\ MARYLAND BIRDLIFE oj- tliz this project now surpasses all other M.O.S. undertakings in terms of man-hours expended. The SEASON reports each fall make reference to some of the ornithological knowledge gained through Operation Recovery. More detailed analyses appear from time to time in some of the national journals. The mere gathering of scientific data, however, could not inspire banders to spend every waking hour banding birds. Someone has aptly pointed out that you couldn't hire people to work 100 hours a week checking nets on a rigid schedule in all kinds of weather with sand or mud underfoot. So what are the compensations? Those of you who have had the good fortune to visit an "0. R." station in action have witnessed the combination of earnestness and enthusiasm that prevails from dawn to dusk. Perhaps you have shared the thrill of holding a live bird in your hand, of studying its plumage, of seeing it so well you will never forget its field marks. Or did you break a State record and have the fun of sharing your find with others? Perhaps you have enjoyed watching your friends fumble through a bird book trying to Identify a bird well known to you. Possibly you have taken home a photographic record of a bird you never saw before. Rather than present a technical account or a long list of banding figures, we are summarizing the 1962 bandings in Table 1. Then each sta- tion leader has contributed a brief narrative report to impart some of the flavor of his or her station — some of the behind-the-scenes events that contributed to the banding of eleven and one -half thousand migra- tory birds in Maryland in the months of August, September, and October, 1962.— Ed. December 1962 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 95 Table 1. Summary of O.E. bandings in Maryland, 1962 Station New Birds Banded Aug. Sept. Oct. Total Net- Hours Birds per 100 Net -hr. Total Species Patuxent N. A. S. 129 122 .. 251 554 45 50 Laurel — College Park 58 178 217 453 717 63 54 Patuxent Res. Center — -- 378 378 i44 262 18 Tows on 104 129 417 650 2,365 27 59 Rock Run Sanctuary 193 290 35 ^ 837 10,730 8 75 Dams it e, Chestertown l4l 967 2885 3993 7, 57 90 Denton -- 73 449 522 2,008 26 52 North Ocean City 1 3184 1080 4265 15,292 29 101 Ocean City Number 2 _28 25? -- -JZL 28 J2 TOTAL im 5202 5780 11,706 40,145 29 Patuxent River Naval Air Station From Aug. 7 through Sept. 21 (except week ends) I ran from 5 "to 7 nets in an area by a tidal marsh. Nets were operated only from daybreak to 7:45 a.m. and from 4:45 p.m. until dark. There were large trees, small trees, large and small bushes, high weeds, cat -tail marsh, and many other good netting habitats in the less than 2-acre area where I banded. My 50 species of birds included Green Herons, sandpipers. Woodcock, Chuck -will's -widow, hummingbirds, all eastern Empidonax flycatchers , all thrushes except Hermit, gnatcatchers, Cedar Waxwings, 14 species of war- blers, both tanagers, and Lincoln’s, Savannah, and Grasshopper Sparrows. Vernon Kleen 339 Talbot Avenue, Laurel Laurel — College Park From the middle of August through the end of October I netted every Saturday morning and many Sunday afternoons in the vicinity of Laurel and Beltsville, alternating between several productive locations. From the end of September through the end of October I also ran nets as often as I could at the University of Maryland, between classes. The netting areas were mostly of large trees or adjacent brushy fields. The 54 specieB I caught in these areas included 1 6 species of war- blers, and many sparrows including Lincoln's and White -crowned. I banded a total of 76 species including those at Patuxent Naval Air Station. Vernon Kleen 339 Talbot Avenue, Laurel Patuxent Wildlife Research Center A banding station was operated at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Oct. 22-31, 1962 . The area of operation was adjacent to a stretch of bottomland woods along the Patuxent River. Nets were placed bisecting a brushy fence row that bordered an unharvested sorghum field. 9i MARYLAND BIKDLIFE Vol. l8, No, 4 Nets were maintained for two hours each morning and evening during weekdays and all day during the weekend period. Two days were omitted because of rain. Because the nets were set in an area of heavy bird concentration and because on most days they were operated only during the peak period of bird activity, the number of birds captured per hundred net -hours was extraordinarily high. Approximately 53# of the birds banded were White - throated Sparrows (209). Field Sparrows (47), Song Sparrows (42), and Bfyrtle Warblers (23) were next in descending order of abundance. Willet T. Van Velzen Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Towson An Operation Recovery station was first set up at ny home in Towson for the month of September, 1961. I live in a suburban development, but have one and one- tenth acres, with boxwood, some white pine trees, mimosa, walnut, maple, hemlock, and hedges of privet and fruit-bearing shrubs. This development of about 40 acres is thickly populated with houses built on lots 200 x 200 feet, but has many white oak, black oak, and beech trees. Shopping centers have been built all around us 1 This year O.R. began on Aug. 11 and continued through October. There were 15 days on which birds were netted in August; fifteen in September, and 21 in October. In addition to ageing and sexing when possible, wing measurements of most birds were taken, and fat condition recorded. Few birds were weighed as we had the scales but a short time. Jty commonest species were White-throated Sparrow (l6l), Catbird (86), Mockingbird (48), and Robin (45). I also banded a surprisingly large number of Hermit Thrushes (33)- Among ny more unusual captures 'for this area were a Whip-poor-will, 2 Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, a Golden-winged Warbler, and a Mourning Warbler. Gladys H. Cole 625 Valley Lane, Towson Rock Run Sanctuary This was the second year for an Operation Recovery program at Rock Run, but the firBt year that the operation covered August, September, and October. Nets were run daily in August, but after school started most banding had to be done on week ends. Each Friday meant picking up Sup- plies and rushing with the sun to get nets up and make preparations for two days of banding. At this inland station 837 individuals of 75 species and one hybrid were banded. The hybrid, a Brewster's Warbler, was cap- tured early in the first month. The abundant jewelweed on the Sanctuary supplied fuel for the many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds observed during August and