MARYLAND BIRDLIFE ^uLLelut of the OffiiiltototjijcaL ^ocielij S1101 'Gallon Street, Baltimore ij, .Maryland Volume V November - December 1949 Number 5 CONTENTS The Season: September - October, 1949 Chandler S. Robbins . 56 The Propagation and Study of Came Birds in Captivity A. Ogden Ramsay . • 59 State -wide Bird Count, May 7, 1949 Chandler S. Robbins 62 Pleasant Valley Junior Nature Camp, 1949 Helen B. Miller * 64 October Meeting, Allegany Junior Club Jon Be Hart . * . 66 Fall Field Trip to St. Francis Sanctuary Edwin Willis 66 Miscellaneous Nevi/s and Notes 67 (1) Harford County Unit Organized (2) Bird Party at Crov/der*s (3) Baltimore Club Events i 1 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE ' Events of November & December ! ■ are reported in the January- } published bi-monthly except : February issue, for which the j July-August by closing date is Jan. 1 and j . nublication date normally j MARYLAND ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY | Feb. 1. Send material to j 2101 Bolton Street | Editor C. 3. Robbins, Patuxent j Baltimore 17, Maryland | Research Refuge, Laurel, Md. 1 55 ma-hylAi^~'birdlifb V, Ko* 5 Nov, -Dec* 1949 SEASON September and October , 1949 In Baltimore, September was the first month in 11 with mean temperature below normal; in some parts of the State, however, the month of September averaged slightly above normal. October, on the other hand, was decidedly warmer than usual, with a cumulative excess of over 150 degrees in the central part of the State. The departure of shorebirds and of some land birds v;as delayed, and several winter residents were late in arriving. Herons » The flight of ’’southern’^ herons was comparatively poor this year, and departures were earlier than in the last 2 years. The American agret remained on the Eastern Shore throughout the period, but was uncommon during most of October. The snowy egret was last seen at Sandy Point on Sept* 11 (Beaton); 20 were still at Ocean City on Sept. 27, but they had departed from the Elliott Island marshes (Stewart, Robbins)* The little blue heron was last seen at Seneca on Sept, 9 (2, Thomas W. Donnelly), at Sandy Point on Oct. 2 (2, Robert J. Beaton), and at Ocean City on Oct. 25 (1, Stewart). A Louisiana heron seen on Sept. 27 at best Ocean City by Stewart and Robbins is the latest record for Maryland. Swans, Geese and Ducks. V/ord was received through John Pales that the first flock of ' v/hl stling swans was seen at Great Falls on Oct. 28. On the following day. Dr. E. R. McGovran saw 12 at Triadel- phia Reservoir and flocks of 45 and 25 flew over Patuxent Refuge (Dr. Ira N. Gabrielson, Stewart). On the 30th, Stewart noted 50 on savannah Lake in the Elliott Island marshes. The first Canada geese reported were 4 seen at Patuxent on Oct. 16 by Stewart and Clark Webster. The main flight in the eastern part of the State occurred on Oct. 24-26. Brant continue to increase in the coastal bays* Local residents reported that the first big flight came in about Oct. 10, but migrating flocks were still conspicuous on Oct. 25. The first blue goose was seen on the early date of Oct. 24 at Kent Nar- rows by Allen J. Duvall and Stewart. Dabbling ducks were late in arriving; and the blue-winged teal, the first to leave for the south, was still locally common in early October. Beaton saw 24 at Sandy Point on Oct. 2. Arrival dates for scoters should be earlier on the ocean front than in Chesapeake Bay (where all 3 species are rela- tively uncommon), but due to scanty observation, normal arrival dates are imperfectly known. The first reported this year were: 15 white-winged scoters at North Beach, Calvert Co., and 8 at Plum Point on Oct. 9 (Roxie C. Simpson and Donnelly); 4 surf scoters at Ocean City on Sept. 27 (Stewart and Robbins); 1 American scoter at Sandy Point on Sept. 25 (Donnelly) and 85 at Ocean City 2 days later ( Stewart and Robbins ) • 56 MARYLAI'ID 3IRDLIFE NQV,-~Dec« 1949 Vol, V, No, 5 Hawks, Coots and Galllnules . The fall hawk migration will be discussed in a special article in the next issue. The Florida gal- linule is a species which is so secretive that its departure time is poorly knovm. Although last reported from Maryland on Oct, 3 ( 2 at Elliott Island, Brooke Meanley), Marylanders who attended the A.O,U, meeting at Buffalo saw a Florida gallinule there on Oct. 14; careful examination of' fresh and brackish marshes in such areas as Elliott Island and Blackv/ater Refuge may show that this gallinule remains with us regularly until at least the close of October. The first coot was seen at the