Volume 15 Number 6 |
December 2002 |
Don't put away those binoculars for the winter. There is still a lot of birding to do. Jean Wheeler will again be coordinating the annual Rock Run Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, December 28 and Mark Johnson will coordinate the Mid-Winter Count on Saturday, January 25. Both Jean and Mark will be happy to provide information on how you can participate. See their related articles within this issue of Wrenderings.
At the January 10 meeting, Dennis Kirkwood will be giving us some tips on identifying "winter feeder birds". We will also be presenting the annual Harford Bird Club awards. There will be no dinner at this meeting, but dessert and a beverage will be served. Included in this newsletter is a flyer explaining a program I would like to try for the July, 2003 Summer Social at Anita Leight - a fun way to get to know members of the club other than by name. This will not be a high pressure situation. No one will have to give a speech or be on stage - just share a special skill or interest with the group in a very informal manner.
Amid all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, take time to remember lost friends and their families; remind yourselves of what it means to be an American; and, while making those proverbial resolutions, resolve to do one small thing to help sustain wildlife.
Wishing you all a joyous holiday season!! - Carol Flora
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Our thoughts and prayers are with Harford Bird Club President Carol Flora and her family. Carol's beloved husband Charles ("Charlie") passed away on December 3, 2002. Together we offer our heartfelt condolences.
The Harford Bird Club
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TheThirty-First Annual Audubon Rock Run Christmas Bird Count will take place on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2002. The Christmas Bird Count is an excellent opportunity for Harford Bird Club members to have fun while contributing to one of the largest scientific databases concerning bird populations. You need not be experienced to participate. In fact, many prominent ornithologists have gotten their start with the Christmas Bird Count. The count is simple! The count circle is 15 miles in diameter with a center point at the Rock Run Mill in Susquehanna State Park. The circle is divided into sectors in which a group and its leader have 24 hours to count as many species and individuals as they can find. After the count, there may once again be a "tally rally", call for further details. The fee per participant is $5 which is forwarded to the National Audubon Society in order to compile and publish the results. If you are new to the count, consider this an open invitation to join us. If you're returning, begin building your strategies now. Either way, contact Jean Wheeler at (410-879-7424) or by e-mail at jwheele@jhmi.edu. - Jean Wheeler
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Winter Birding in Harford County: Conowingo, snowy mornings, cool sparrows and "irruptives". Like the ever-so-beautiful Sierra Club Wilderness calendar on the wall denotes, birding too is a 4 season adventure. However, forget about solstices and equinoxes to best bird by season. Start your winter birding with the pagan revelers on December 22, and you've just given away a great month and a half of cold weather birding. Consider this, if you're heading out for the "fall" shorebird migration on September 23, you'll need a plane to catch it, a very fast plane. It's done. Over! Definitive birding seasons don't always make the greatest of sense. I like to break down seasonal birding like this:
| Spring Migration: | April - May |
| Summer (w/returning shorebirds): | June - August |
| Fall Migration: | September - October |
| Winter: | November - March |
These certainly aren't the rule, just a system. I include November in winter, since it is then that I start a pattern of locations and bird hopefuls, which I carry through to March. Now, from my home office in Bel Air, MD, the top ten…errrhhh.. six reasons why I like winter birding in Harford County:
1. Conowingo Dam - The gull watching experience extroadinaire! If you enjoy a challenge with possible "big" rewards, then sorting through the numerous gulls at Conowingo will provide just that. Plus it's very balmy there - not! Great Black-backed, Herring and Ring-billed can be expected. Bonaparte's are around. Out-of-season Laughers are possible. When conditions set up right, the gull possibilities run off the page: Lesser Black-backed, Iceland, Glaucous, Thayer's, Black-headed, Little, Black-legged Kittiwake and so on. Gull identification with age variances can be tough. I remember recently a possible Slaty-backed being reported. I went up and ten generous folks offered me a chance to see "the bird". All ten people had "the bird" in their scope, the proposed Slaty-backed. Well enough, except all ten people, with their self-proclaimed gull prowess and extensive birding insight, were all looking at a different bird. That makes ten Slaty-backs. Funny!