September; 33 were captured and banded during the program. Each banding day presented new and exciting things to see, hear, and band. A slow day at the nets would become tremendous when a doe and her fawn stepped from the honeysuckle; a tiring day, when a light drizzle made net checking a chore, became a day to remember when a huge flock of December 1962 MARYLAND BIKDLIFE 97 Bank Swallows fed just above net level and two low fliers were taken un- aware by mist and mist net; and a windy day which ruined netting blew migrating hawks from horizon to horizon. Birds were added to our Sanctuary list, which now numbers l6l, by our O.R, banding. Grasshopper and Lincoln’s Sparrows; Wilson’s, Golden- winged, and Brewster's Warblers; and a Warbling Vireo made the "Who’s Been Here" list. The Orange -crowned Warbler slipped through again this year without being seen, but we are planning to get a net into that spot next time. Now to find the spot. Banding, measuring, checking for fat, and weighing were a part of every day’s activity and it seemed as if the "Why are you putting it in a plastic bag? was answered about a million times by placing the motionless, well usually, mot ionless, bird on the scale to be weighed. Yes, we had visitors, tflub members, coffee makers, scouts, and 4-H’ers stopped by to see the proverbial one in the hand worth two in the bush. The Operation is over, the Recovery will take a while. Meantime there is planning afoot. "Next year we will have to put a net - - - ", "I think a couple of - - - ", and "We should think about a - - - " are often heard when the banders get together. At our present rate of plan- ning, why next year I’ll just bet you we Melvin Garland 36 Burke Avenue, Tows on "Damsite " I arrived at the Mendinhalls’ Operation Recovery station on Chesa- peake Bay west of Chestertown on Oct. l8 as a student, eager to learn more about banding from nets than short experiences with Seth Low, Chan Robbins, and Russell Mason had taught me» I learned, fast enough, but hardly the way I had anticipated! The Station was in full swing— every carrying cage crammed, four people sort- ing and banding and neasuring, an aim! able outsider keeping records . But within three hours Dottie bad left for Washington to visit a hospitalized sister, the others were gone, and I was in sole charge. That is not en- tirely true, for Ed handles the nets, is extraordinarily deft at taking out birds, and while he does no banding and says he doesn't know one bird from another, I noticed that every time I had difficulty, or was about to a mistake, he was at my elbow. But as dusk crept in from the woods and the geese flew in barking ribbons across the sunBet, Ed took off to teach his Power & Safety Squad- ron. Either distrait over his family situation, I thought, or perhaps at finding himself saddled with a strange woman, he left half a dozen of the nets still up, tossing a feeble flashlight at me and murmuring something about Screech OwIb . I went out from supper to listen to the geese— a rare treat for a city slicker— and idled up to the woods on an owl patrol. What was my dismay to find the nets bouncing with a late flight of White- throats 1 By the time I had collected the flashlight and some carrying cases, the stars were out and there I was, in the dark, trying to hold the flash in the crook of my elbow, or under my chin. It slipped maddeningly from both places, so I disentangled my unwilling charges by the touch system. 98. MAKYLAHD BIRDLUE Yol. 18, No. k From, the hushes, a pair of animal eyes glowed at me, too high for a cat, too low for a pony. I’d never been to the Eastern Shore before, and Bamsite is far out on a lonely peninsula. I'm a northerner, too, used to hearing wolves in fishing country. I squeaked in fright as, wrestling with a sparrow, a cold nose explored by cheek. But the black shape loom- ing beside me turned out to be the Mendinhalls 1 companionable retriever, come to supervise my problems . This Bird Business gets you into funny places I mused, half an hour Later, sitting with the retriever Tinder a single bulb in the banding shed, writing up my statistics. A daddy long legs circled ny sneakers, a mouse skittered across the floor, Gregory, the tame goose, muttered from his pen. Out on the Bay a buoy tolled in the quiet night. I didn’t feel adequate, but I was having a lot of fun. Before light was gray I woke to the music of geese going over and the smell of Ed’s coffee. Doughnut in hand, we were quickly off. The nets were loaded. Hurricane Ella swirling south of us had set up counter- clockwise winds that were blowing thousands of migrating birds inland. What we were handling, as we vent down on our, knees in the dewy grass to free our first birds, was only a tiny percent of the birds we were to see feeding in the woodland and meadows about us all that sunny October day. There is, of course, a technique to freeing birds from the fine black nets. Grasp the firm knees of your bird, they say. Pull the mesh from the leathery claws, slip the threads off one shoulder, then the other. Presto, the head slips loose, and the treasure is popped into a compartment to be carried hack to the banding table and the tally sheets. However, it doesn’t always work that way. Many a time you can't figure which way your bird flew into the net, much less how you are going to get him out! Thrushes lie quiet. Chickadees bite and scold. Cardinals raise blood blisters. Like all bullies, Blue Jays roll their eyes in an- guish and play dead. Creepers work through the mesh and kinglets roll themselves into black cocoons. Faster than I could measure and write, all morning Ed brought birds in on the hack of his station wagon. We stopped for breakfast at 11, for lunch at 3, when mercifully the wind and the birds slacked off. Ify fig- ures that night ran to 260 birds, with almost no repeats. That meant a bird was banded every 2 \ minutes throughout the 11 hours of daylight — not quick according to expert standards I'm sure, but I was handling the records and Roberts’ Manual as well as the birds, and I wasn't exactly self-confident . What a whale of a good time X had! Anyone want an extra pair of hands next year? ("Yes, I have first priority’." D.A.M.) Erma J. Fisk 3227 Reservoir Rd., MW, Washington, D.C. Denton This station, on the A. J. Fletcher farm on Garland lake near Denton, was operated from Sept. 19 to Oct. 31, 19^2 for a total of 27 days. Seven to 9 nets were used in pond and field border habitats . September was a very ordinary month, with very little activity. The bulk of the migration seemed to occur from Oct. 17 to Oct. 20, with a peak December 1962 