Dierssen refuge on Sept. 25 by Shirley Briggs and Barnes; 10 were found there on Oct. 16, and on the 30th, Leander McGorraick-Coodhart recorded a high count of 300 at his home on the lower Patuxent near Benedict. Shorebirds . Some hint as to the interesting shorebird records that may obtained at the Frederick Valley fish ponds was revealed on Sept. 24 v/hen Dr. Barnes and Hiss Briggs identified the following birds at Lilypons: 4 semipalmated plover, 2 Wilson’s snipe, 1 greater yellov/-legs, 10 pectoral sandpipers, 8 least sandpipers, 4 semipalmated sandpipers and 2 sanderllngs; most of these species were previously unrecorded from Frederick County. At Patuxent Refuge Robbins observed single white-rurnped and western sandpipers on Oct. 2; both were the first local records. Interesting reports from Sandy Point include: 4 to 10 semipalmated plovers from Sept. 3 to Oct. 2 {Beaton, John W. Taylor and Carl Dianda); 1 knot on Sept. 11, first record av/ay from the coast (Irving E. Hampe ) ; 6 dov/itchers on Sept. 3 and 3 on Sept. 11 (Beaton); and 1 to 8 sanderllngs from Sept, 8 to Oct. 2 (Taylor, Donnelly, Beaton), As usual, western sandpipers outnumbered semipalmated sandpipers at Sandy Point during most of the fall migration period. Terns and Skimmers . The first Chesapeake Bay record of the gull-hiTled tern v/as established on Sept. 4 by Edward H. LaFleur and Richard D. Cole, v/ho found 1 at Sandy Point. One and possibly 2 were seen at the same place on Sept, 11 by the Baltimore Club trip ( Hampe, , LaFleur , and others), John Fales recorded both the royal and Caspian tern at Plum Point on Oct. 1, and Charles Mason found 2 Caspians over the Potomac River at Glen Echo on Sept. 18 and 25. Stewart and Robbins noted 13 royals and 1 Caspian at the west tip of Elliott Island on Sept. 26, and on the follov;ing day they recorded V royals and a peak of 17 Caspians at Ocean City. George Kelly saw 2 royals and 1 Caspian at Solomons on Oct. 18, a late date for Chesa- peake Bay. High counts of black skimmers were obtained at the Ocean City bridge on Sept. 27 (400, Stev/art and Robbins) and Oct. 25 (200, Stewart and Allen Duvall), Cuckoos, Owls. Two late yellow-billed cuckoos were found at South Mountain on Oct. 1 (Beaton), and 1 at Beltsville on Oct. 10 (Fales). The best short-eared ov^l flight of recent years started 57 Vol> V, No, 5 mArylai^ BIRDLIFB I\Tov/"Dec« 1949 on the early date of Oct, 22 when single birds v/ere seen at College Park (Meanley) and Elliott Island (Stewart). Ravens , Nuthatches . T^vo ravens flew north over *^Lovers Leap*^ on W ills’’ Mount a i n" a t Cumberland on Sept. 21 (Robbins, James Deetz), and 1 passed within 300 feet of the first monument to George Wash- ington, Monument Knob State Park near Boonesboro,, on Oct. 16 (Beaton and W. Allen Rhode), The red-breasted nuthatch flight was first recorded as early as Sept. 1 at Patuxent by Robbins. The same ob- server counted 7 migrating across the Wills Mountain gap at ’’Lovers Leap’' during the morning of Sept. 21; and on Oct. 1 Beaton noted 8 at South Mountain. Warblers . The only arrival in this period which was early enough to deserve special mention v/as a western palm warbler seen on Sept. 9 at Woodside (P^ales). On Oct. 22 Robbins collected an orange- crowned warbler at Patuxent Refuge, establishing the first record of this western species for the Maryland coastal plain. Among late reports from various areas, the following are of interest: black and white warbler at Woodside, Oct, 9 (Fales): prothonotary at Seneca, Sept. 25 (latest record west of Chesapeake Bay, Rr. Barnes and Miss Briggs); Blackburnian at ?/oodside on Oct. 2 (Pales); 3 chestnut-sided warblers on South Mountain, Oct.' 1 (Beaton) and 2 at Woodside the following day (Pales); 10 black -throated green warblers on South Mountain, Oct. 9 (Beaton); 2 Kentucky warblers at Patuxent on Sept. 4 (Robbins); 1 hooded at Cabin John on Oct. 1 (Taylor) and another at Vi/oodside on Oct* 2 (1 day short of the latest record west of the Bay, Pales); 1 Canada warbler on the summit of Martin Mountain (1900 ft#) on Sept. 17 (Helen Miller and George H. Gunnoe); and a redstart at Woodside, Oct. 9 (Pales). There were fev; reports of the Tennessee warbler, but one was seen as far east as the edge of the Bay at Sandy Point on Sept. 11 by Hampe. The Magnolia warbler was the commonest warbler migrating along Wills Mountain in mid- morning on Sept. 21; 17 were identified in flight in 1-| hours, and many others believed to be this species were not seen close enough to be positively identified (Robbins). The