Volume 18 Number 2

Spring 2005

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CONTENTS

Spring: A Birder's Best Friend
May Count 2005
Awards:
Mid-Winter Count 2005
Calendar of Events
Harford Bird Club Field Notes:
Field Trip Committee announces two new additions to the trip calendar
Breeding Bird Atlas Trips - Citizen Science and exploration all in
The "Chairman's Cup" - A new outlet for the competitive twitch.
Birdin' Downyocean, Hon':
Field Trip Reports
Harford Birdlife
Field Trip Schedule
Official Rules of the Harford Bird Club "Chairman's Cup":
Wild Bird Marketplace Is Moving!
Summer Social 2005

Spring is in the air. The days are brighter and there's a hint of warmth in the breeze. Trees and shrubs are budding. Soon the daffodils will bloom. The song of Robins and Red-wings herald the season. Nests of red- shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks are showing activity as I write this in March. It will soon be time for Warblers and Trillium. Treat yourself and come to the Spring field trips. They guarantee to please the senses and lift the spirits.

The March dinner meeting was very well attended. Jean and Dennis' Trinidad and Tobago presentation was beautiful and has made us all envious of those participating in their upcoming June trip to T&T.

We had a super raffle at the last meeting with some special prizes. Club member and Buffalo aficionado, Paul Hines donated a roll of the newly minted Buffalo nickels. Garry Lang of Chesapeake Optics in Havre de Grace, and a club member, generously donated a pair of Orion 7x35 binoculars. We also had a new type of hummingbird feeder among other items from our members' John and Linda Ireland from Wild Bird Marketplace in Bel Air. The raffle was a huge success and the binos were won by budding birder Daniel Webb! Thanks to all who sponsored the raffle.

Our next meeting is Friday May 6. This will be a meeting with light refreshments only and will begin at 7 PM at The Churchville Presbyterian Church. Dave Ziolkowski will be hosting an open carousel night. If you have bird related slides from travel, scientific research or just plain bird oddities contact Dave at 410- 679-6765. Jean Wheeler

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Longer periods of daylight have triggered the restlessness of Northern Cardinals and Song Sparrows throughout our neighborhoods, resulting in twilight serenades and stimulating the desire of many of us to share some of their life force. A great chance to take advantage of this opportunity is during the height of migration which normally occurs around the second week of May. On that Saturday, (May 14th) we are planning our annual May Count. We will try to cover a different area of the county, delineated by ADC map blocks, to count the number of species and individuals. It's a great time to get in tune with birdwatching and enjoy the weather. Contact Mark Johnson if you wish to participate. Beginners are welcomed and can be joined with other more experienced birdwatchers is preferred. Contact Mark at 410- 692-5978. Mark Johnson

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The Harford Bird Club annual awards were presented at the March meeting.

Birder of the Year: Dave Ziolkowski.

In recognition of his outstanding service to the club, organizing and leading field trips and presenting programs at meetings. His enthusiasm for birds and the environment has enriched us all.

Bird of the Year Award: Dickcissel

A pair of nesting Dickcissel on the farm of Garnet & Gloria Anderson. The award was presented in appreciation for their preservation of habitat conducive to grassland species. The Anderson's property is part of the World Famous Bradenbaugh Flats.

Volunteer of the Year Award: - Gary and Barbara Pensell

They have generously volunteered the use of their boat on the CBC for many years enabling us to spot waterfowl on the Susquehanna River Flats. Gary along with Peter Jay was instrumental in saving Garret Island in the Bay from developers.

Rookie of the Year: - Tom Gibson

Since retirement Tom has renewed his interest in birds and birding, participating in the Atlas, field trips and club activities. His recent purchase of a scope shows he is past the point of no return!

Congratulations to all of our awardees! Jean Wheeler

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Ten participants made up seven parties that counted birds on the 29th of January. It started out rather cool (~8F) and warmed up to nearly the melting point (28 F) under mostly clear skies with light winds. Mostly the southern half of the county was covered. The Aberdeen Proving Ground area was well canvassed; including portions of Gunpowder State Park, Perryman, Edgewood, Joppatowne, and Harford Glen (the latter three areas covered solo by Phil Powers). More than 19,600 individuals of 70 species were found.