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 99 on the l8th when 6l birds were banded. A late male Black- throated Blue Warbler was banded on Oct. 23. Only one foreign retrap was made: a Blue Jay on Oct. 17* Other noteworthy birds were a Rusty Blackbird and a Purple Pinch. Of 18 Ruby-crowned King- lets banded during the period, 11 were males. The White-throated Sparrow was the most abundant species with 131 individuals banded. Prior information on migration characteristics in the middle section of the Eastern Shore was scanty. It is believed now that with sufficient coverage, this area would compare favorably with the coastal areas. Three banders participated: Roberta B. Fletcher, Essie J . Pepper, and A. J. Fletcher R. D. 1, Box 201, Denton North Ocean City "Chiggers are about gone. Mosquitoes are more plentiful. Poor weather, poor birds. Thirty-one new yesterday and as of 9:30 a.m. today only 3 have been banded. We need you to bring us some luck." That was the gist of the news which I received on Sept. 5 from Chan Robbins at North Ocean City. The next news was that banding had improved. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Douglass from Allegany County, Mrs. Margaret Donnald from Washington, D.C. and I went down on Sept. 13 . We arrived at the handing station at about k p.m. , to find Chan Robbins and Mrs. Jane Church with every collecting cage full of birds and it was time to make rounds again! Marguerite and Dick Douglass took over the record keeping. Chan processed the birds. Jane, Margaret Donnald and I made rounds, collecting the birds. We processed our last bird at 8 p.m. that night. "Processing" means handing, measuring the wing, looking for fat and weighing each bird that we net. All this information is recorded with date, time and weather. Our North Ocean City station is quite primitive. We have a tarpaulin tied between four trees for protection from sun and rain. A table for the scales, fashioned from an old card table covered with a salvaged metal top from someone's garden table (but without the umbrella) . We have a move- able cardboard box to protect the scales from the wind. Cages axe of all descriptions. Seats, from boxes to stools. Each worker seems to think of something to make the station more comfortable. Banders who have work- ed there before have learned that thick, long-sleeved clothing is necessary for protection from chiggers and mosquitoes. Boots or overshoes to pro- tect the feet are a must! This station has changed since we started banding there seven years ago. Many of the large pine trees have died. Houses and paved streets have been built within a block of our station and this year there was a dredge, noisily pumping sand and muck from the hay back to the beach to replace sand lost in the great storm of last March. Despite all this change, we had our best season, with more birds and more species banded than in any prior year. I think I speak for all the banders who have manned this station when I say that we are very grateful to the many visitors who have been so thoughtful and understanding when we were too busy to even notice them. We want to thank them for their help in keeping records, running 100 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 18, No. k errands and even bringing our lunches, when we were too busy to stop. Gladys H. Cole 625 Valley Lane, Tows on Ocean City Humber 2 "Bird Island" is located in Isle of Wight Bay off Mallard Island subdivision, Ocean City. It is 5*1 miles south of the Worth Ocean City O.R. Station. It has an area of about 2 acres, of which 1 acres are salt marsh and Phragmites and 1 acre is a thicket of Baccharis and Bay- berry. Up to 15 nets were operated in this thicket, which was well sheltered from the wind. The station was operated k days in August and daily during the period Sept. 3-H* No birds from the North Ocean City station were captured, nor did they catch any of ours. The rarer birds banded were Yellow -throated Warbler (Aug. 19), Piping Plover (Sept. 10 ), Savannah Sparrow (Sept. 9), and Lincoln’s Sparrow (Sept. j). The commonest species banded were: Song Sparrow (68), Northern Waterthrush (28), Yellow-breasted Chat (2l), and Baltimore Oriole (2l). David and Margaret Bridge 9811 Wildwood Road, Bethesda THINGS TO DO IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH HELEN B. MILLER AUDUBON NATURE CMP SCHOLARSHIP applicants should apply in writing - to President, Mrs* Edward Pendinhall by Feb. 1. i£62 COUNTY BIRD LISTS b y Jan. 10 to John S. Weske, 30U Main Street, Etna, N.¥. NEST RECORDS for 1962 should be sent immediately to David Bridge, 8A Ridge Rd., Greenbelt. Contact Douglas Hackman if you wish to participate in the WINTER BIRD-POPULATION STUDY at Rock Run Sanctuary, Dec. 20 — Feb. 10. Volunteers needed for the ANNUAL MID- WINTER BALD EAGLE CENSUS for Baltimore, Harford and Cecil Counties on January 1?-13. Contact Douglas Hackman. Rare birds to watch for this winter (followed by closest area where seen before issue went to press); DOVEKIE (Ocean City), COMMON and KING EIDERS (Ocean City), HAWK OWL (upstate New York), HOUSE FINCH (Denton and Washington, D.C.). December 1962 MARYLAND BIRDUFE 101 July, August, September, 1962 Chandler S. Robbins The dry spell that started In mid-April continued into September. Fortunately, Maryland had its coolest July in Itf) years, and August and September also remained below normal in teu 5 >erature--so the net effect of the drought was not so serious as it would otherwise have been. An above-average crop of native fruits, seeds, and nuts was produced, so there is an abundance of food for wintering birds. A freak storm on July 23 brought nearly an inch of rain in 5 minutes to northern Balti- more; the rain was accompanied by 70 m.p.h. winds which, in combination with the flash flooding, must have destroyed many late nests in the affected area. Migration Table . Table 1 contains a summary of first fall arrival dates as reported from those counties that had the most active observers. The principal contributors to the table were as follows: Allegany Coun- ty- -Anderson J. Martin; Washington and Frederick- -Alice Mallonee, William Sbirey, Fritz Scheider; Balti more City and County — C. Douglas Hackman, Mrs. Richard D. Cole, Mel Garland, Mrs. Robert E. Kaestner, Bank Kaest- ner; Harfo rd County- -C. Douglas Hackman, Mel Garland; Howa rd- -Mrs. Harry B. Rauth, Morris Coll Ins; Prince Georges — Vernon Kleen, Melvin Kleen, David Bridge, John Fales, Chandler Robbins; Anne Arundel- -Mrs . W. L . Henderson, Mrs. ELise Tappan, Harold Wierenga, Prof, and Mrs. David Howard; Southern Md. (St. Marys Co. except