commonest warbler on South Mountain on Sept. 25 was the Gape May, 15 of which were noted by Beaton. On Oct. 2, many hundreds of Gape May warblers swarmed over the bushes along the barrier beach at Ocean City, together with hundreds of golden-crowned kinglets, juncos and white -throated sparrows (Meanley). Finches and Sparrov;s. Small numbers (total 7) of purple finches were migrating along Wills Mountain as early as Sept* 21, but none were noted further east until Oct. 1 (south Mountain, Beaton), and Oct. 2 (Ocean City, Meanley). Meanley and Charles 0. Handley, Jr., found a grasshopper sparrow in the Frederick Valley as late as 0^^* 29, and on the same day they recorded a tremendous flight of white- crowned sparrows such as had never been reported from Maryland be- fore; many hundreds or even thousands were seen in hedgerows along the roads. - 58 - Voli V* No 4 5 maryLai® birdlife Nov, -Dec, 1949 SPEC] ;al artic LE S THE PROPAGATION AT€) STUDY OP GAME BIRDS IN CAPTIVITY This article is presented v/ith the belief that many bird students v;ill be interested in fundamental details concerning the rearing of game birds in captivity. Among those species that may most readily be cared for in cap- tivity might be mentioned the Mallard, several varieties of game and oriental pheasants, bob-white, chukar partridges and Canada geese. Many of these species are particularly favorable as they present no special problems due to the restricted food of their young or to their refusal to mate and produce fertile eggs. In fact, the nesting behavior of many of these species may readily be modified without ill effects. Hens (Bantams for the smaller species) are commonly used to incubate the eggs and brood the young. Birds so reared are, furthermore, comparatively tame and only slov/ly revert to the wild when free to do so. For this reason, various authors conclude that wildness in birds in relation to man is a form or ’’traditional'* be- havior and due, at least in part, to parental training. In this connection, it is interesting to note that Charles Darwin pointed out long ago that the extreme tameness of birds on isolated oceanic islands is soon lost when these areas are colonized by man (7), In speaking of the ruffed grouse. For bush writes: ’’its wildness in settled regions is the more remarkable when we realize that when the first explorers came to this country this grouse had so little fear of mankind that it would sit on a lov/ limb gazing cur- iously at the intruder and could be killed with a stick. Only a few years ago in the great untrodden forest of British Columbia I found it similarly unsuspicious. The young when reared artificially from the egg are so tame- they are in danger of being trodden under foot”. As an additional example of the tameness of wild birds reared artificially and in constant contact with man, a gray mallard at McDonogh in her second year built her nes-t only two feet outside the enclosure. Between her nest and the fence was a path through which dozens of boys trooped from time to time. Pew took heed of her and she took heed of none of them. Similarly, a bob-white, when released, stayed in the immediate vicinity of his former pen for several days and would approach within three feet when the caged birds were fed; and a neighboring farmer once told me that one of our Canada geese had ’’taken up with” his chickens. For the propagation of aquatic game birds, little is needed ex- cept a pond with a relatively vermin pro^f fence around it. Birds have even been reared in ponds that wera not fenced at all* Allen 59 - Vol« V» No, 5 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Nov* -Dec, 1949 and Davis (2) and McAtee (3) give detailed instructions for the con- struction and uses of such a pond* A winter house, v;hile recommended by the latter writer, is not essential in Maryland, Even in severe weather, the various species will flock together and keep the water circulating so that it does not freeze. Often, on such occasions, they show little interest in food. On several extraordinary occas- ions, however, a European mute swan froze in solid and had to be freed with an axe, but apparently suffered no ill effects. Evidently the other species present (black ducks, pintails, Canada geese, white-fronted geese and mallards) had left the water before it was too late. Young waterfowl are conveniently reared in such pens as the one shown at the right. This is described in detail by McAtee (3), The various units are constructed in such a fashion that it is easier to make the nest and manipulate the