Overall, some trends were striking compared to previous data. The decrease in Yellow-rumped Warbler observations in our count is consistent with observations elsewhere this winter in Maryland. This is interesting since ‘Myrtles' are regularly seen in the coastal plain areas of Harford County in winter months, and these areas were relatively well covered. Few ‘winter finches' were seen; however, few invasions of these species were reported this year, suggesting many are staying north. Sightings of some gallinaceous species are up (e.g., Wild Turkeys), though some are conspicuously down (Northern Bobwhite and Ring- necked Pheasant). This coupled with the lack of sightings for Northern Bobwhite and Ring-necked Pheasant in other counts (e.g., May Count, Christmas Count) suggest a trend towards local extirpation of these species. However, it is important to note that habitats in northern Harford County were not covered in this census.

The team of Webb and Procell came out far ahead with a total of 60 species recorded, including three Short-eared Owls, eleven Wild Turkeys and a record 205 Tree Sparrows! Our esteemed President's team (Jean Wheeler, Eileen Frey, Artie Getz, and Marjie Heagy) covered the Perryman area and found 44 species including a Brown Thrasher, two Gray Catbirds, and the only Yellow-rumped Warblers for the count. Phil Powers covered three areas finding a record fourteen Fox Sparrows in the Edgewood/Joppatowne areas. Deidre DeRoia found 33 species in the Spesutie Island area including a Brown Thrasher, four Northern Harriers and the only Killdeer for the count. Jim Chappell found 28 species in the northern part of APG including 5,000 Common Grackles and 71 Dark-eyed Juncos. Johnson spent a few hours counting in the Sweet Air region of GSP finding 27 species including three Fox Sparrows and the only Purple Finch of the count. My thanks go all of the participants for their cooperation and timely presentation of the results. Mark Johnson

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President - The Harford Bird Club has made donations to two worthy endeavors for the youth of Harford County. Once again we have supported the Harford County Envirothon Contest. This is a conservation education program for High School students to test their environmental knowledge and cultivate a desire to learn more about the natural world.

We have for the first time also contributed to the Harford County Environmental Scholarship. This year Harford County Public Schools are partnering with Eden Mill Nature Center. The scholarship is awarded to graduating students with outstanding academic achievement and stewardship in the study of environmental science.

As a thank you for our gift, Eden Mill Nature Center extends a free one-year corporate membership, which extends to every person in our club.

A nominations committee has been formed and we hope to have a slate of officers by the May meeting. If you would like to volunteer please call Randy Robertson 410-273-9029. Jean Wheeler

Education - Carol Flora and myself have been venturing out to several Harford County Elementary Schools since the beginning of the year to present the program "Birds of Harford County" to the fourth and fifth graders. In January a letter was sent to each elementary school saying we were available to present the program. Within two days we had a response requesting the presentation. We did presentations at Hickory Elementary on February 4 and 11 to two forth grade classes each day. Then again on March 21 we visited Edgewood Elementary for presentations to three fourth grade classes. We have had fun and enjoyed meeting with these students and are looking forward to making other scheduled presentations in May, July and August. We are still looking for others to join us in this endeavor. Madeline Lovera

Conservation - Preserving bird habitat in Maryland has been a little slower these last few years due to severe budget cuts in Maryland's land preservation programs. On Feb. 21, Partners for Open Space had a lobbying day in Annapolis to support bills that would require a payback of monies diverted, as well as prohibit such drastic fund diversions in the future. Eileen Frey joined me in representing the Harford Bird Club, and we joined others from various Harford County groups to talk to several legislators urging them to help end raids on these dedicated funds.

On March 2 I spoke before the Isaak Walton League about bluebird conservation. One of the members told me he has already made a bluebird box from a spec sheet I provided. I focused particularly on the need to protect the boxes from predation by cats, snakes and other birds. Debbie Bowers

Important Bird Areas Program (IBA) - In March Audubon MD/DC launched its Important Bird Areas Program with the recognition of 14 IBA's in Maryland. This program is Audubon's "signature" strategy for prioritizing its conservation efforts. It identifies sites that provide essential habitat for birds so that conservation efforts can be focused on these locations.

Dr. David Curson the Director of Bird Conservation from MD/DC Audubon, will be speaking to us at the Summer Social on Friday July 15 about this important program.

