount coupon for purchases at the plant sale. The first session begins at 9 a.m. and the conference concludes at 1 p.m. Registered participants may access the plant sale beginning at 8 a.m. The sale is free and open to the public from 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The Irvine Natural Science Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental education. The Center is located at 8400 Greenspring Avenue, Stevenson, MD (one mile north of the Baltimore Beltway Exit 22). Call 410-484-2413 for more information.
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Mid-Winter Count - Baltimore City and County: January 23, 1999
Compiled by Pete Webb
R T Loon 1 P B Grebe 52 Horned Grebe 15 D C Cormorant 24 G B Heron 35 Black Vulture 28 Turkey Vulture 89 Canada Goose 2624 small C Goose 1 Mute Swan 8 Gadwall 42 Wigeon 96 Black 127 Mallard 701 Shoveler 3 Pintail 3 Canvasback 800 Redhead 15 Ring-neck Duck 280 Lesser Scaup 306 Bufflehead 127 Goldeneye 77 Hooded Merg 122 Common Merg 93 Ruddy Duck 563 Bald Eagle 1 Harrier 5 Sharpie 4 Cooper's 3 Red Shoulder 8 Red Tail Hawk 26 Kestrel 14 Merlin 6 Peregrine 1 Pheasant 11 Turkey (wild) 1 Virginia Rail 4 Coot 1524 Killdeer 8 Bonaparte's Gull 239 Ring-billed Gull 2525 Herring Gull 1414 Lesser Black-bk 1 Gt. Black-bk Gull 164 Pigeon 1144 Mourning Dove 365 Grt Horned Owl 6 Short-eared Owl 2 Kingfisher 9 Red Belly Wpkr 34 Downy Wpkr 38 Hairy Wpkr 7 Flicker 27 Pileated Wpkr 4 Blue Jay 50 Am Crow 776 Fish Crow 108 Crow Sp. 75 Car. Chickadee 156 Titmouse 110 W B Nuthatch 16 Brown Creeper 1 Carolina Wren 57 Winter Wren 1 G C Kinglet 20 R C Kinglet 4 Bluebird 40 Hermit Thrush 1 Robin 19 Mockingbird 35 Starling 976 Am. Pipit 4 Cedar Waxwing 28 Myrtle Warbler 46 E Towhee 3 Tree Sparrow 46 Chipping Sparrow 4 Field Sparrow 3 Savannah Sparrow 22 Song Sparrow 206 Swamp Sparrow 3 White-Throat Sp 214 White-crowned Sp 7 Junco 69 Snow Bunting 17 N Cardinal 137 Red-winged Bb 257 Grackle 40 Cowbird 130 House Finch 73 Goldfinch 68 House Sparrow 241 SPECIES 90 BIRDS 17,890
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Postcard from Manus Island March 4, 1999 Dear Chippers, This card is from over the edge. Manus Island is located in the extreme southwest Pacific, but politically part of Papua New Guinea. This area was very important during World War II when the Americans built a large base here which passed ONE MILLION servicemen. Today there are only a few indications of the US presence here 55 years ago. The farmers are trying their hand at vanilla, which is why I am here. On Sunday I took a 2 1/2 hour boat ride to Tong Island, which is the home of some very rare birds: the Manus Fantail and Ebony Myzomela. After Manus I visited New Ireland Island, where, with the help of information provided to me by MOS member Bruce Buehler, I located the incredible Ribbon-tailed Drongo, an endemic. Best, Hank Kaestner Back to Table of Contents
Field Trip Reports Compiled by Steve Sanford Thank you Peter Lev for providing most of the Lake Roland narratives, and Kevin Graff for e-mail summaries of some trips otherwise unreported. March 6 - Baltimore Harbor - This trip visited the Harbor Hospital area, Cherry Hill Park, and Southwest Area Park. Some of the best birds were at Cherry Hill Park: Common Snipe, Ring-necked Pheasant, Savannah Sparrow, and Tree Sparrow. 5 participants. Leader: Mark Pemburn. March 13 - Centennial Lake - Waterfowl included American Wigeon and Ring-necked Duck. 35 species. 3 participants. Leader: Burton Alexander. March 20 - Middle Creek, PA - It was a beautiful March day for the 7 participants to enjoy the waterfowl at this great spot in Lancaster Co., PA. Much as he tried, the leader could not shake off Gail Frantz's party. At the Timonium Park n' Ride he announced they would be regrouping at "the Burger King in York." The lead vehicle quickly lost sight of Gail's vehicle, and she ended up at a different Burger King, where, incidentally, she was rewarded with the most beautiful fast-food restroom she ever saw. Her description of it was sheer poetry! Gail cleverly found her way to Middle Creek anyway, where she chastised the feckless leader severely. But harmony was restored by the sight of thousands of waterfowl. There were about 25,000 Snow Geese - 23,512 according to Kevin Graff - which a Bald Eagle stirred into glorious flight, and 13 other species of waterfowl in smaller numbers, including about 200 Tundra Swans, plus one lonely Snipe, and several Tree Sparrows. The excellent displays of mounted birds at the visitor center were - as always - another attraction of the trip. The species total was 50. Feckless Leader: Steve Sanford. March 23 - Lake Roland - A cool morning, with partial sun. Highlights were Common Merganser (not common at Lake Roland), Gadwall, and Eastern Phoebe (5 or 6). Curiously, we did not see any Rock Doves, Starlings, House Finches, or House Sparrows. It was a day for native birds. 29 species. 17 participants, Leader: Adelaide Rackemann March 30 - Lake Roland - Today we had 23 birders and 30 species on a lovely morning. Good birds not seen last week were Common Loon (4 seen overhead), Rough-winged Swallow, and Hooded Merganser. Gadwall, and Eastern Phoebe were again around. Leader: Chris Manning April 6 - Lake Roland - It was a "great spring day," around 50°, with lots of early spring migrants including 10 Palm Warblers, and 11 Cormorants. 39 species. 24 participants. Leader: Patsy Perlman April 11 - Loch Raven - Rained out. We thank leader Kye Jenkins for trying anyway. April 13 - Lake Roland - A sunny but windy day. We saw nothing extraordinary, just a nice list of April birds: Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk (several), Tree and Rough-winged Swallows, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, both kinglets, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers. One birder wandered off on his own and saw a Barred Owl. 41 species were counted overall. 21 participants. Leader: Matilda Weiss April 17 - Fort Smallwood - This hawk-watching trip hit Broad-winged Hawk migration literally at its peak. The watch had a record-breaking 814 Broadwings, and a total of 1412 raptors according to watch-compiler Sue Ricciardi. In addition to the hawks there were various water birds such as Caspian Terns and Red-breasted Mergansers. At the Nursery Road meeting place was an early Parula Warbler and Savannah Sparrow. 67 species. 4 birders came with the BBC trip with about 10 more watchers coming to the hawk-watch which is regularly manned and visited every day during the spring. April 20 - Lake Roland - It's beginning to feel like migration. We saw 56 species today. Songbird arrivals were White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, and Louisiana Waterthrush. Three Horned Grebes in breeding plumage gave us excellent looks. Other water birds were Black-crowned Night-Heron and Blue-winged Teal. Raptors included Barred Owl, Osprey, Broad-winged and Red-tailed Hawks. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was well-seen, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were found at several locations in the park. 23 participants, Leader: Dot Gustafson April 24 - Huntley Meadows - The highlights at this remarkable sample of freshwater marshland in the Virginia suburbs of D.C. were an excellent close-up view of a grunting King Rail, a Common Moorhen, and a posing close-up Solitary Sandpiper. It was a pleasant spring day with about 12 participants. Leader: Pete Webb. April 27 - Lake Roland - A beautiful morning with a nice group of migrating songbirds. Orioles were prominently seen and heard-mostly Baltimores, but we had a few Orchards as well. Nine warbler species were counted, including Blue-winged, Worm-eating, and Wilson's. Other arrivals were Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, and Blue-headed Vireo. Overall, we saw and/or heard 62 species. 28 participants, Leader: Elliot Kirschbaum May 1 - Gwynn's Falls Park: Crimea Mansion - 18 birders gathered at this attractive area with it's mansion and varied habitat of fields, shrubs, deep woods, and stream at the beginning of the peak of spring migration. Unfortunately, the migrants must have been resting elsewhere in preparation for a big push during the workweek. It was sunny, and cool - almost fall-like, which was probably the problem. As leader Scott Crabtree wrote: "A stalled high pressure system from the north kept migrants to a minimum." There were 41 species May 4 - Lake Roland - Birding seemed slow today, although we counted a respectable 59 species. After a week of northeast winds, neotropical migrants were sparse. We did have a female Scarlet Tanager (seen) and a Yellow-throated Vireo (heard). Lots of Northern Parulas were around, but we saw a total of only 5 warbler species. Shorebirds included a Snipe, two Solitary Sandpipers (no, they were not together) and a few peeps. 