eggs. The nest should be made of sod and placed in a square wooden frame and the eggs added. As game bird eggs contain consider- ably less water than those of domestic birds, they should be turned by hand and sprinkled with warm water daily. This office the hens consistently refuse to perform, though both v/ild and domestic ducks can often be observed vigorously rolling their eggs over. In ad- dition to these attentions, one duck v;as observed to construct an entirely new nest on higher ground and move the eggs, one by one, to the new location. If the slat-like door is removable, it makes it much easier to confine the setting bird if she tends to leave the nest for too long a period (over 20 minutes in warm weather) or to become overly excited when the ^roimg leave the nest. Confining the young birds with the hen also gives them b . chance to get acquainted with her and to learn her calls. Upland game birds, which are comparatively delicate and help- less in captivity, are usually reared on wire to reduce the hazard from predators and disease, A pen suitable for birds the size of chukar partridges is shown in the sketch at the right. Each house, unless rest- ing on the ground, is provided with a removable tray-like floor underneath the wire. This simplifies sanitation, and in summer these may be removed to provide additional ventila 60 roi.-'v: Wo rs 'nmim’ BiffbLIg’g 'WoTV-mor 1^9 tion. These pens have been adapted to our needs from the pens used at the State Game Farm at Gwynnbrook, Md* Other pens are described by McAtee (1 and 4). These same pens may be used for the hatching of eggs and brooding the young in a manner similar to that previous- ly described* Since various commercial food companies (Purinai Spratt) pro- duce very satisfactory feed for both the young and adult birds, it is no longer necessary to prepare feed for the young birds by grind- ing sand, charcoal, boiled eggs, oatmeal and dry bread together as formerly. Adults of most species eat grain. The cost, at present, is estimated to be from $1.50 to $2.00 per bird per year. Pew birds are necessary to start. A single pair of bob-white will produce 100 eggs or more in a single season. Mallards and other wild ducks are usually allov^ed to lay as many as 40 eggs before they are permitted to set* Birds for this purpose may be obtained in- itially from commercial breeders or from other licensed operators. Both a Federal and a State license are necessary and can readily be obtained. Most of our birds have been reared from eggs obtained through the interest and courtesy of Mr. Ernest A. Vaughn, State Game Warden. We would also like to acknowledge that our black ducks were obtained from the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge through the kindness of Mr. Cornelius W, Wallace, of the U.S. Fish and Wild- life Service. These were sent to McDonogh in 1942, At the present time they seem to have enlarged their range and to have established themselves as a permanent breeding community along Gwynns Falls at McDonogh and in the neighboring streams such as Red Run. It may be noted, in concluding, that the rearing of game birds in captivity offers unusual opportunities for the student of birds to become thoroughly familiar with them. The fact that the birds can be reared under foster parents offers further opportunities to observe the effect of such relationships on their behavior. In ad- dition, events occur constantly that provide one with stimuli. to further study, V/e have for example, a black duck drake that was reared with mallards and flocks with them consistently. He was first observed courting a female mallard on November 23; their first flight together took place on February 10* Numerous crosses are known be- tween the mallard and closely related species such as the black duck and pintail, and even with such distant relatives as the mergansers. This dereliction, however, is usually ascribed to the mallard drake and may prove to have some of its basis in situations similar to those produced here experimentally. In addition to the observations that it is possible to make upon captive birds, transients often are attracted to the propagation pond and may then be watched under favorable conditions. The author would be happy to supply any further information that might be desired by anyone Interested in establishing a propagation - 61 voi; vV nq7T UkRYLkm BIRDLIFS N^v 7^I)e c 7 1 9 49 area similar to that described above, and hopes that visitors will feel free to call to see the birds in this area. This should prove especially attractive