Welcome New Members - The Harford Bird Club would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest members:

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Members of the Field Trip Committee convene several times throughout the year to plan the trip agenda for the upcoming season. Foremost in the minds of committee members at these times is that bird watching entertains different interests within our club membership. Obviously we all share an inherent joy and interest in observing and preserving bird life. For some of us though, birding represents an opportunity to connect with nature; a vehicle through which to gain closeness with the rhythm and diversity of the natural world. Knowing nature in this way affords us an opportunity to foster awareness and contribute to conservation. For others though, the lure of birding is not simply the enjoyment of observing birds but also the challenge of mastering identification and honing strategy. Through competitive challenge we compare our successes to those that we've had in the past and to the achievements of others. Through this we measure our own personal growth and aspire to make new marks for the future.

The Field Trip Committee recognizes the value in providing opportunities for these and other diverse birding pursuits through our club field trips. After all, this is the stuff that keeps birding alive! So on that note, the members of the committee are pleased to introduce here a new and special field trip series and a brand new competitive event. Dave Ziolkowski

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Ever think about where the range maps for breeding birds come from? Now a days breeding distributions of North American birds are becoming more and more accurate thanks to the efforts of state breeding bird atlasers. The information that these adventurous local birders collect is vital in piecing together a continental view of breeding bird distributions, as well as establishing a baseline from which to compare future change.

This June we offer a series of trips designed to help our local atlasers collect valuable information within their blocks. We hope that you'll lend your eyes and ears (no skill necessary) to some folks who will very much appreciate your company on each of their specially planned "power atlasing" days. Not the benevolent type? Think of it as an opportunity to peak in on the juicy home lives of some local birds. Participants on a similar trip last year used expressions like ‘fascinating' and ‘holy cow' to describe their experience in developing an eye for cryptic nests and the tell-tale behaviors of local breeders. It's a "can't miss" opportunity (especially considering your name will appear in the next MD Breeding Bird Atlas book!). Dave Ziolkowski

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In the beginning, there were feats of human strength. Then came the Olympics followed close behind by competitive warbler walks and finally, the birding "big day". Yeah, I know, no historian but when the field trip committee galvanized the idea of competitive warbler walks, the challenge certainly generated big excitement (even garnering the attention of several national birding magazines!). The idea was simple; weekends in May were filled with different trip leaders, each visiting a different county site on his or her particular trip day. Normal trips but with an exception - leaders were competing based on the number and uniqueness of birds that trip-goers spotted. The concept was great, the trips well attended, but the competition needed tuning. Leaders were out of luck if poor weather fell on their trip day and the competition took up most of the prime spring weekends. Several years back the Field Trip Committee came to terms with these actualities and reluctantly discontinued the trips. Over the last couple of years we floated the idea of a "big day" but it didn't appear to be a good fit (24 hours of intense birding, competition across skill levels, a little intimidating to most members we polled). This year, however, we feel we've come up with something that's a pretty good fit.

Half competitive warbler walk / half big day; all predicated on being fun and equally competitive. One weekend, two days - May 7 or May 8 (only one day qualifies). Complete rules can be found in this newsletter and also at the club web site (www.harfordbirdclub.org). In honor of past long-time Field Trip Committee chairpersons who embraced the spirit of this competition, we've called it the "Chairman's Cup". The competition is open to all skill levels with beginners welcome and encouraged. Teams consist of two to four members which you can arrange yourself or have the coordinator, Russ Kovach, arrange for you. All team participants must be registered with the coordinator by Friday, May 6. Don't have a team, no problem. Call Russ (443-386-4787) and he can arrange to find one for you. The prestigious "Chairman's Cup" trophy will be presented to the winning team at the summer social (please plan to attend!). Dave Ziolkowski FTC Chairman

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A Comparison of Feeder Birds in Harford and Worcester Counties

As most of you know, Larry and I moved to Ocean Pines in October. We put up our bird feeders after a couple of weeks and waited for the birds to arrive. They were slow to appear, probably due to the mild fall weather. As the winter progressed, we noticed some obvious differences in our feeder visitors in comparison to those in Harford County.

In Harford County our house was surrounded by mostly deciduous oak trees with a few pines along the edge. Here in Worcester County we have woods in the back of our house, but it is a wetland forest with lots of American holly trees, Loblolly pines, Sweet Gum, and Sweet Bay Magnolia.