2. Snowy, backyard mornings - This has become a rarity in Harford County. That hurts, because my idea of the perfect morning is drifting from window to window with coffee and binos in hand looking out over the feeders set against a snowy backdrop. The color on birds against a white canvas, man, Blue Jays look awesome sitting at the feeder! Woodpeckers, cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches and towhees glow. Even the Tufted Titmouse with their orangy, buffy sides look cleaned up and prouder than usual.
3. Eden Mill - The perfect little nature center tucked way up in the northern part of our county. Morning strolls here can produce 5 Cedar Waxwings, 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 3 Fox Sparrows, two kinglets, and a towhee in a cedar tree. Swamp Sparrow and Winter Wren are present. The prize here is American Tree Sparrows in the upper fields. They're there.
4. Perryman - Expansive fields and their margins have produced very good birds over the years. Fairly reliable for White-crowned Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Horned Lark and Savannah Sparrow. Pipits at times and Northern Harrier possible. Be on the lookout for Rough-legged Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Snow Bunting, and longspurs.
5. Havre de Grace - Good birding, excellent food. Possible ducks include Red-breasted Merganser, Common Merganser, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, both scaups, Canvasback and Redhead. Also check gulls, loons and grebes for rarities (I remember the Red-necked Grebe invasion of 94, had 3 near Lapidum - none since). Possible dishes include warmed seafood bisque, oysters "Rockefeller" or just a delicious fried oyster sandwich for us MD-borne, and "Black Forest" cake or creme brulee with coffee. Yum!
6. Junco(es) - I can't spell them in plural, but I love these little guys. Just as the trees are going to sleep for a little while, the junco(es) come and greet us. Their flesh-colored bill, dark eye, and bold flash of white outer tail feathers just make them smartly unique. Plus, you almost can't go anywhere during this time where there won't be a few junc…well, these guys around
Oh, I can think of a ton more reasons. The possibilities of "irruptive" species like siskins, redpolls, or an Evening Grosbeak coming to your feeder. And who can forget the Red Crossbills at Broad Creek a few years back. Dare I mention Northern Shrike or how about a..... SNOWY OWL - "whoa, I love saying that one"!! It's a long season, five months by my clock. Might as well bird close to home, and enjoy it. R.L. Cheicante
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| December 28 | 31st Annual Rock Run Christmas Bird Count. |
| January 10 | Winter Meeting at Churchville Presbyterian Church at 7:00 p.m. Guest speaker: Dennis Kirkwood. |
| January 16 | Deadline - to contribute Harford Birdlife reports to Jean Fry for November 16, 2002 - January 15, 2003. Jean's address is 1202 Ridge Road, Pylesville, MD 21132 or email at ffryjl@aol.com. |
| January 23 | Deadline - to submit articles for the January/February issue of Wrenderings to Rick Cheicante. Rick's address is 1003-F Jessica's Ct, Bel Air, MD 21014 or rickcheicante@cs.com. |
| January 25 | Annual Mid-Winter Count. |
| March 7 | Dinner Meeting at Churchville Presbyterian Church at 6:15 p.m. Guest speaker:Tom Trafton. |
| May 10 | May Count. |
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If you got the "stuck inside indoor blues" why not get out with some of your friends and do the Mid-Winter Count. This year's count is slated for Saturday, January 25th. The rules are similar to the May Count where you count the numbers of individuals and species you see anywhere in the county. All that is needed is to coordinate where you wish to count (to minimize overlap) and to do it. Some preparation can be helpful. Examples include checking the local hotlines to see what has been seen in the area, getting some palm warmers (not Palm Warblers) or battery-operated socks (it tends to be cold), and brushing up on your identification. Some tricky ones are Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, House and Purple Finches, and Rusty Blackbirds. Call Mark Johnson to coordinate (410-692-5978 or email: MSandDLJohnson@aol.com. Mark will send along a spreadsheet for entering data (that can be emailed back), and can also hook birders up with others who wish not to count alone. Many thanks go to our previous coordinator, Bill Pfingsten who has done this job for the past 15 years. That's a tough track record to follow!