in May, when the young birds have hatched. In conclusion, the author would like to thank Dr* John E. Cushing for suggestions regarding this manuscript. A. 0. Ramsay References : (1) McAtee, W.L. : The ring-necked pheasant and its management in North America, Wildlife Management Institute (1945). (2) Allen, P.F. and Davis, C.N. : Ponds for wildlife, U. 3. Dept. of Agriculture, B'armers’ bulletin 1979 (1941). (3) McAtee, W.L. : The propagation of caquatic game birds in captivity. U.S.D.A. Fo.rmers’ bulletin 1612 (1930). (4) McAtee, W.L.: The propagation of upland game birds in cap- tivity, U.S.D.A. Farmers* bulletin 1613 (1930). (5) Graham, E.H.? The land and wildlife (1947). (6) Jull, M.A.: Poultry houses and fixtures, U.S.D.A, Far- mers’ bulletin 1554 (1934). (7) Lack, D.A. : Darwin’s finches (1947), STATE-WIDE BIRD COUNT, MAY 7, 1949 Eighteen groups participated in the second annual ’May Day* count, recording a total of 183 species. Although the v^eathar was warm and fair (except for local thunder showers in the afternoon) and conditions were favorable for field observation, continuous high temperatures during the preceding days had prevented any concentra- tion of migrants on the 7th. Consequently, migrant land birds v;ere hard to find, and all parties missed many species which one normally takes for granted on this date. The combined list contained 29 spe- cies of warblers, but 7 of these were recorded by only one party. Only 2 warblers (chat and redstart) appeared on all 6 of the lists which contained 70 or more species. The individual lists varied from a kitchen window count in Bal- timore by L. Ruth Mitchell to four separate lists by Barnes, Enoch Johnson and Robbins at such widely scattered places as Ocean City, the PoGomoke Sv/amp, Elliott Island, and Seneca- -yes, all on the same day. Although their combined list for the day totaled 147 species, their counts for the four areas ranged between 59 and 84. The high- est count from a single area was submitted by the McDonogh School party under the leadership of Duncan McIntosh, A. 0. Ramsay, Sam Shriver and Tom Offett, v/ho found 92 species. vo1V~vtto;t iKm'Arg) 'Biia5L''g'E ^vV-bec, 1949“ Allegany County v;as represented by a count of 37 species ob- tained at Prostburg by Myra Taylor and a group of junior members. They identified the only pigeon hawk of the day, and turned in the highest totals for hummingbird (2), purple martin (52), yellow warbler (5), and black-throated green warbler (2), Drd R. S. Stauffer and Martha Stauffer’s list of 84 species from Washington County tied for second place in variety. They found the only duck hawk, purple finch and white-crowned sparrow, and the only 2 black-capped chickadees. In addition they had the highest counts for 37 other species, showing that they had particularly fine coverage of their area. Of special Interest are such astonishing figures as 200 whip-poor-wills (a very conservative estimate) and 75 warbling vireos (believed correct to within lO/O J other high counts include 35 brown thrashers, 18 gnatcatchers , 8 worm-eating warblers and 40 Baltimore orioles. Frank Sommer and Evans Roberts noted 72 species at Seneca and G-reat Falls, including the only broad -v/inged hawk of the day and the only 2 Nashville warblers. They also took top honors on black vul- ture (2), black-billed cuckoo (5) and indigo bunting (11)» Paul E. Taylor found 46 species, including the only sap sucker and bay- breastod v/arblers (2), at Mt. Airy,. Clark and Helen Webster re- corded 64 species at Pcatuxent Refuge: among their interesting high counts were 3 plleated woodpeckers. From the vicinity of Baltimore, the McDonogh people supplied the only least flycatcher and junco. Pearl Heaps found 36 species in the Druid Lake area;: Allen A. Burk sav; 22 at Gwynn . Falls Park; and Mrs. John C* Baldwin noted 41 species within sight of her house in Relay, including the highest catbird count (20). Duvall Jones covered 4 square miles near U.S. Route 40,. 1-A miles east of Balti- more; he found 65 species including the only least bittern, red- tailed hawk,. Wilson’s snipe,., gold on-cr owned kinglet (6) and blue- winged warbler (6). His two commonest birds were the starling (200) and long-billed marsh wren (163).. Larry Haynie observed 75 species at Wilson Point, back of the Glenn L. Martin Plant; he added sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks,, bald eagle and Virginia rail, and saw such interesting birds as the least and Caspian terns.