In Harford County we had lots of Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, House Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, Blue Jays, White-throated Sparrows, and Northern Cardinals. Here we have those birds in limited numbers. We know that they are in the area because we found them on the Christmas count. We have Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, Northern Flicker, and Pileated Woodpeckers in about equal numbers compared to Harford County. The same is true for Mourning Doves, American Goldfinches, and Brown Creepers. White-breasted Nuthatches are not nearly as common as in Harford County, but we have a good population of Red-breasted visiting the feeders regularly. In Harford, we had only an occasional Chipping Sparrow in the winter, but here we have had a large flock during snowstorms. Last year in Harford County for the first time in 29 years, we had a large flock of Pine Siskins that stayed for two months. Here we also had a large flock which stayed from December 26 until the middle of March. That was a unexpected surprise. In Harford County I don't think that we ever had Eastern Bluebirds come to the suet, but here they are regulars, especially when the temperature is below 30 degrees. Sometimes we have five or six in a holding pattern each waiting a turn at the suet. There we only observed Yellow-rumped Warblers during migration. Here they also visit the feeders, especially when it is quite cold. What a delight to see them fan out their tails and show their "butterbutts." We've never had such closeup looks at them before. There are Brown-headed Nuthatches in the neighborhood, but we haven't seen them at the feeder yet. One thing that both places have in common is Gray Squirrels!

We have noticed that once the temperature goes into the 40's and 50's that the birds disappear. That may be due to food being more readily available in a slightly more moderate climate. Since the habitat was disturbed by noise and commotion during the building process, we are curious about whether we will be able to attract more birds next fall and winter. Jean Fry

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Winter 2005: The heart of winter is a great time to fill your feeders to the brim, sit by the window with a favorite simmering beverage, and see what birds visit your backyard. It's also the time for the adventurous birder to don a couple of extra layers and head outdoors in search of our rarer feathered friends. As winter releases its icy grip in early March, area birders are treated to the sights and sounds of overhead flocks of northbound migrants, and the first signs of the upcoming spring breeding season. All of this and more was recounted by Harford County birders during the reporting period. For instance, during a 7' snowfall on Jan 22, RC counted a remarkable 63 Northern Cardinals coming to four feeders spread about his Creswell property. Two days later, MH searched the snow-covered fields of Bradenbaugh and turned up a Lapland Longspur among a flock of 80 Horned Larks. KG found the same(?) bird mixed in with 50 larks on Jan 30, less than a mile away from the previous discovery. During the early evening hours of Mar 5, RC heard the clarinetlike calls of Tundra Swans flying over Creswell, as did SG two evenings later in Street. And on Mar 11, CW noted that 7 Great Blue Herons were already laying claim to nesting territory at Tydings Island, the site of a small rookery last year.

Elsewhere around the county.

WATERFOWL: Frozen water in late January and early February kept waterfowl reports to a minimum, however sightings blossomed as soon as temperatures moderated in mid-February. Migrating flocks of Snow Geese seemed much scarcer than in 2004 - MW saw 30 fly north over Webster on Feb 22, and LE reported a large flock of about 250 near Susquehanna SP on Mar 4. A Bradenbaugh farm pond that hosted upwards of 1000 Canada Geese this winter, attracted 3 Cackling Geese on Feb 20-21 (DK). A major staging area for Tundra Swans was Otter Point Creek, with a high count of 413 noted there on Mar 5, about twice as many as had been seen just four days earlier (JG). DW also found Tundra Swans on the Spesutie Narrows (80, Mar 3), and migrating over Aldino (50, Mar 7).

The season's first pair of Wood Ducks showed up at Bradenbaugh on Feb 20 (DK). dW & DW flushed 15 Green-winged Teal and 3 American Wigeon from the Swan Harbor impoundments on Mar 6, the only reports of these species received. They also found a flock of 30 Northern Pintails at Swan Harbor that day; GF photographed a handsome drake pintail at the Promenade on Feb 19.