for 6 Calvert Co. dates marked *)- -Vernon Kleen, John Fales; Kent- -Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mendinhall, Geryl Gardner, Mr. and Mrs. Sam McSorley; Caro line— Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Fletcher, Marvin Hewitt, Carol Sc udder, Alicia Knotts, Talbo t — Jan Reese, Richard L. Kleen; Worce ster — Mrs. Richard D. Cole, Samuel H. I)yke, Jim Meade, Mrs. Herbert Church, Chandler Robbins, Mr. and Mrs. George Ballentine, Mrs. Aldridge Pepper, Mrs. Bradley Fisk. Record-breaking dates and counts in the following paragraphs are underscored. Petrels , Cormorants . In the September issue ( Maryland Blrdlife lB: 7l) Dyke described the northward flight of Wilson’s Petrels along the Maryland coast during the easterly storm of June 30 — July 1. On Aug. U, without benefit of a storm. Dr. Fritz Scheider counted 30 Wilson's Petrels at Ocean City. Although this breeding bird of the southern hem- isphere regularly spends its non-breeding season summering off our coast, 102 MARYLAND KERDLIFE Vol. 18, Ho. 4 Table 1. Fall Arrival Dates, 1962 Alle Wa&F Balt Harf Howd Pr.G Anne SoMd Kent Caro Talb Wore Double- cr. Cormorant 9/ 8 8/25 9/ 8* 9/ 6 9/ 4 Common Egret 7/10 8/ 7 8/19 7/ 8 Canada Goose 9/23 9/ 7 9/ 3 9/19 10/ 9 Broad-winged Hawk 8/18 9/ 6 8/24 9/ 8 9/ 6 9/ 3 Bald Eagle 9/ 6 8/24 9/20 9/19 11/19 0/ 9 Solitary Sandpiper “W 7/15 “B73T “8/19“ Tyn Greater Yellowlegs 7/29 7/30 8/20 8/31 8/ 7 8/ 9 Lesser Yellowlegs 8/ 9 8/21 8/31 8/19 8/ 9 Pectoral Sandpiper 9/ 3 8/ 9 8/19 8/ 9 Least Sandpiper 7/30 7/ 4 7/12 7/ 7 Semlpalmated Sandpiper 7730- 8/ 9 “8719^ 7/22 Western Sandpiper 7/30 7/17 8/19 7/22 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 9/ 6 8/31 8/10 9/ 6 8/10 8/22* 8/11 9 / 6 8/19 Common Nighthawk 8/28 8/19 8/21 8/ 9 8/27 9/ 6 9/ 5 Red-headed Woodpecker 9/22 9/29 9/29 9/15 Yellow-be 11 . Sapsucker 10 / 9 10/ S ~9lW "9728” 9/30 ^/l^ 9/12 Yellow-bell . Flycatcher 9/ 4 8/20 8/18 7/31 9/ 4 9/ 1 Least Flycatcher 8/21 8/ 9 8/22 8/18 9/ 1 Tree Swallow 9/ 5 8/16 9/20 7/12 9/30 7/23 Blue Jay 10 / 6 9/16 9/15 9/16 9/ l 9 / S 9/ 5 9/28 9/13 Brown Creeper 9/29 10/20 9/T 9/2BT 9/29 9/ 5 9/ 3 9JW ~97l5 Winter Wren 10/18 10/13 10/13 10/14 10/ 6 9/28 Hermit Thrush 10/30 10 / 7 10/13 10/18 10/13 9/26 10/ 8 9/30 Swainson's Thrush 9/ 9 9/ 3 9/ 6 9/15 9/22 9/ 5 8/22 9/ 8 9t; 3 9/ 2 Gray- cheeked Thrush 9/ 5 9/ 9 9/l Q 9/13 9/13 9/15 9/15 9/lf Veery 8/23 8/22 8/23 ~9/iJT 8/22 8/24 9/ 1 9TS Golden- crowned Kinglet 10 / 2 10 / 2 10 / 7 10 / 14 10 / 5 10/13 10 / 8 9/30 9/24 Ruby- crowned Kinglet 10/ 2 9/29 9/23 9/15 9/27 9/ 4 9/24 9/17 9/14 Cedar Waxwing 9/15 9/ 1 9/13 9/28 8/25* 8/11 9/22 9/ 1 8/30 Solitary Vireo 9/26 10/ 6 ?/24 9/22 9/21 Black- &- white Warbler 9/2 8/21 8/ii “W 8/31 "87iT ITT 1710 " 8/20 9H- Golden-winged Warbler 8/29 8/19 9/14 9/16 9/19 Blue -winged Warbler 8/ 4 8/12 8/15 9/ 4 9/13 Tennessee Warbler 9/ 4 9/14 9/ 3 8/21 9/ 3 Nashville Warbler 9/ 8 9/ 6 9/14 9/3-5 9/21 9/ 7 9/16 9/7 Magnolia Warbler 9/ 5 9/ 8 8/22 9/ 3 9/^ " 9715 “ 8/31 “B/IT TV3T 9/13 9/ 3 Cape May Warbler 9/ 4 9/15 9/ 9 9/ 3 9/24 9/ 1 9/ 3 8/24 Black- thr. Blue Warbler 9/ 7 9/ 2 9/ 3 8/23 9/ 3 9/ 1 %rtle Warbler 9/ 8 9/15 10/12 9/21 10/11 10 / 13 * 8/31 9/14 9/29 9/24 Blk.- thr. Green Warbler 9/ 8 9/15 9/ 2 9/ 3 9/15 9/22 9/20 9/22 9/29 9/ f Blackburnian Warbler 9/ir 8/22 ww 9A^ 9/22" -8722* 1/5 Chestnut-sided Warbler 8/18 9/15 9/ 9 9/ 5 9/15 8/30 9/ 6 9/ 7 9/15 9/ 3 Bay-breasted Warbler 9 / 4 9/14 9/14 9/24 9/22 9/ 8 9/13 9/ 3 9/13 Blackpoll Warbler 9/30 9/15 9/ 8 9/21 9/26 8/31 9/ 3 9/ 6 Palm Warbler 9/24 9/20 9/20 9/ 7 9/12 Overibird 9JW “5/ir ■87TT 9/ii" 8/18 9/1 Northern Waterthrush 9/16 9/ 4 8/ 9 9/26 9/22 8/13 8/ 3 9/12 9/ 3 7/21 Connecticut Warbler 9/15 9/13 9/22 9/ 7 Mourning Warbler 8/22 8/13 9/21 9/ 4 Yellowthroat 8/ 1 ? 9/11 9/ 5 9/ 3 9/ 1 Wilson's Warbler “B730" “ 9 /iT ^/3TT 9/ 1 w "9/rT “97T 9/6 Canada Warbler 8/18 9/ 8 9 / 7 8/ 2 8/17 9/15 8/ 8 8/ 8 9/ 1 8/12 8/18 American Redstart 8/14 8/ 8 8 / 9 8/19 8/31 9/ 3* 8/22 8/22 8/20 8/18 Bobolink 8/24 8/29 9/n 9/ 5 9/ 8 8/19 8/18 Baltimore Oriole 8/19 9/ 1 8/27 8/15 8/26 9/ 5 8/24 8/18 9/ 3 8/1? Scarlet Tanager “9/2" 8/28 ' 9/11 ''9/T 9 / 1 Rose -breasted Grosbeak 9/12 9/19 9/15 9/15 9/13 9/13 9/15 9/ 7 Indigo Bunting 10/ 3 9/11 9/20 9/29 9/29 9/ 8 Purple Finch 9/15 9/29 n/10 10/30 11/15 Savannah Sparrow 9/16 9/13 9/30 9/ 5 9 / 9 Slate-colored Junco 10/18 10/ 8 10 / 5 10/16 10/14 10/14 10/11 10/13* w 9/17 10/ 6 10/ 2 White- crowned Sparrow 10 / 1 10 / 3 10 / 2 10 / 2 10/ 8 10/ 6 White -throated Sparrow 9/25 9/29 9/1 6 9/21 9/2 6 9/26 9/19 8/28 9/17 9/13 Lincoln's Sparrow 10/28 10/13 9/19 9/15 9/ 7 Swamp Sparrow 9/2 9 10/ 6 9/28 8/ 9 9/ 6 10/ 7 9/22 December 1962 MARYLAND BXRDLTFE this is the first time it has been reported seen from the Maryland shore in three consecutive months. The first Double- crested Cormorant away from the coast was identified at Gibson Island on Aug. 25 by Mrs. Elise Tappan and Mrs. W. L. Henderson. The first one was seen flying over Rock Run Sanctuary in Harford County on Sept. 8 by Dr. and Mrs. Turner Smith; on the next day 3 were noted flying down the Susquehanna River by Douglas Hackman. Herons and Ibis . In marked contrast to last spring, the only Cattle Egrets reported were in the vicinity of their nesting colony at the upper end of Chincoteague Bay, where nesting was highly successful again this year (Bridge and others). The Snowy Egret was the commonest heron at Sandy Point in late July and early August, with a high count of 21 on Aug'. 5 (Harold Wierenga). The only Snowy away from the Coastal Plain was seen at Rock Run landing on the Susquehanna on July 29 (C. Douglas Hackman). On Aug. 1, Assistant Refuge Manager John C. Fields counted 17 Glossy Ibis at the new Glenn L. Martin National Wildlife Refuge on Smith Island In Somerset County; on May 3£ he had found 5 nests of this species, each with very small young. This is the first nesting record of the Glossy Ibis in Somerset County. The last Glossy Ibis was seen at Ocean City on Sept . 6 (Robbins). Waterfowl . The Mute Swan that had been seen near Royal Oak dis- appeared in the spring, but returned on Sept. 30. A pair of released Mute Swans raised 3 cygnets near Tunis Mills (Jan Reese). A male Ruddy Duck summered at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (F. M. Uhler and others)- -the first summer vagrant away from tidewater. As early as Aug . 