23 participants, Leader: Shirley Geddes May 9 - Phoenix - 10 birders enjoyed 63 species on this beautiful day. There were 14 species of warblers including Prothonotary, Blackburnian, and both waterthrushes. Leader: Steve Simon. Due to an inconsistency between Chip Notes and the program book schedule we had two fieldtrips this day. Thank you Steve Simon for leading this one on short notice. May 9 - Milford Mill Park - On this sunny, moderately warm day 8 birders enjoyed 14 species of warblers with good numbers of Redstarts, Black-throated Blues, and Yellow-rumps. There were good views of Swainson's and Wood Thrushes. A female Pileated Woodpecker on a dead tree - 20 feet from the trail - was too busy looking for breakfast to concern itself with a gaggle of admiring birdwatchers. Leaders: Sukon Kanchanaraksa and Michele Melia. May 11 - Lake Roland - This was an excellent birding day at Lake Roland. 16 warbler species were seen, and 81 (WOW!) species overall. The bird of the day was a Prothonotary Warbler. Shirley Geddes remembers when Prothonotaries nested at Lake Roland, but currently they are rare visitors during migration. Other warblers of note were Blue-winged and Kentucky. Both Baltimore and Orchard Orioles were around, and a Great Egret was in the marsh north of the lake. 24 participants. Leader: Shirley Geddes May 18 - Lake Roland - A singing male Prothonotary Warbler was again at Lake Roland today, so nesting is at least a possibility this year. A total of 11 warblers was seen or heard, including Canada and Blackpoll. It was also a thrushy day; we encountered Veery, Wood Thrush, Swainson's, and Gray-cheeked/Bicknell's. Overall, 66 species were seen. 27 participants, Leader: Ruth Culbertson May 25 - Lake Roland - On this beautiful, fall-like day, we saw mainly summer residents at Lake Roland. The Prothonotary Warbler was singing on territory-but no one has seen a female yet. A few yards away was a singing Warbling Vireo. In the "park" area, we saw both Blackpoll (migrant) and Black-and-white Warblers. A female Wood Duck with babies was at the north end of the lake. Among the other summer birds were both oriole species, Yellow-throated Vireo, Black-crowned Night-Heron, and Spotted Sandpiper (or was this last fellow just passing through?). 63 species, 25 participants, Leader: Josie Gray May 30 - Liberty Plus - 6 birders gathered at Owings Mills Mall and then in the Liberty Lake area for late spring birds. Leader Gail Frantz writes: Relentless development at the Owings Mill Mall has used up at least another 40 to 50 acres of habitat. Missing for the first time in 5 years were Scarlet Tanager, both species of orioles, and Yellow-throated Vireo. One of two singing Willow Flycatchers cooperated nicely so that everyone got a good look through the scope. A Great Blue Heron with a beak full of nesting material flew over the mall's large settling pond. A Kingfisher caught a fish while we watched - how did these fish, one of the birders thought it was a blue gill - get into the settling pond? At the Liberty Lake area were nests of Baltimore Oriole and Eastern Kingbird, a male Yellow Warbler feeding young, and 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos. Over the last 4 years the Cliff Swallow colony off Route 91 has dropped from 11 to 6 active nests. Nevertheless they gave a good show. The young have not fledged as of yet. Back to Table of Contents
Cylburn Fieldtrips: Spring 1999
By Joseph M. Lewandowski