Canvasbacks turned up at several locations along the county's bayshore. LE found 7 of them at Tydings Marina (Jan 19), dZ noted 29 at Mariner Point (Feb 23), and JG spotted 36 at Otter Point (Mar 5). The only Redhead reported in the county all winter was a lone bird off Mariner Point (dZ, Mar 23). The most plentiful diving duck was the Ring-necked Duck: DK counted 63 of them, mostly drakes, at a pond in Bradenbaugh on Feb 13; dZ spotted 7 at Mariner Point on Feb 23; dw & DW estimated 30 Ring-necks at Swan Harbor on Mar 6; and JG laid claim to the high count of approximately 100 at Otter Point Creek on Mar 5. On the other hand, scaup were not as abundant as in recent winters. A flock of 8 Lessers were seen at Flying Point (JG, Feb 22), and 17 showed up at Mariner Point (dZ, Feb 23). Did no one check the Gunpowder River? Other waterfowl reports included 4 Common Goldeneyes at Lapidum (JB, Feb 5), 3 Red-breasted Mergansers at Mariner Point (dZ, Feb 23), and 4 nuptial pairs of Hooded Mergansers at Susquehanna SP (CW, Mar 4).

GAMEBIRDS & GREBES: At dusk on Jan 30, DW heard a Northern Bobwhite giving a covey call at Perryman, where this formerly widespread Harford avian resident hangs by a tenuous thread. JB found our only Horned Grebe at Havre de Grace on Feb 5.

RAPTORS: APG's Bald Eagle population continues to flourish. Videocameras verified that the first egg of the season was laid in an aerie near Mosquito Creek on Feb 17 (DD). By Mar 5, biologists from the post's environmental office had confirmed 31 active nests within the post's Harford boundaries. dW & DW watched a Bald Eagle sitting on an aerie at Swan Harbor (Mar 6). Other Bald Eagle sightings include an immature being mobbed by crows as it flew upriver in Havre de Grace (CW, Jan 28), a flyover adult at Webster (MW, Feb 22), and 8 birds (2 adult, 6 immature) perched in a single tree near Kings Creek (DS, Feb 22). Returning Osprey were first reported on Mar 11 with a single bird at Gunpowder SP (PP), and 4 seen circling about 2 nest platforms near Tydings Island (CW). From Mar 13-15, LG witnessed a pair of Osprey tending to a nest at Belcamp, while GRP saw one of the birds occupying that same nest on Mar 15.

On Jan 30, DW & MW counted 4 Northern Harriers hunting over the fields at Perryman; at the same location one week later, JG spotted a rare Rough-legged Hawk doing the same. On Feb 12, DW watched a Red-shouldered Hawk harass a Pileated Woodpecker in a wooded lot at Webster, eventually driving the woodpecker into a tree cavity. A few seconds later, the hawk flew to a nearby tree and copulated with its mate. Over the next 26 days, this pair of Red-shoulders was seen and heard exchanging cloacal kisses on four more occasions. The Voice of the Naturalist, a telephone hotline of rare bird sightings in the Mid- Atlantic region, reported that 2 Merlins were spotted at Perryman on Jan 30. Also at Perryman that day, DW spotted an American Kestrel and European Starling amicably perched on the same wire less than 15 feet apart - go figure. Three days later RC watched a courting pair of American Kestrels at APG-EA making short treetop flights together and constantly calling. COOTS & SHOREBIRDS: Reports of American Coots included a flock of approximately 25 by the Havre de Grace Promenade (dW, Feb 11; SS, Mar 1), and 14 near Mariner Point (dZ, Feb 23). The only sightings of returning shorebirds came on Mar 6, when 4 Wilson's Snipe were flushed from the flooded fields at Swan Harbor (dW & DW), and a half dozen American Woodcocks were observed displaying at Perryman (JG & dW).

OWLS: RR heard the hoots of a Great Horned Owl in the early morning hours of Jan 19 at Windemere Estates. Barred Owl reports included one bird at Hidden Valley (KG, Jan 30) and a pair calling back and forth in Street (DB, Mar 13). Among our rarer owl species, KG caught glimpse of a Barn Owl at a Bradenbaugh farm on Jan 30, and four days later, DW & DD watched a Short-eared Owl hunting at an APG-AA firing range.

KINGFISHER & WOODPECKERS: The only Belted Kingfisher noted during the period was a single bird along Elbow Branch on Jan 21 (LE). On Feb 28, LD observed a male Pileated Woodpecker gorge on chunks of fat for nearly 15 minutes at one of his backyard feeding stations; a female made daily visits to this same feeder through Mar 9. Other backyard-visiting Pileateds include one at Street (DB, Mar 12) and a very vocal individual at Creswell (RC, Mar 5). On the same day at this latter site, RC noted a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers feasting on suet, and a Red-bellied Woodpecker excavating and drumming in preparation for the upcoming breeding season.