31, Douglas Hackman counted 207 American Widgeon and 23 Blue-winged Teal migrating down the Susquehanna River near Rock Run Sanctuary . Four days later at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge below Cambridge, Dr. Fritz Scheider saw 2 Gadwalls, 3 American Widgeon, 12 Pintails and 25 Green- winged Teal in addition to the species that nest on the Refuge. White- winged Scoters were observed on Eastern Bay as early as Sept. 3 (Robert Smith), and a flock of 60 Surf Scoters was seen at Ocean City on Sept . 7 (Robbins). The only exceptionally early Canada Geese were 4 seen at Gibson Island on Sept . 7 (Mrs. Tappan and Mrs. Henderson), and a Sept . 3 report from Kent County (Mendinhall) . Hawks . For the first time since the Hendersons moved to Gibson Is- land In 1939 t no Ospreys nested there. Sparrow Hawks (2) were migrating as early as Aug. 5 in Talbot County (Reese) and Aug . 8 at Rock Run Sanc- tuary (Hackman) . The next migrants were 6 Broad-winged Hawks over Rock Run on Aug. 24. Since most of the Bald Eagles reported were early f all migrants, they are included in Table 1. The only additional Bald Eagles noted were an immature at Rock Run on Sept. 6, and an adult at Black- water Refuge on Sept. 4 and an adult at Salisbury on Sept. 19. Dyke found an early adult Golden Eagle at, Schumaker Pond, Salisbury, oh Sept. 24. The best Broad-wing flight occurred on Sept. 20 when, despite attending classes at Towson State Teachers College from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Hackman counted 965 Broad-wings at White Marsh and 101 at Towson. At 5 P*m. on the same day, Betsy Schaffer saw an estimated 200 Broad- wings in a few minutes over College Park. 104 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. l8, No. 4 Sandpipers . Although the Upland Plover migration starts early in July, the majority of transients each fall are reported from the Ocean City area during the first half of September when the Operation Recovery handing station requires that observers be afield each evening at dusk; this is the best time of day to hear Upland Plovers as they call during migration. Eight individuals were still on their Frederick Valley nest- ing grounds on July 7 (Scheider). The first transient was noted at the Patuxent Naval Air Station .on July 30 (Vernon Kleen). One that associ- ated with Black-bellied Plovers in a meadow on Tilghman’s Island, Sept. 1-5, provided the first record of the Upland Plover for Talbot County (Reese and Harry Armistead). For the second time Vernon Kleen found Buff -breasted Sandpipers at the Patuxent Naval Air Station: 2 birds on Aug. 23. By visiting Sandy Point State Park every few days from July 30 through Sept. 24 , Harold Wierenga recorded 18 species of shorebirds and 10 species of gulls and terns there. His most interesting findB were 10 Willets on July 30, a White-rumped Sandpiper on Sept. 4-5, a Baird's Sandpiper on Sept. 18 , and a Marbled Godwit on Aug. 1. Another Baird's Sandpiper was seen at Ocean City on Sept . 27 (Mrs . Bradley Fisk, Mrs . Richard D. Cole, Robbins). In the drained bed of Schumaker Pond near Salisbury, Sam Dyke identified 13 species of shorebirds from Aug. 20 to Oct. 1. His prize discovery was a Wilson’s Phalarope on Aug. 2 6 . Two Wbimbrels were discovered at Hillsmere Shores south of Annapolis on Sept. 24 and one remained through Oct . 6 , which is 11 days past the latest Maryland departure record (Mr. and Mrs. Carl Long). Gulls and Terns . At the biggest Herring Gull colony yet reported in Maryland, John C. Fields estimated 50 nests with eggs on the sand bars in Fog Point Cove, Smith Island, on May 21; there was no evidence of young birds on July 5 j so it is likely that the nests were washed out by high water. The Great Black-backed Gull continues to increase as a transient and winter resident in Maryland in line with the expansion of its nesting range in the Northeast. Mrs. Henderson reported the largest number of summer records she has ever had at Gibson Island; the first bird was seen as early as July 25* There were 10 Great Black-backs at Sandy Point by Aug. 1 6 (Prof. Wierenga), and 10 in Talbot County on Aug. 26 (Reese). Royal Terns wandered up the Chesapeake as far as Gibson Island ( 8 th and 9th records, Aug. 2, Sept. 4- -Mrs. Henderson, Mrs. Tappan) and Talbot County (Aug. 5 > Sept. 7- -Reese). Cuckoos , Hummingbirds . The beginning of the fall movement of Yellow- billed Cuckoos was well documented by the Operation Recovery stations (see Table l). The fall arrival of Black-billed Cuckoos is more easily de- tected because this species nests only uncommonly in central and eastern Maryland. The phenomenal total of 29 Ruby- throated Hummingbirds was banded at Rock Run Sanctuary, Aug. 19--Sept. l 6 (Hackman, Garland, Mrs. Cole). Woodpeckers . The first breeding record for the Pileated Woodpecker in Howard County was obtained by James H. Williams, who watched adults feeding young in the Hollofield section of Patapsco State Park this sum- mer. Over in Talbot County, Chris Clark observed a Pileated in St. Michaels District on Aug. l 6 ; only 1 of Talbot's 6 districts still lacks December 1962 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 105 a Plleated record. A decade ago the Pileated was a very rare bird in Talbot County . Mrs . Herbert Church banded a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Ocean City on the record-breaking date of Sept . 12 . Song Birds (general). Never before has the fall migration of pass- erine species been so well recorded in Maryland. This was largely a result of the intensive daily banding at Rock Run, Towson, Chestertown and Ocean City, plus the shorter term Operation Recovery stations at Laurel-Beltsville, Patuxent Naval Air Station, and Denton. When enough birds are banded on the same day at several of these stations, the data form a pattern from which we can learn a great deal about the inportant part that weather conditions play in bird migration. The day-to-day changes in abundance of migrants can be correlated with a combination of temperature, wind, and sky condition records, as these factors have a bearing on the number of birds that will set out on long migratory trips. Once the birds are airborne, they are adrift in a vast sea of air and, like a swimmer, may be carried offshore by strong currents; this is es- pecially true of nocturnal migrants or of diurnal migrants whose vision of landmarks may be obscured by clouds or fog. We know that the passage of cold fronts in fall provides a combina- tion of conditions conducive to southward migration. So let us examine some of the results of the six cold fronts that passed through Maryland during the month of September. The date and approximate time of passage of the cold front over Maryland is shown in the first column. Then for the next two days we have the surface wind conditions at Salisbury