^ Arthur V/right went to Arnold, near Sandy Point, and checked a list of 30 species including a late hermit thrush. Mrs* Frederick Vinnup of Gibson Island, v;ho was unable to make observations on the 7th, checked a list of 30 species from her front lawn on the 8th. Irston Barnes and party rounded out the list by adding 26 spe- cies from the coastal areas; these included a flock of 11 purple sandpipers, a late black-backed gull, and of course the Swainson’s warbler. Then at Seneca from 5 p.m. on, they added 12 species which were not otherwise recorded: common loon, horned and pied-billed grebes, yellow-crowned night heron, blue goose, baldpate, ring- necked duck, ruddy duck, hooded merganser, black tern,- and Cape May and cerulean warblers*. C. S» Robbins - 63 Vol, V> No7T ~ BI^^DLIFE Nov » "Dec » 1949 PLEASANT VALLEY JUNIOR NATURE GAMP - 1949 The second Junior Nature Camp sponsored by the Allegany County Bird Club with the cooperation of the Allegany Board of Education was held at Pleasant Valley 4-H Camp, Bittinger, Maryland, from June 20 to June 24, 1949* Sixty -•six campers registered for the week, in- cluding seven ^‘graduates** from the 1948 camp at Town Hill* These 66 campers represented 18 different Allegany schools. The purpose of the Camp is to train loaders and provide field experience for both adults and juniors in the Bird Club. Ten tea- chers in the Allegany schools, a public health nurse and the director served as counselors* All services were on a voluntary basis. The campers paid a registration fee of ^1, and paid §6 additional on arrival. Prom this sum, all expenses v/ore paid - transportation to the camp, food, lodging and incidental supplies. The food was pur- chased by the Allegany School cafeteria system, meals were planned by the supervisor of cafeterias^ and the Club paid the cost. The camp site is owned and maintained by the State University in cooperation with the Extension Service, so total costs were at a minimum* Pleasant Valley, in Garrett County, was chosen because it fur- nishes all types of plant and animal life and is especially adapted to nature study. Following registration and pack lunch eaten under the trees, the campers were assigned to cabins and given time to get settled and acquainted with the campsite before a brief swim. A sheet v/as given each camper, listing leaders, brief rules, and the daily program. Each camper also received a paper for his name and a bird sticker which identified him as a cardinal, Baltimore oriole, and so on. No adults were quartered in the cabins, with one excep- tion; junior counselors V7ere in charge of each cabin. duty was assigned by cabins. Piegulations and restrictions were kept at a minimum, leaving much of the decisions and action to the campers as the needs developed. The daily schedule ran about as follows; 6:30 A.M, Rise 1:00 - 2:00 Library, group plan- ning; museiAm 7:00 - 8:00 Bird walk 2:00 - 4:00 Glasses o o CO - 9:00 Breakfast 4:00 - 5:00 Nature games, hikes. "K.P." duty treasure hunts, etc 9:00 - 9:30 5:00 - 6:30 Supper 9:30 -10:30 Classes 7:00 - 9:00 Evening program 10:30 -11:00 Recess 9:30 P.M. Lights out 11:00 -12:00 Classes 12:00 ■ 1:00 Lunch 64 Vol> V, No MARYLAICi BIRDLIPS lovV-'De~I^'5g Glasses began l^lesday morning, following an early before-break- fast bird walk. Each camper took two classes each day^ On Thursday and Friday he was allowed choice in completing an activity already be- gun and also given time to write what he wished concerning camp. For many, this meant watching fish in the lake, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons were divided into Conservation study classes. The first day Mr, Y/illiam Nace and IVIr. Carl Hecako, District Soil Conservation- ist and Forester, took the campers up the mountain back of the camp and discussed conservation problems in the field, Thursday, Mr, Joseph Minke, Regional Game Warden, and Mr, Dale Arner, Game Technic- ian-, led field trips around the lake. Evening activities Included group singing around the campfire, on the terrace or in the recreation-dining hall; folk dancing and a hil- arious Grand March; movies on nature and comedies; individual stunts such as singing, accordion playing and tap-dancing; and star-gazing. Only one afternoon v/ere v^e able to have organized sports such as softball ,,, there simply wasn’t time, A swimming period was held every day after four clock. Opportunities were given for camper participation in planning, one result of which was the organization of a five o’clock bird walk — A,M., that isl It was completely outlined and planned by a small group who wanted more time in the field for bird study. Other