March 21, 1999 The first Sunday walk of the season was overcast but the light rain did stop as our walk began. Six participants showed up and all were pleased to start a new spring. We observed ten species of birds during our 11/2 hour walk (rain started again). Besides the usual birds, we heard Towhees and had a good view of a male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The high point of the morning was spotting an adult Bald Eagle soaring above us. I cannot recall seeing one at Cylburn before. Not bad for a gloomy day in March! (Summary provided by Chris Manning) March 28, 1999 With a temperature in the mid-40's, five birders came out on a cool, windy, overcast day to see what birds Cylburn has to offer. This is a different time of year, with the trees still bare and little in the way of blooms in the gardens. However, 27 species graced our bird list. A Cooper's and a Red-tailed Hawk soared above us and a Kestrel did his acrobatics. Fox, Song, and White-throated Sparrows as well as Canada Geese flying overhead were present April 4, 1999 What a beautiful day to go bird watching! Temperature was perfect - in the 60's. Little wind and blue skies with the sun warm and bright added to the perfection. For the two birders that ventured out, Mother Nature had a great day planned. Twenty-one species dotted our bird list. A Kestrel eating a mouse, Mockingbirds flying about, Cowbirds milling about, Chipping Sparrows on the lawn, and a Grackle. The Arboretum was filled with yellow daffodils that gave promise to a great spring. Tulips were showing their leaves; could the blooms be that far behind. April 11, 1999 With a temperature in the 40's, overcast, and rain, it was not the best day to bird. Five birders decided to walk the trails of Cylburn for a short time and tallied seven species. They were all common species but we saw that many wildflowers were out, the daffodils made their yellow carpet throughout the Arboretum, and the tulips were beginning to flower. They say that April showers bring May flowers, but I believe that spring is just around the corner at Cylburn. April 18, 1999 It was a sunny day with a temperature in the 50's that greeted twelve birders at Cylburn. Spring was definitely in the air. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Rough-winged Swallows, and Song Sparrows fluttered across our path. A close-up look at a Palm Warbler gave everyone a peak at this first warbler of the season. A Hermit Thrush and Cowbirds rounded out our list. Twenty-three species of birds were seen as well as wildflowers and the start of the tulips. Compared to last week's rain, it was a great birding day at Baltimore's outstanding Arboretum. April 25, 1999 It was another great Sunday at Cylburn. This sunny day with the temperature in the 50's showed the twelve birders that walked the trails all the wonders that an Arboretum has to offer. Tulips were out in force, the small gardens were beginning to show their wonders, and the birds were there aplenty. Forty-four birds topped our species list with such notables as a Redstart, Black-throated Green Warbler, Broad-winged Hawk, Hairy Woodpecker, Wood Thrush, Indigo Bunting, Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers, White-eyed and Warbling Vireos, and Rough-winged Swallows. Some of the close ups of the birds were spectacular and everyone enjoyed a day with nature. May 2, 1999 The Sundays at Cylburn are beginning to look repetitive. A sunny day with the temperature in the 50's again greeted thirteen birders. New fences circled the small gardens and the flowers were out in force. Forty-one birds topped our species list. A flock of Cedar Waxwings met us along the trail along with a Wood Thrush; and a beautiful red fox looked at us as we walked along. A House Wren, Barn Swallows, Broad-winged Hawk, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Baltimore and Orchard Oriole, and Solitary Sandpiper were some of our notable birds. The highlight of this trip was the sighting of a Great Horned Owl. May 16, 1999 The tulips have all disappeared, the dead tree at the end of the Circle Trail has been cut down, and the trees have gained their leaves. This probably means that spring is on the way out. For the nine birders who traveled the Arboretum on this, the last Cylburn walk of the spring season, it meant a time to say good-by to friends and part our ways. Twenty-five birds graced our species list. A few Cedar Waxwings were in the high trees, a Yellowthroat, Blackpoll, and Yellow Warbler were present, and the Barn Swallows were circling the fields. Wildflowers were still in bloom to let us know that for some plants, spring did not depart. But on this sunny day, it was nice to see the regular birds at our favorite haunt and watch, as we did, the Wood Thrushes walk down the familiar trails of Cylburn. Here's hoping the summer brings you good birding and that the fall will find you on the Cylburn trails. Back to Table of Contents