as recorded at 1 a.m. Standard Time, followed by an index value to repre- sent new birds banded at each of the O.R. stations that were in operation on that date. The index value at each station is 100 on the best banding day in September at that station, and is proportionately less for the other days. In this way, comparisons can be made between stations as well as between dates. The Rock Run, Chestertown, and Ocean City figures have been adjusted for daily variations in number of net-hours of opera- tion. Since most of the Rock Run birds are captured in the early morning this adjustment tends to make the index too high on days such as Sept. 4 and 15, when nets were operated only part of the day. One thing the cold fronts have in common is that at one or more stations a good flight occurred on either the first or second day after frontal passage. This point is brought out more clearly if we compare Table 2 with a day such as Sept. 8, the third day after cold frontal passage; the wind was calm during the night. On the 8th, Chestertown had an index of 29 and Ocean City had an index of 7* The Ocean City index tends to he high when winds during the night are from the NW, N, or NNE, and low when from the NE, E or SE. The Chestertown index tends to be higher after a NE wind than after a NW wind. The effect of even light winds in shifting the geographical posi- tion of migrants is illustrated by the variable results after "calm" nights. Any wind speed of 2 knots or less at the time of observation is charted as ’’calm. , ' Actually prevailing winds along the Maryland coast on Sept. 4 and 22 were from an easterly quadrant, causing migrants to drift inland; this explains the low Ocean City indices on these two dates 10 6 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 18, No, 4 Table 2. Banding activity on first two days after cold frontal passage Cold Front Passage Banding Date Wind Tows on Rock Run Chestertown Ocean City Sept. 2, noon Sept. 3 NE 5 100 37 6o 6 Sept . 4 calm 78 100 68 7 Sept. 5> p.m. Sept . 6 N 10 26 — 4o 11 Sept , 7 calm — 34 52 23 Sept. 11, a.m. Sept. 12 NNW 5 19 68 Sept, 13 calm 57 -- 81 100 Sept. 14, noon Sept . 15 NNW 5 74 37 43 Sept . 16 calm -- 46 81 43 Sept. l8, p.m. Sept. 19 calm __ __ 6 33 Sept . 20 calm 26 -- 35 18 Sent. 20, p.m. Sept. 21 NNE 10 57 92 80 Sept . 22 calm -- 44 46 13 On Sept. 2 and Sept. 16, Dick ; Kleen noted an exceptionally heavy in- flux of birds at the strategically located Black Walnut Point where the southwestern tip of Talbot County juts out into Chesapeake Bay. On the l6th he counted 70 Yellow- shafted Flickers, 88 House Wrens, 50 Swainson's Thrushes, 64 Black-and-white Warblers, 6l Magnolia Warblers, 43 Oven- birds, and 153 American Redstarts. The warblers were all within the boundaries of ' the proposed 58-acre refuge . All of these counts were higher than the banding totals of these species at any of the O.R. sta- tions on that date — which emphasizes the importance of establishing a banding station at Black Walnut Point. Unfortunately, no comparable counts are available for other September dates at this point. Flycatchers . The only Western Kingbirds of this period were single birds at Tilghman on Sept. 15 (R. L. Kleen) and the Ocean City banding station on Sept. 30* Empidonax flycatchers figured prominently in the August and September banding records . A Least Flycatcher was banded at Rock Run as early as Aug . 9 (Garland), and another near Chestertown on Aug . 18 (Mrs. Edward Mendinhall). Even earlier were record-breaking Yellow-bellied Flycatchers banded at Patuxent Research Center on July 24 (Bridge) and Patuxent Naval Air Station on July 31 (V. Kleen). At Ocean City, 10 Yellow-bellied, l8 Traill’s, and 30 Least Flycatchers were banded in September. An Olive-sided Flycatcher banded at Ocean City on Sept . 30 is the latest on record for the Eastern Shore (Capt. and Mrs. J.E.M. Wood) Jays , Nuthatches , Creepers . Except for an estimate of 40 at Gibson Island on Sept. 5> Blue Jays were late in arriving from the north and numbers of migrants were below average; this can be accounted for by the excellent mast crop to the north of us. Nuthatches also were scarce throughout the period. On the Eastern Shore not a single White-breasted December 1962 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE 107 Nuthatch was found outside of its few nesting areas. No Maryland county reported more than 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, and most had none. Brown Creepers on the other hand, began arriving exceptionally early: 1 at Denton on Sept . 3 (Alicia Knotts) and 1 banded at Damsite near Chester- town on Sept ■ 5 "(Mrs ■ Mendinhall ) . Thrushes , Kinglpts , Vireos. A very early Swainson's Thrush was banded near Chestertown on Aug. 22 (Mrs. Mendinhall). The Sept . 4 flight deposited a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Gibson Island, tying the State record (Mrs. Henderson, Mrs. Tappan). Twenty individuals of the secre- tive Philadelphia Vireo were banded at Ocean City in September, with a maximum of 6 on the 13th. The Warbling Vireo, which is even scarcer than the Philadelphia in fall migration through Maryland, was represented by 4 banded birds this season: 3^ at Ocean City on Sept. 12 (Robbins) and 1 at Rock Run on Sept. 22 (Hackman). We find only one previous banding record for this species in Maryland. Warblers . Warblers formed the core of the Operation Recovery band- ings. All Maryland species except the Swainson’s and Orange -crowned were banded in August-September and the total for all warblers surpassed 2200. On the flight of Sept. 12-13, the following record-breaking one- day banding totals were obtained at Ocean City: 15 Magnolias, 19 Con- necticuts, 2 6 Yellow-breasted Chats, and 7 Canada Warblers on the 12th, and 2 Blue-wings, 3 BLackburnians , 6 Bay-breasts, 39 Ovenbirds, 22 Northern Waterthrushes, 2 Mourning Warblers, and 2£T~ Yellowthroats on the 13th. Thanks to daily operation at Patuxent Naval Air Station, Towson, and Chestertown throughout August, plus weekend operation at Ocean City in August for the first time, the beginning of the fall migration of most of the summer resident warblers could be detected. Many of the regional record-breaking arrival dates are the result of extra fine coverage rather than abnormalities in the timing of migration. Except when otherwise specified, the following dates represent banded birds: Blue-winged Warbler, Aug . 4, and Brewster’s hybrid, Aug . 3_ (first Maryland fall record), both at Rock Run (Garland); Magnolia Warbler, Aug . 15 at Patuxent N.A.S. (earliest State arrival record, V. Kleen) and Aug . 