LARKS & SWALLOWS: Folks found Horned Larks at several locations throughout the county including Bradenbaugh (50, Mar 1, DK), south of Bush's Corner (6, Mar 8, DB), and Perryman (13, Jan 30, DW; 2, Mar 13, PP). DW found the first Tree Swallows of the season, a flock of 15, during a snow squall on Mar 8 at Michaelsville.

NUTHATCHES, WRENS, THRUSHES & MIMIDS: The only Red-breasted Nuthatch was seen by DB feeding on a black walnut tree at her Street property on Feb 15. She also hosted a Winter Wren on Jan 24- 25. The bird was frequently seen exploring the corners of her porch railing for spider eggs and other delicacies. On Jan 22, RC of Creswell found a Winter Wren inside one of his barns, and had to corral the bird before it finally returned outdoors. KG identified a nice-sized flock of 13 Golden-crowned Kinglets at Hidden Valley on Jan 30. Overwintering mimids of note came from APG, where DW found a Gray Catbird near Mulberry Point on Jan 20 and a Brown Thrasher at Chelsea on Feb 3.

SPARROWS: MW noted a male Eastern Towhee at her Webster property each day from Jan 19-23. But it was the heavy snowfall of Jan 22 that brought an influx of towhees to backyard feeders just a few days later. LE hosted a male at his house near Susquehanna SP (Jan 23-27), DB of Street watched a male under her azaleas (Jan 24) and a female hopping on her front porch steps (Jan 25), and MjH observed up to two towhees at her Cooptown yard (Jan 24-30). KG found a high count of 3 Fox Sparrows at Bradenbaugh on Jan 30. Single Fox Sparrows were observed at a feeder in Creswell (RC, Jan 22 & 30), in a plow cut at Mulberry Point (DW, Jan 24), and at Gunpowder SP in Joppatowne (PP, Mar 11), where on the same day he also found a late American Tree Sparrow. On Jan 30, RC had our only Field Sparrow visit his Creswell feeders and DW & MW spotted a lone White-crowned Sparrow at Perryman. dW & DW were saddened by the window-crash death of a Dark-eyed Junco at their Webster home. However, upon examination of the bird they found a tiny orange mite in its crown feathers, looked at the parasite under a microscope, and with dZ's help identified it as from the family Dermanyssidae.

BLACKBIRDS & FINCHES: KG had a nice find of 8 Eastern Meadowlarks on Jan 30 at Bradenbaugh, and on Jan 22 he discovered our only Pine Siskin at his backyard feeder in Jarrettsville. Purple Finches were reported from two locations west of Havre de Grace: LE watched a single male at his near Susquehanna SP on Jan 17, while DW attracted up to 3 Purple Finches to his sunflower feeders in Webster 8 times between Jan 22 - Mar 6.

And finally, two leucistic birds challenged the identification skills of local birders, starting on Feb 6 with a Northern Cardinal along the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air. MjH described the bird as mostly white except for some reddish tones to the wings, tail and crest. The bird was relocated by CW on Mar 10, and in discussions with others MjH learned that this very bird has been residing in this neighborhood for at least a year! This is quite remarkable considering that leucistic birds are often regarded as easy targets for predators. Another leucistic bird was a White-throated Sparrow that showed up at Mariner Point Park (EZ & DZ) on Feb 23. This particular sparrow sported the characteristics of a typical Whitethroat, however it had an all-white head!

CONTRIBUTORS: Debbie Bowers (DB), Jim Brighton (JB), Rick Cheicante (RC), Lynn Davis (LD), Les Eastman (LE), Greg Futral (GF), John Gallo (JG), Lew Glick (LG), Kevin Graff (KG), Steve Grossi (SG), Matt Hafner (MH), Marj Heagy (MjH), Dennis Kirkwood (DK), Glenn Randers-Pehrson (GRP), Phil Powers (PP), Randy Robertson (RR), Shelley Sanders (SS), Don Soubie (DS), Daniel Webb (dW), Dave Webb (DW), Marsha Webb (MW), Colleen Webster (CW), Dave Ziolkowski, Jr. (dZ), Dave Ziolkowski, Sr. (DZ), and Eileen Ziolkowski (EZ).