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Eirik A.T. Blom (1947 - 2002): Harford's own. Rick Blom, great birder/excellent writer passed away on December 11. Author and editor on a number of national and local bird projects, Rick helped make local gull-watching fashionable. Conowingo won't be the same without having a quick glance about to see if Rick is there with "a good one"!
Sally H. Spofford (1914 - 2002): Sally Spofford and her late husband owned one of, if not the most famous backyard in North America. Nestled at the base of Cave Creek Canyon in Portal, AZ, the Spofford's welcomed birders to their wonderful backyard sanctuary for southeastern Arizona specialties. Sally passed away on October 26.
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'02 - '03 Membership Renewal - Annual membership dues are now overdue for the club year from September 1, 2002 through August 31, 2003. Please check your mailing label to see if you have not renewed as of December 1. If not, please fill out the membership renewal form you should have received as a separate mailing in September. Make checks payable to HARFORD MOS and mail it to our treasurer, Joyce Gorsuch. If you have any questions or have lost your membership renewal form, please contact Joyce Gorsuch at (302) 239-2243.
Welcome New Members - The Harford Bird Club would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest members:
By-Laws Revision Update - The by-laws committee has met once and is about one-third finished with the process of revising the club's by-laws to reflect changes in the activities and structure of the organization. Members of the committee are: Debbie Bowers, Carol Flora, Larry Fry, John Nack, and Dave Larkin. Jean Fry is chairing the committee. Larry Fry is giving input on the state by-laws and manual of operations to make sure that the changes are consistent with the state. The proposed new by-laws will be distributed with the February newsletter and voted on at the March dinner meeting.
Trivia: Do you Know? - Do you know what the rarest bird on Earth is? (Hint: there found on the Hawaiian island of Maui).
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In 1991 a new couple joined the Harford Bird Club. It soon became apparent that Dave and Macrina Seitz would be active, involved members of the club, and so they were. Now we mourn the sudden death of Dave in early September and attempt to console Macrina and ourselves with wonderful memories of Dave as our birding companion and dear friend.
Dave's background in Boy Scouts as he progressed to the rank of Eagle Scout, and his experiences as a leader when his sons were Scouts came in handy when he volunteered at Harford Glen in the Bird Banding Program. The 5th graders were treated to Dave's friendly but no-nonsense barking of orders as he demonstrated the use of binoculars. Enthusiastically he shared his knowledge and love of birding with the students, always unselfishly giving of his time and his scope.
We remember Dave as he worked in the mist nets. A follower of Dr. Doolittle, not only did he carry on a continuous lively conversation with the birds as he removed them from the nets, but they answered him in no uncertain "chirps". Those fine-tuned big hands so gently removed and held the birds. And that toothpick that was ever present in his cap helped get the netting untangled from the birds.
With his fellow birders, whether on field trips or in meetings, he always displayed a positive attitude and a willingness to help. He frequently produced an extra pair of binoculars for a new birder who had come without any. When he was asked if two of us could use an older scope of his on the mid-winter count, he not only offered us his best scope but volunteered to join us. He became a welcome member of that team.
One thing he'll always be remembered for was his very caring friendship toward John Wortman. As cancer caused John's health to fail, Dave visited John on a number of days. They talked about birds, particularly sparrows. As Dave was trying to help John through difficult days, John was actually helping Dave with the sorrow he was feeling. John instructed Dave in the identification of many species of sparrows, and Dave created a very detailed chart using that information. He later gave copies to any he thought might want one.