walks followed. Time v/as allowed for any field activity with the one stip- ulation that no one left camp alone. Much of the success of the Gamp was due to tho voluntee loaders of the various interest groups. These were: Flowers and ferns Birds Trees, rocks and soil Nature handicrafts Songs k folk dancing Games and pictures Other leaders Nurse Gamp Director Cooks Junior Counselors Mrs, Myra C, Taylor Miss Nan Livingstone Miss Nellie Th-^inas Mrs. T, M* Andrews Miss Mary Meek Mr. Andy Dibaldo Miss Sara Wright, Miss Virginia Neff, Miss Adele Malcolm Miss Vauda McLuckle Mrs, Gilbert M. Miller Mrs. A. D. Lechliter, Mrs, Russell Smith Lois McCollough, Shirley Blackburn, Esther Shyrock, Leon Clark, Harry Miller, Gerald Arthur, James Cook, Bill Wilson The best endorsement for the camp was the remark by many camper^ and leaders - ’*If there is another camp next year, be sure to count me ini” Helen Miller 65 VoIh, Va No^ 5 MARYLAND BIHDLIFB Nov, -Dec, 1949 OCTOBER meeting - i\LLEGANY JUNIOR CLUE The Allegany County Junior Club meeting was called to order on Saturday, October 8, by Miss Nan Livingstone. Reports were given on a number of bird walks in different towns* The first report vjas given by Michael Delilo from McCoole. The second was given by Rich- ard Johnson from Cumberland, Election of officers v/as conducted by Gerald i\rthur. The fol- lowing were elected; President, Bill Wilson, Central High, Lonaconin^; Vice President, Harry Miller, Fort Hill High, Cumber- land; Recording Secretary, Shirley Blackburn, Oldtov/n High, Oldtown; Corresponding Secretary, Richard Johnson, Allegany High, Cumberland; Treasurer, Esther Shyrock, Flint stone High, Flint stone, Mrs, Miller explained and told about the Audubon Screen Tours, The first bird walk will be Sunday, October 16; we will meet at the State Armory and go by bus to Koon Dam, A movie of Pleasant Valley Camp was shown, taken by James Cook last June, There were 58 people at the meeting, which was held at the Y.M.C.A, Meetings of the Junior Club will be held at the Y*M,G,A, the first Saturday of every month, at 10 A,M* Jon De Hart, Junior News Reporter FALL FIELD TRIP TO ST. FRANCIS SANCTUARY Fifteen members of the Baltimore Club, led by Mr, & Mrs. Kuch, visited the sanctuary of St, Francis of Assisi on October 1 and identified 48 species of birds. Most of the 18 or so nesting boxes at the Pikesville sanctuary had been occupied, chiefly by bluebirds and house wrens. After the sanctuary, we visited the Kuchs * home to see his interesting bird banding traps. Then, at McDonogh School, we ate lunch and looked at the Game Farm, v/hich boasts a barred owl and a raccoon besides the game birds which Mr, A, 0, Ramsay uses for propagation and experimentation, A highlight of the day was a redbreasted nuthatch we met near the sanctuary entrance, a first record there. Migrating hawks were unusually plentiful; we saw 6 species, including a duck hawk at McDonogh. At the sanctuary a terrified flicker, hotly pursued by an accipiter, dashed through a row of trees right near us, squeal- ing shrilly. The hawk stopped in the densest part of the nearby maple when he saw us, and the flicker escaped. Smaller migrants were also numerous. At the sanctuary alone we saw a blue-headed vireo, a ruby-crowned kinglet, several kinds of warblers, and other species, i>t McDonogh we saw several juncos, quite a few pewees, a redstart, 2 vesper sparrows, a house wren, and several commoner species, Edwin Willis 66 yol, V. No» 5 UkRYLLm BIHDLIFE Nov » -Dec, 1949 HiiRFORD COUNTY UNIT ORGANIZED Harford County, long presumed to be an area where only a few people were interested in bird life, came into the circle of county units of the Ornithological Society in October with enthusiasm and great promise# Following Mr. Crowder’s talk at the Harford County Library in Bel Air last iipril, a number of names of prospective members were added to those of our four regular members in the county. Another Crowder bird talk before the Evergreen Garden Club on September 13 added to the enthusiasm and paved the way for the formal organization of the Harford County Bird Club. The organization meeting was called for October 25, at the Library building in Eel Air, and the heavy downpour that lasted all evening failed to dampen spirits inside or affect the attend- ance of 45 people from all over the cou.nt3r, |/fr, Bryant Tyrrell showed movies and talked about local bird life, Mr. Crowder de- scribed the organization plan of the state society and local units, and George Drumm finally Introduced the formal motion to