Please email your sightings of the usual and the unusual to Dave, or snailmail them to Dave Webb, 4141 Quail Way, Havre de Grace, 21078. Please remember to include the date, location, and (approximate) number of birds observed. The timeframe for the next column is Mar 16, 2005 thru Jun 15, 2005. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this report!

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Field Trip Schedule
by Dave Ziolkowski

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Participants in the official "Chairman's Cup" Count must conduct their Count in accordance with the following rules:

I. Time - All counting must be done in the eight-hour period spanning 5:00 AM and 1:00 PM on either Saturday, May 7 or Sunday, May 8. Only results from a single calendar day may be submitted; combinations of results from different calendar days are not admissible.

II. Participants - Teams will consist of at least two members, but no more than four, with a designated captain who is a member of the Harford County chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society. All participants must have been registered with Russ Kovach by 9 PM Friday, May 6. Teams containing non- registered members will not qualify for award contention.

III. Counting - Count only full species (as indicated by the current ABA Checklist and Supplements). Birds must be identified by sight by both the captain and at least one other team member. Only owls, nightjars, and rails may be counted based on sound alone. Please adhere to the common birding ID rule, "if in doubt, don't count it". A bird identified to one of a species group (i.e., scaup, accipiter, yellowlegs, etc.) may be counted as a species if no other in that group is counted. An introduced species may be counted if its status in the county meets ABA Checklist criteria. Birds counted must be alive, wild, and unrestrained. Birds attracted to tape-recorders or feeders may be counted. Injured birds may be counted if wild and unrestrained. Eggs do not count as birds unless you watch them hatch.

IV. Area - Any publicly accessible area of Harford County may be covered. For example, sightings may be made from a road onto private land as long as the road is publicly accessible. Teams may access any unrestricted military lands where only a Maryland drivers license is required for access (note: all team members will have to provide photo id's in this case). Sightings made from restricted military lands, private lands requiring special landowner permission, or other restricted areas are not admissible. Birds must be within Harford county bounds (well illustrated in the Harford ADC map book) when they are counted.

V. Travel - Travel may be by any means, provided that all participants remain within direct voice-contact distance during all travel. When motorized vehicles are used, all participants must travel in the same vehicle.

VI. Conduct - Each participant must: a) remain within direct voice-contact distance of all other team members at all times, b) make every reasonable effort to identify personally and to help team members identify every species counted by the team, c) count only birds personally and unquestionably identified, and d) review the Chairman's Cup rules before the start of the Count.

VII. Outside Information - Any information received prior to the Count may be used during the Count. However, during the Count, teams must make every reasonable effort to avoid receiving bird-finding help from non-participants. Phone and radio contacts and pre-arranged field encounters are not permitted. Participants may not travel with or walk any substantial distance with non-participants. When other birders are encountered accidentally, participants may not solicit bird-finding information and should avoid receiving any information from them, to the extent that common courtesy allows. If despite all precautions information is received during an accidental encounter, the team may use it.

VIII. Ethics Each participant should strive to maintain proper birding ethics at all times. Failure to abide by the official rules of the "Chairman's Cup" will result in team disqualification.

IX. Reporting Results The official "Chairman's Cup" Report Form (available at www.harfordbirdclub.org), or a photocopy thereof, must be used for submitting Count results to the Field Trip Committee. The Report Form includes the Harford County Bird Checklist, a team information form, and an appropriate pledge to be signed by the team captain affirming that all participants have reviewed and complied with the official "Chairman's Cup" Count rules. Final results must be phoned in Russ (443-386-4787) by Wednesday, May 11 and completed report forms post-marked (email or US post) no later than Friday, May 20, 2005.

X. Eligibility for "Champion" - A team will be eligible for "Champion" if all of the foregoing rules have been observed. The eligible team with the highest species count shall be declared "Champion" of the "Chairman's Cup" and will hold the esteemed trophy for the following year (before passing to the winning team of the succeeding year).

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John and Linda Ireland's Wild Bird Marketplace is undergoing a location change. There current location at the shopping center near the intersection of Rt. 22 and 543 closed at the end of March. The new, proposed site will be in the Forest Hill Business Park. Stay tuned for further details. It may be possible to still get seed during the changeover, call their business number at 410-879-7789 for more information. Also, they may be looking for employment help in the new operation. The ability to handle the 40 lb. bags of seed is a strong plus.

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