Postcard from India Dear Chippers, A day layover between Cairo and Cochin in south India allowed some birding in the modern city of New Delhi. In spite of India's incredible population density, there is quite a lot of good birding habitat near town. In fact, the Delhi area bird list is over 450 species. I started the day in the Buddha Jayanti Park, which contains much acacia forest on a hill known as Delhi Ridge. It was fun to see wild Peacocks, Gray Francolins, Oriental Honey-Buzzards, Indian Gray Hornbills, Rose-ringed and Blossom-headed Parakeets by the hundreds, all in the city-limits of Delhi. Saw several new for my list: Plain Leaf Warbler, Gray-necked and White-capped Buntings. Later in the day I rented a boat to visit an island located in the Yumana River, the home to the localized White-tailed Stonechat, another lifer. Best - Hank Kaestner Back to Table of Contents
Volunteer Counters Needed for By Leslie Fisher The Cecil Bird Club wishes that their neighboring Baltimore Bird Club cohorts would come out and share in the excitement of the 1999 Turkey Point Hawk Watch, which was established in 1994 by Cecil founding president Gary Griffith and veteran hawk watcher Charles Gant. Join us on Wed. September 1st, 11am. for the official dedication of an interpretive sign to the Elk Neck State Park. Club member Ron Kelczewski has been working hard all summer constructing this much needed and informative piece of work. The club is excited to be contributing something of lasting value to the park. In the past, hawk watchers have had breath taking looks of raptors in their often "naked eye" flight path across the point, while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the peninsula. Already I am thinking of gusty fall days, with one Red-tail after another soaring over the point, wings set against the buffeting wind. Who can forget the excitement when someone yells "PEREGRINE!!!", the sense of awe when the sky is filled with migrating raptors. If hawk watching is your game, you need to join us at Turkey Point this fall. Our best season to date has been 5,000 raptors with much less than full time coverage, and we suspect that being strategically located on a peninsula, the numbers could be much higher, perhaps even significant, with regular volunteer coverage. Therefore, we invite you to join us at the Turkey Point Hawk Watch on a regular basis, for a few hours, for a day, once a week, come as you can, whatever!! We look forward to seeing you. I encourage all who can commit to a specific date(s) to contact me, Leslie Fisher, as I will be coordinating volunteers. A regular core of counters would be wonderful. Call 410-658-2427 or e-mail . It would be equally welcome for spur of the moment visitors to report data, should they find no counter present. Ron K., builder of the new sign will also be data compiler, and will submit to HMANA at the end of the season. Call Ron at 302-738-4345, or e-mail
with your data. More information on Turkey Point and Cecil County birding can be found at the web site, www.udel.edu/cecilbirds
Turkey Point is located in Cecil County, in the northeast corner of Maryland. The Point is a peninsula of land between the Elk and Northeast Rivers, at the head of the Chesapeake Bay. The peninsula is roughly triangular, with the point facing south, and this shape funnels and concentrates migrating birds, which are often reluctant to cross the water To reach Turkey Point, take I-95 or Route 40 into Cecil County. Exit at Rt. 272 south and enter the town of North East. Continue straight through town and remain on 272 south. Continue past the main part of Elk Neck State Park (camping area, day use areas and administrative offices) and past the community of Chesapeake Isle. Rt. 272 ends and the Turkey Point parking lot. Park here and follow the trail 0.9 miles to the second meadow. Look for the sign and people staring into the sky! We hope to see you during the 1999 Turkey Point hawk watching season.
