Have a great December

And don't forget to feed our feathered friends during these cold winter months!

October 16 meeting highlights

If you ever think you might want to go birding in Costa Rica, talk to Gary Van Velsir of the Anne Arundel Bird Club. He will definitely talk you into going and give you great tips on where to go and how to get the best birding tour guides.

Gary presented an electronic slide show of incredibly beautiful landscapes, birds and other wildlife of several areas of Costa Rica he and his wife visited in 2006.

I think all who attended the meeting would agree the BEST bird of Gary's trip was the stunningly beautiful Resplendent Quetzal as seen just above.

Source of photograph: http://www.birdsasart.com/Ralph-Resplendent_Quetzal.jpg

Terns nesting on Giant store in Easton

I know some of us have been wondering about the terns that nest on the roof of the Giant Grocery Store in Easton. Wayne Bell was able to answer my questions, so I though I'd share it here. Thanks, Wayne!

The birds that nest on the roof of the Easton Giant are Least Tern. This species has taken to nesting on several flat-roofed buildings in the Chesapeake region due to a lack of sandy beaches undisturbed by people and predators. Despite what must be intense heat during the summer, nesting is quite successful and the colony is growing. The original Least Tern colony in Easton nested on the roof of the High School. Nesting was disrupted when a new roof was put on the school but I understand that the contractor took some pains to restore the original gravel design. As far as I know, the colony did not return but apparently "migrated" to the newly built Giant. I know of smaller but also successful colonies atop Queen Anne's County High in Centreville and Rose's in Chestertown. These colonies are monitored by DNR and access to the rooftops during the nesting season is generally denied. I don't know who has oversight, but you might contact Glenn Therres at DNR for more information. I have his office phone as (410) 260-8572 and his email as <gtherres@dnr.state.md.us>.

Some sites to visit to learn more about the Least Tern:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i0740id.html
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Least_Tern.html

Chincoteague pony with feathered rider

Injured osprey rescued in Harmony

I saw some vultures flying around my horse lot. When I went to check it out, I found a hurt osprey.
The bird looked good but I think he had a broken leg or was shot.

After many phone calls....

Maryland Natural Resources Police came and got the bird . The officer said the bird was in good shape and they would try to get it to Newark [Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research]. The osprey didn't try to fight Bruce when he picked him up. I think the bird knew we were trying to help it. I hope he makes it.

Jane and Bruce Clendaniel

Female Black Throated Blue Warbler Tuckahoe State Park Bottom photo Semipalmated Sandpiper ridgely sewage Ponds on Fall count sept 20 , 2008

Here are a couple of photo from the fall bird count on Sept 20, 2008

Blackwater Wildlife Refuge reports migrating Canada Geese arriving

On Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., Steve Stack and Tod Adams observed the first flock of Canada Geese moving into the area. Geese were very high in altitude and moving south. Conditions are right for the first movement of birds due to the recent frontal passage with north and west winds as well as a full moon. This is right on schedule for our traditional arrival
dates. Keep a lookout for additional birds now on each cold front.

Message sent 9-18-08 by

Maggie Briggs
Visitor Services Manager
Chesapeake Marshlands NWR Complex
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
2145 Key Wallace Drive
Cambridge, MD 21613
http://www.fws.gov/blackwater/