April 22, 2012 Grand Vue

Today's walk yielded many birds. First, blue bird boxes have one nest of 5 young birds and another box has 5 eggs. A coopers hawk flew through staying low to the ground as he came up over the hill toward the large area of mowed grass. Had I not been there I think he would have continued the path toward the area that holds 20 robins consistently. I remember posting last year about the pile of bluebird feathers. Anyway, todays birds: coopers and red tailed hawk, black throated green warbler, white throated sparrows, field, song, and chipping sparrows,cowbirds, white-eyed vereo, heard a turkey, blue birds, jays, crows, robins, cardinals (many nesting sites), towhees, red bellied, downy, and many flickers, maybe a sapsucker, and a bunch more.

Backpacking Trip to Savage River St Park

I enjoyed a 3+ mile backpacking/camping/fishing trip this past week. My brother, Oren and I packed into Poplar Lick which is a tributary of the upper savage river in Garrett Counyt Maryland. Birds galore. I observered more Louisiana Waterthrush and was much better at identifying these birds. The best bird was the Winter Wren which was heard repeatedly throughout the day. Nesting wrens were all around us. They are very alusive however and I was not able to see a wren sitting for very long. Most were in flight leaving thick cover.

Winter Wren, Lousiana Waterthrush, Waxwings, Least, Acadian, Great Crested Flycatchers, Wood and Veery Thrush, Warblers: Blue Winged, Yellow, Yellow Throat, Black throated Green, Towhees, all apparently nested in the area.

Fishing was good on that small stream. We both caught a good number of fish. My highlight came on day 2 when within two hours I caught two ten inch brooke trout and saw a black bear (my first). He stepped into the water in front of me about 50 feet. He came to about my waist at his shoulders. I spotted him first and when alerted to my presence he bolted. FUN.