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The Baltimore Bird Club is now offering its merchandise for sale through its mail order section. The following items are available. All prices include shipping costs. Baltimore Bird Club's Birding Site Guide - $12.00 Please make your check or money order payable to "The Baltimore Bird Club" and send your order to: Joseph Lewandowski, 3021 Temple Gate, Baltimore, Maryland 21209.
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by Gail Frantz
Baltimore City
From his yard, Scott Crabtree enjoyed a Screech Owl in February and a Woodcock in the middle of March. The first of April brought Scott a special visitor that few folks in Baltimore County got to see this year - a Red-breasted Nuthatch at his feeder. Irma Weinstein reports two new and welcome yard birds: I live in the city, not far from the Pimlico Race Track, so I generally get the usual feeder birds: Chickadees, Titmice, Cardinals etc. March 20: At my feeder I saw a bird I had never seen at my feeder before. It turned out to be a Fox Sparrow! Then on April 27, I got a Towhee which was another first. Baltimore County Randallstown April 5: Chris McSwain saw a pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks fly over her house and on April 27 was pleased to be able to observe a flock of fifteen Cedar Waxwings that spent two days in her yard. From Steve Sanford: April 3: I just got a pleasant surprise, a new yard bird: Field Sparrow. Considering the habitat here I would say it's a Far-afield Sparrow. I'm still very jealous of all those people getting Fox Sparrows in their yards. April 16: I had a most welcome visitor: As I was leaving for work this morning, I noticed a little warbler-like thing hopping in one of my taller trees. I almost ignored it, but finally decided to go back and get my binoculars. Thank goodness, because it was a great new yard-bird: a Yellow-throated Warbler -one of my favorites, and certainly one of the prettiest warblers. This is particularly remarkable considering the lack of habitat in my yard and neighborhood. It's the only warbler I've had in my yard so far this season. Chipping Sparrows have been relatively thick (up to 5 at at a time) in the yard most days since April 1. I usually only see them for a few days in spring and fall. April 19: I finally cleaned out and re-filled the upside-down thistle feeder that had been idle all winter and the Goldfinches are back in force. They are almost all the way back to breeding plumage. June 11: I had a good bird for my yard last night. I heard a loud yelp then "Who-cooks-for you" twice from a Barred Owl that sounded quite close. This is only the second time I've had one here. June 17: Another yard bird first was a Wood Thrush that sang in the rain outside my window. Phoenix April 6: Anne Brooks spotted a Yellow-throated Warbler on one of her oaks. On May 4, a Pileated Woodpecker made a surprise visit next to the Brooks' patio. Rogers Forge On March 13, Dot Gustafson observed an accipiter , probably a Sharp-shinned Hawk, perched in the trees on the edge of her neighbor's yard. March 15: Dot was delighted to see a White-throated Sparrow and the neighborhood's resident Carolina Wren during the mid-March snow storm. Dot says that the constant supply of squirrels, 20+ House Sparrows and Mourning Doves have intimidated most all other bird species from venturing onto her postage stamp sized yard to feed. One exception is the Goldfinches that have persisted all winter. She feels that this is due to her Upside Down Feeder's inaccessibility to the House sparrows and House Finches. In late January, Ruth Culbertson enjoyed a flock of more than 20 Robins feeding on the berries of a mystery vine that grows up and around the trees in the woods. At the same time another half a dozen Robins enjoyed the birdbath stationed next to her home. Lochearn This spring, as always, Pete Webb's yard attracted a wide variety of migratory birds. A Gray-cheeked (not Bicknell's) Thrush present May 18 through May 21. Tennessee Warbler May 17 through May 