Upon closer inspection, it morphed into a mixed flock of black birds. Some were red-winged blackbirds, some were brown-headed cowbirds, and a handful were European starlings in brown-spangled winter plumage. We had no luck picking out a rusty blackbird, Brewer's blackbird, or yellow-headed blackbird (that species with the most melodious of songs).
On very close inspection, via the spotting scope, we could see that the flock was mostly cowbirds (boo hiss!).
Still, it was an enjoyable phenomenon of fall migration.
Later, while driving from the refuge toward the Eastern Shore town of Cambridge, we happened upon a merlin. I had been wanting to see a merlin for the entire trip and tried to turn every kestrel into one. John Schaust, the chief naturalist Wild Birds Unlimited HQ in Indiana spied this beauty for me as we drove past it. Thanks John! That evening we added a peregrine falcon along the Choptank River, making it a three-falcon day! Sweet!
Blackwater is a gem in the National Wildlife Refuge system. If you have never been, mark it down on your list of must-bird spots of the eastern U.S.
Here is what sunset looks like along Blackwater's wonderful wildlife drive.
6 comments:
Gotta love those long, bird-snatching middle toes on that merlin! Hurry home, darlin.'
Bill,
As someone very new to birding I have some elementary questions for you. Is there any particular format for recording birds that you see? Is there a birding log book that you can purchase? I appreciate your answer for a "newbie"
Awesome. You get to go to such great places. But Maryland???? Aren't you exiled from that state forever?
Doc:
There are a zillion different ways to record your bird sightings. I still use the printed checklist mode when I am in the field, but lots of folks use a more modern method. There are online sites where you can keep your checklist, there is birding software for your PC (Thayer, BirdBrain, Avisys, etc) and there are even handheld computers (like the Palm Pilot) with field guide and list keeping software (Handheld Birds from PullUIn Software is the most recent).
For my lifelist, I use the Birder's Lifelist and Diary, published by Cornell Lab. I just get a big thrill chekcing off a new species with pen and paper.
Susan:
I snuck into MD under the protection of the Federal Government.
I once saw a pair of WESTERN KINGBIRD chase a RED TAILED HAWK i mean these little birds are totaly fearless
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