We remember Dave as our "gregarious" companion. Webster's Dictionary tells us gregarious comes from a Latin word that means sociable, living in a flock. We're glad and fortunate that Dave was a member of our flock. He is truly missed. Jean Williams and Eileen Frey
Sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Dr. William McIntosh, a member of the Harford Bird Club since 1983. "Bill" died of cancer on September 28, 2002, at the Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care in Baltimore. He was 78.
Born in 1923 in West Virginia, he served in the Army during WWII. He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1946 and received his doctorate in biology in 1954 from the University of Michigan. He taught and did research at Ohio State University before joining the Civil Service in 1962. He worked at Fort Huachuca, Arizona and Aberdeen Proving Ground as a statistician until his retirement in 1986.
He was an avid gardener and birdwatcher. In addition to being a member of the bird club, he was also a member of the American Rhododendron Society and the National Azalea Society, in which he held an office for several years, as well as the Susquehannock Environmental Center. He also belonged to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Harford County.
Bill served in several capacities in the bird club and contributed positively to the organization. He organized and monitored competitive Warbler Walks from 1986 until 1993. He served as president of the club from 1989 until 1991. Two other tasks in which he was involved were updating the club history from 1988 until 1993 and serving as bylaws chairman in the late 1980's. He also participated in numerous May and Christmas counts.
He was predeceased in 1995 by his wife Joan. He is survived by three children: James McIntosh of Hollister, California; Laura McIntosh of Bethesda, MD; and Ellen Rowe of Alpharetta, GA; seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and his special friend, Dawn Duggan.
A memorial service was held on October 13, 2002, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Harford County. The bird club made a donation to the MOS Sanctuary fund in his memory. He will be remembered as a cheerful, exacting and precise, but pleasant gentleman. Jean Fry
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Warm days continued around mid-September, but it was not long until the chilly temperatures moved in. Fall was much cooler this year than last. The drought was finally broken by several nice rains during this time period. Cold, stormy weather to the north in October pushed some waterfowl south a little earlier than usual. Several persons have expressed concern about the low numbers of backyard birds, but they usually will rely on natural sources for food until the weather turns bad. Hopefully, this is not a result of West Nile virus. We shall have to wait and see. Get your feeders and suet up and ready in case you haven't done so already. The Farmer's Almanac is calling for a snowier winter than last year.
JW reported seeing six Cattle Egrets with cows in a field along Route 136 just north of Hookers Mill Road about 2 p.m. on 9/27. She noted that she hadn't seen them in the county since 1993.
JLF had numerous high flocks of migrating Canada Geese in Pylesville on 10/7, 10/14, and 10/21. On 11/3 JLF heard a flock of Tundra Swans at 9:30 p.m. over Pylesville. This is the earliest that they have ever heard them flying over at that location.
RC found ten Gadwall in the pond at Club House Road in Perryman on 11/15. He also saw fourteen Common Merganser and one Bufflehead on the Susquehanna River at Susquehanna State Park on the same day. JLF saw the following on Lake Mitten in Pylesville: three Ring-necked Ducks on 10/20; one male Bufflehead, four male Hooded Mergansers, and three female Hooded Mergansers on 11/2; a pair of Wood Ducks, twelve Mallards, and five Black Ducks on 11/3; four male adult Wood Ducks and eight immature Wood Ducks on 11/8; and one female Bufflehead on 11/15.
RC saw about sixty Bald Eagles at Conowingo Dam on 11/15. About 70 percent of them were immature. LF saw Blue Jays mobbing a Sharp-shinned Hawk near Lake Mitten on 10/24. He also saw a Sharp-shinned chasing a Red-shouldered Hawk on 11/2 on Heaps School Road. The Red-shouldered landed in a tree and the Sharpy dived in on the Red-shouldered several times. JLF had a #10 look at a Red-shouldered Hawk near Lake Mitten on 11/15. RC reported an American Kestrel at Perryman on 11/15.