21. Passing warbler species during the weekend of May 22 included Canada, Blackpoll and Redstart. A pair of Red-shouldered Hawks nested across the street from Pete's home. On a sad note, the single Yellow-crowned Night Heron chick from this year's nesting died for unknown reasons. Fallston A very early bird came to Barb Meserve of Fallston on April 21: "My husband grabbed my arm and pointed out the window. A male Rubythroat was settled on the feeder!!!" Woodensburg On April 29, While driving past my neighbor's field-like yard, I noticed a flurry of small hawk and bird activity. I immediately stopped the car and snatched my binoculars off the passenger seat. By the time the birds were in focus the attack was complete. The Sharpshin was standing quietly on the ground with one foot pressed against a black, disheveled lump of feathers. The motionless lump appeared to be a Grackle. A short distance away a movement in the grass caught my eye. A groundhog, with its head sticking up out of his hole, was watching the drama along with me. The hawk rested only a moment. She glanced around the yard then spread her wings which made her appear enormous. With her prize clutched firmly in her talons, she slowly lifted off and disappeared into the large trees that ring the property. (GF) Backyard Birding at Liberty Reservoir David and Evelyn Taylor, two of our new BBC directors, like to extend their backyard to include the nearby woods of Liberty Reservoir. Evelyn explains: We live on watershed property so feel the woods are an extension of our yard sometime! These really aren't in any order except in the order in which we see them. To back up a few weeks, the week from February 20th to February 27th was a good one. On the 20th, we saw Cardinals, Chickadees, Yellow- rumped Warblers, Turkey Vultures, Juncos, Carolina Wren, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Ring-billed Gull, and to top it off --a Bald Eagle. One of our better days!! These were all seen on a walk in the woods near our house. During March, I saw from my window while having morning coffee, Eastern Bluebirds, Hermit Thrush, White Breasted Nuthatches, Carolina Wrens, Chickadees and a Hairy Woodpecker! Another great start to a day! Dave also saw a White-throated and Song Sparrows, Tufted Titmouse, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Belted Kingfisher, Canada Geese and a Common Merganser. He went out later the same day and saw a Barred Owl then heard two others. Our weeks are usually not quite this good! On March 13th, a flock of Cedar Waxwings gave us a show. They landed in the top of a small Maple tree in our backyard and almost immediately left, but Dave thought they came right back down again, and when we checked the side yard, there they were about 15 feet from our window in a pine tree, eating berries from a wild rose vine. They stayed there, doing all kinds of acrobatics to reach the berries and giving us quite a thrill - Gorgeous! - for five minutes or so. These few days made up for the many days we go out and see only one or two of anything -- some days we feel lucky to see a Crow! EXTRA Northhampton Furnace Trail on May 15 produced a fine collection of thrushes for Joy Wheeler that included: Wood, Thrush, Swainson and a Gray-cheeked Thrush. On May 17, Joy had the first of four sightings of a singing Prothonotary Warbler. Birth Announcement: Mr. & Mrs. Brian Rollfinke's baby, Maxwell Franklin, was born on April 12 and weighed in at 7lbs 7oz. Max has already visited Cylburn for the June 20 Summer Solstice celebration. Mom says that Max was so taken with a White-breasted Nuthatch he saw, that she expects that bird's name will be his first words.
Let us hear about your Back Yard birding too ! ! ! Call or write to:
Gail Frantz
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Turkey Point Hawk Watch
Baltimore Bird Club T-Shirt - $18.00 (only XL left)
MOS Patch - $3.50
MOS Decal - $3.50
Back Yard Birding
13955 Old Hanover Rd.
Reisterstown MD 21136
Tel: (410) 833-7135
e-mail:
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