organize a club ’’for the study of bird life, to be known for the present as The Harford County Bird Club, and to be a unit of the Maryland Ornithological society”. Thirty-three of those present indicated a desire to become charter members. Temporary officers elected included William J. Kelly, of Edge- wood, as president; Mrs. George Drumm, of Fallston,as s^ecretary; and Dr. N. K* Schaffer, of Array Chemical Center, as treasurer. A by-laws committee was appointed, the first field trip announced, and plans discussed for a paid lecture by C. A. Broley, ”the Eagle Man”. A meeting of the By-laws ComiTiittee and the temporary Execu- tive Council was called for early November at the home of Mrs. William W. Finney at Churchville. BIRD P/U^TY iiT CROTOER’S . The 3-year tradition of opening the Baltimore meeting program out-of-doors at the Crowder cabin on Bird River fell into the discard this year, in favor of an in- doors meeting at the Pratt Library. Rlr. Crowder had birds and fall color to show off, however, and invited club members to an Informal bird party and field trip on October 2. A crowd of 72 members responded and swarmed over the area. Bird observation along the 2^-inile nature trail occupied part of the day, but the highlight was a 5-team nature scavenger hunt, in which a mad scramble for obscure tree loaves, insects, frogs, snakes (they found and carried in fivei) and other evidence of nature knowledge was rewarded by a scale of points, and the award of prizes to all teams. Many members brought the younger portions of their families, who took an important part in the scavenger hunt armed with tin cans and other receptacles trying to catch minnov/s on the beach for the precious 5 points each one carried. It was a hilarious time, and the courage exhibited by many of the allegedly weaker sex. in carrying in snakes, frogs and huge caterpillars is one for the record. 67 Vol» V, No, 5 MkRYLkm BIRDLIPE Nov. -bee • 1949 BALTIMORE EVENTS HAWK LI EETING k STATEWIDE HA\7K COUNT t Launching a new state- wide project to learn more of the Maryland hav/k migration, the Baltimore Club meeting of September 9 featured Chandler Robbins in an excellent illustrated lecture on Hawk Identification. Armed with this added knowledge, members manned the mountain ridges of the state on September 17 and 18 in cooperation with other local units of the Society. The results were both rewarding and surprising, and will be reported fully in the next issue of Maryland Birdlife. SANDY POINT FIELD TR^, SEPTE MBER 11. Twenty people, under the leaHership of "Ed LaPleur , spotted “54 “species at this embryo State Park. Features were 5 species of herons, a dowitcher, 2 gull-billed terns, a p"orster*s tern and a Tennessee warbler. GAPE MAY FIELD TRIP, SEPTEMBER 24-25. This trip ran a close second" t~o Tai*t sprTng^ alT-“tIme species record at Ocean City, Md. A total of 126 species were seen by 11 members. Heavy estimated counts of migrating birds are indicative of the ”piling-up’* which occurs at this season at Gape May point: American Scoter, 250; sharpshinned hawk, 2000; broad-winged hawk, 200; Virginia rail, 51; sora, 33; tree swallow, 15,000; catbird, 300; brown thrasher, 100; olive-backed thrush, 50; cedar waxv/ing, 150; bobolink, 100. Herons were present in large numbers: snow^y egret, 150; little blue, 280; black-crowned, 150; ionerican egret, 100. Two jaegers were seen - 1 pomerine and 1 parasitic. Some of the more unusual warblers were noted: Nashville, 5; Tennessee, 5; Cape May, 10; bay-breasted, 15; Western palm, 10. WORTHINGTON VALLEY FIELD TRIP , OCTOBER 9. Mr. G. B. Fenwick, Jr., led a group of 11 members on a fall Sunday walk through beau- tiful countryside in Worthington Valley, the Prettyboy area, and near Sater*s Church. Twenty-six species were seen. MONTHLY mETING , OCTOBER Dr. W. F. Kubichek, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife fervice was guest speaker at the October meeting and presented a magnificent color film representative of the bird life on several of the wildlife refuges. TRIDELPHIA RESERVOIR, OCTOBER 23. This field trip took us to new territory, and virtually all of us were amazed to discover this large reservoir on the Patuxent between Howard and Montgomery coun- ties. The surface of the lake produced a number of waterfowl: 2 pied-billed grebe, 50 mallards, 24 black ducks, 5 baldpate; 3 scaup, 12 ruddies and 45 coot. At the home of trip leader Seth Low, the trapped sparrows included an immature white -crov/ned - an interest- ing plumage study. The trip list totaled an impressive 54 species. 68