RC saw about two hundred gulls at Conowingo Dam (with generation) on 11/15, including Ring-billed, Herring, Great Black-backed, about fifteen to twenty Bonaparte's and one Lesser Black-backed (second winter). RC also found a Forster's Tern over the river at Susquehanna State Park on 11/15.
SJ reported seeing a Pileated Woodpecker ripping bark from dead trees on Pyle Road in Forest Hill on 11/14. RC saw one in Creswell on 10/26, as well as a Hairy on 11/2 at the same location. There were three reports of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, a bird that has eluded me this fall. RC saw one at both Conowingo and at Susquehanna SP on 11/15, and LW had one on her deck in Street on 11/2 and 3. RC found four other woodpeckers at Susquehanna SP on 11/15: Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, and Northern Flicker.
RC saw an Eastern Phoebe at Eden Mill on 11/11. JLF heard a White-eyed Vireo calling rather late on 9/20.
RC reported three Horned Larks along Canning House Road in Perryman on 11/15. While there, he also saw two American Pipits fly over.
JLF had a Winter Wren explore their perennial garden in Pylesville for a couple of hours on 11/1. They also have several Carolina Wrens that insist on roosting on a wreath or corn husks on their front door. LW reports that business is very brisk at all of her feeders in Street. She had a Carolina Wren look in her window beneath the feeder on 11/14. RC had a Brown Creeper creeping around near a suet feeder in Creswell on 11/2.
Kinglets seemed to be abundant this fall. SJ reported a pair of Ruby-crowned picking aphids off of tomato plants on 10/23 on Pyle Road near Forest Hill. JLF saw two Ruby-crowned near Lake Mitten on 10/14 and saw many of the same on 10/18. RC saw a few Golden-crowned and a Ruby-crowned at Eden Mill on 11/11. RC found both kinglets again at Susquehanna SP on 11/15.
To be expected at this time of the year, JLF saw flocks of twenty-five to thirty American Robins on 10/24 on Heaps School Road and on 11/4 near Lake Mitten in Pylesville. RC discovered several Hermit Thrush at Susquehanna State Park on 11/15. He also found one Brown Thrasher and lots of Cedar Waxwings at the same location that day.
JLF saw their first Dark-eyed Junco at Lake Mitten on 10/21. They saw the first large flock of about fifty on 11/4 at the same location. LW saw her first junco on her deck in Street on 10/29. JLF saw their first White-throated Sparrow at Lake Mitten on 10/9. Numerous White-throats were there on 10/18. RC found many White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncoes at Eden Mill on 11/11. Mixed in were a single Fox Sparrow and a well-behaved Eastern Towhee. RC also had two first winter Chipping Sparrows at his feeder in Bel Air on 11/11. RC found Field Sparrow with an abundance of White-throated Sparrows at Susquehanna State Park on 11/15. He also found Field Sparrows, four Savannah Sparrows, and about twelve White-crowned Sparrows (about half adult and half immature) at Perryman on 11.15. RC reports that the White-crowned were singing and were beautiful to see and hear. He also saw Eastern Meadowlarks while there that day.
Contributors to this column were: Rick Cheicante (RC), Jean and Larry Fry (JLF), Sam Jones (SJ), Linda Weeks (LW), and Jean Wheeler (JW).
Deadline for the next Harford Birdlife is Thursday, January 16 for the time period of November 16, 2002 to January 15, 2003. Please send sightings to: Jean Fry, 1202 Ridge Road, Pylesville, MD 21132. E-mail address: ffryjl@aol.com Phone: 410-452-8539.
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Please help with this very important bird conservation tool.
Each reporting period, send to Harford Birdlife a summary of your bird sightings for that period. This will help establish a record of when and where are our Harford birds.
Send reports to:
Jean Fry
1202 Ridge Road
Pylesville, MD 21132
Or e-mail: ffryjl@aol.com
or phone: 410-452-8539.
HBC listserver: harfordbirds@harfordbirdclub.org.
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Please send any comments to Les Eastman.
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