18 at Ocean City (Bridge and Mrs. William R. Riedel); Cape May, Aug . 24 in Worcester County (seen by Dyke); Black- throated Blue, Aug. 23 near Ches- tertown (Mrs. Mendinhall); Blackpoll, Aug . 31 near Chestertown (State record, Mrs. Mendinhall), Sept . 3, seen in Talbot County, Sept. 6 at Ocean City (Jim Meade); Northern Waterthrush, July 21 seen at Ocean City (State record, Scheider); Connecticut Warbler, Sept . 7 at Ocean City (Mr. and Mrs. George Ballentine); Mourning Warbler, Aug . 13 at Rock Run (State record. Garland); and Canada Warbler, Aug . 2 at Rock Run (State record. Garland) . Although most discussion of fall departure dates can be covered more appropriately in the next report, a few species that depart in August or September should be mentioned here. The last date for the Louisiana Waterthrush was Aug. 19 at Rock Run (Garland). A Yellow- throated Warbler was banded at Ocean City on Aug. 19 (Bridge) and another was seen at the very northern limit of its range at Rock Run Sanctuary on Sept. 9 (Hackman). Another late record for the northern part of the State was provided by a Prothonotary Warbler seen at Rock Run on Sept. 23 (Hackman). Until this fall the largest number of Biue -winged Warblers 108 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. 18, No. 4 reported seen in one day during the fall migration was 4 ; but at Rock Run Sanctuary Mel Garland identified 6 on Aug. 9 end X on Aug. 10. Managers , Grosbeaks . Scarlet Tanagers and Rose -breasted Grosbeaks passed through in two big waveB, Sept. 12-13 and Sept. 21. Seventy per cent of the 136 September tanagers and grosbeaks at Ocean City were banded on these three days. Records for high counts in fall were shat- tered as follows: 1J Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at Ocean City on Sept. 13, and 21 Scarlet Tanagers at Ocean City and 2£ Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in Talbot County on Sept. 21. Sparrows . For more than a decade no one checked the Green Ridge nesting "colony" of Bachman's Sparrows in Allegany County. On July 7, Fritz Scheider, McClure Johnson, and Carl Carlson investigated this area and found 3 adults and a young bird. In the only other known nesting ground for the Bachman's in Maryland, only one singing adult was found this summer (near Beltsville, Brooke Meanley). Early Savannah Sparrows were identified in Talbot County on Sept . 5 (3 fey Jan Reese) and at Ocean City on Sept . 9 (banded by Bridge and Miss Riedel). Three banding records demonstrated the beginning of the fall migration of the Grass- hopper Sparrow; one was banded at Denton on Sept . 24 (Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Fletcher), one at Ocean City on Sept . 28 (Mrs. FiskJ, and one at Rock Run on Sept . 30 (Hackman). Except for a very early Slate-colored Junco at Concord on Sept. 17 (Carol Scudder) and one at Damsite on the 27th (Mrs. Mendlnhall), this species did not reach Maryland until October. White -throated Sparrows, on the other hand, were present in almost all counties in September; except for an extraordinary Aug . 28 date at Denton (Alicia Knotts), the first arrivals were on Sept. 13 at Ocean City (Mrs. Herbert Church), Sept . l6 at Rock Run (Hackman), and Sept . 17 in Talbot County (Reese). More Lincoln's Sparrows were reported than in any pre- vious fall migration. Although none had been banded in the first seven years of Operation Recovery at Ocean City, l4 were captured there in September 1962. David Bridge banded the first one there on the record- breaking date of Sept . 7, &ud as many as 4 were netted on the Sept. 21 wave. At Black Walnut Point, Dick Kleen added the Lincoln’s Sparrow to the rapidly growing list of Talbot County birds on Sept. 15 . Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, laurel A NOTE ON THE AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER Robert W. Warfield On July 29, 1962 , I discovered an adult American Oystercatcher ( Haematopus palliatus ) on a mudflat about three miles northwest of Ocean City, Maryland. While many previous sightings of oystercatcher* have been made in the Ocean City area, it appears that the great majority have been either at Ocean City or south of there on Assateague Island or some of the small islands in Sinepuxent or Chincoteague Bays (Stewart and Robbins, December 1962 MARYLAND B-LKDL1FE 109 1958 and Bridge and Weske, 1961). It Is well established that this spe- cies breeds in small numbers on several of these small islands (Bridge and We she, 1961) and in larger numbers farther south along the Virginia coast. Thus, this sighting north of Ocean City is interesting, but not highly significant . However, of considerable interest to me was the almost total lack of fear shown by this bird. Many observers have commented on the wary nature of this shorebird and of its tendency to select inaccessible locations. Bent (1929) comments "It is one of the shyest and wildest of our shore- birds, ever on the alert to escape from danger." I observed this bird, through 8x35 binoculars, for about two hours at a distance of about 250 feet. The mudflat was separated from the mainland by about 200 feet of shallow water and I stood on the mainland in plain view. At no time did the oystercatcher take any notice of ny presence ‘or cry out in any manner. Instead It walked slowly around the mudflat, sometimes preening, occasion- ally probing the sand with its long bill, and once swimming for a short time. Once it flew to within about- seventy- five feet of where I was standing, circled around and landed on the mainland about 150 feet from me and waded for a brief time before returning to the offshore mudflat. The bird appeared to be in excellent condition and there does not seem to be any apparent cause for its unusual tameness . literature Cited Bent, A. C. life Histories of North American Shore Birds. U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull . 1 k6, pp. 309-316 (1929). Bridge, D., and J. S. Weske. Breeding birds on Maryland's Coastal Is- lands. . Maryland Birdlife 17: 3 (1961). Stewart, R. E., and C. S. Robbins. Birds of Maryland and the District of Columbia. N. A. Fauna 62: 13^ (1958). R. F. D. #1, Hereford Hills, Germantown AN ABERRANT SLATE- COLORED JUNCO C, Douglas Hackman On April 7, 1961, during a spring banding study at Rock Run Sanc- tuary, an aberrant Slate-colored Junto ( Junco hy emails ) was captured and banded. Since the bird was captured late in the evening, it was kept over night which enabled Dr. Turner Smith of the Harford County Bird Club to obtain several excellent photographs. This bird was quite striking in appearance. Only the primary and secondary flight feathers were colored normally. The rest of the bird’s feathers were snowy white with a few dark featherB here and there. The bird's iris was abnormally dark (almost black as compared with a deep vine- colored eye for normal adult j uncos ), but the feet and bill were normal. The wing measurement was in the upper range for Slate- colored, Juncos, at 81 mm., and the bird was probably a male. 110 MARYLAND BIKDLTFE Yol. 18, Ho. k While being handled the Junco was very calm and docile. Unlike most juncos, this bird did not flutter or act nervous and, In fact, did not seem to mind being handled. Not once during its captivity did the bird twitter or make any sound. There was no reaction from the bird when the bright flash of the camera went off. In flight this junco was an ex- tremely attractive bird. The white wing coverts flashed brightly in the sun and contrasted markedly with the gray flight feathers and tail. The bird's appearance made one wish that all J uncos looked that way — then, of course, instead of searching for white juncos, we would seek dili- gently for gray ones. When released, the Junco flew to a small tree a short distance away. Almost immediately a Carolina Chickadee that had been eating at one of the nearby feeders became interested in this odd- looking stranger and moved in for a closer look. The closer the chickadee came the more ex- cited it became. Finally, after the chickadee had hopped all around the Junco, fussing all the while, the junco took flight. By this time the chickadee had become thoroughly aroused and it noisily took up pursuit. The chickadee was seen to make several scolding passes at the Junco be- fore they both disappeared into the underbrush , Lilac Lane, Perry Hall A NEW HERONRY OF GREAT BLUES Robert Sharp II We had planned on two canoes, but the pre-dawn was wild with wind and the other two paddles cancelled out by 'phone. This was the morning of Sunday, June 2 k, 1962. Our object was exercise and sightseeing. Canoeing provides this in an unbeatable fashion, so we left Barren Creek Mill in two cars, parking one at our destination, the last bridge over Nassavango Creek before it empties into the Pocomoke River in Worcester County, Maryland. Then we drove to the ruins of the Nassavango furnace, just s*uth of Maryland Route 12 . Our put-in was a pleasing estuary fairly teeming with Prothonotary Warblers. At the first bend, the waterway narrowed and we met our first portage. From there to the next bridge, a distance of perhaps two miles, we floundered through black muck twenty- seven more times, carrying the canoe probably a greater distance than it floated us. Midway in our exertions a strongly unpleasant odor came upon us, quite different from the gaseous and alluvial smells released by the mud as we went through it. At the same time we became aware of strange cries December 1962 MARYLAND BIEDLIPE 111 and croaks sifting through the forest of cypress and pine. What grisly activity had we come upon? Leaving the canoe (we very nearly didn't find it again, so serpentine was the creek and so difficult the footing) we followed our noses — the sounds were more elusive — until we stood under a stand of huge pines in the tops of which teetered pterodactyls. No, a colony of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias ) in an area where we never expected them. Upon completion of our s log- and-paddle trip, we hurried hack to the Salisbury airport, trundled out the Champ, and took off to retrace our course by air. Sure enough, there was the heronry, fifteen nests, give or take a couple , with immature s and adults much in evidence and obviously objecting to our 20th century- type intrusion. Stern paddle, canoe, of Mardela Springs. and aeroplane were courtesy of Joseph Whitehill Easton WHAT DO CALIFORNIA 'CROWNED' SPARROWS DO IN MARYLAND? L. Richard Mewaldt Migratory White- crowned Sparrows ( Zonotrichia leucophrys ) of the races pugetensis and gambelii and Golden- crowned Sparrows ( Zonotrichia atricapjila ) winter in considerable numbers at San Jose in central western California. They nest from northern Washington to above the Arctic Circle in Alaska. Atypical of the genus Zonotrichia , they generally return to their winter range with great fidelity. In the vicinity of our banding station in San Jose we have several hundred 'crowned' sparrows spending the months from September to April. Each year from 25 to 40 percent of the birds are banded survivors from previous winters. During the winter of 1961-62 we air- shipped 4l6 'crowned' sparrows the 1800 air- line miles to Dr. Robert J. Newman at Baton Rouge, Louisiana . He released them on the east hank of the Mississippi River. By December 1, 1962 we had recaptured at San Jose sixteen of the birds (l 2 White -crowns and 4 Golden- crowns) released at Baton Rouge. We expect quite a number of others will check in at our banding station before spring. The num- bers of birds returning, of those which normally survive from one year to the next, make it highly unlikely that they returned by random search. Their return to the West Coast over forests, plains, mountains, and deserts strongly implies use of bi-coordinate navigation. Of special interest is one Puget Sound White -crowned Sparrow we banded as an adult on March 12, 1957* He returned each winter since 1957 and we included him in the shipment released at Baton Rouge on April 14, 1962. On June 2k he returned to San Jose, fat and in breeding condi- tion but about 1000 miles short of his nesting grounds . He disappeared immediately upon release and did not return until October 27. On October 30 he was one of 102 birds released by Chandler S. Robbins at Laurel. Will he return to San Jose before spring? 112 MARYLAND BXKDLIFE Yol. l8, No. k To extend, our knowledge, we have this fall shipped thirteen of the returned Baton Rouge birds and 338 more to Mr. Robbins. He has released these 305 White-crowns and k6 Golden- crowns in three batches (Oct. 30, Nov. 15 and Nov. 27) at the Migratory- Bird Populations Station at Laurel, Maryland. Information on dispersal of the released birds is of great impor- tance. Ted Van Velzen and several others at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center have already recaptured scores of the birds and are accumulating valu- able data especially on individuals that have been reluctant to disperse more than one or two miles . I hypo- thesize that some of these reluctant birds will return to Patuxent in the fall of 1963 . A Golden- crown captured in laurel by Glenn Austin is the only one reported away from Patuxent as of Dec. 10. We are very anxious to learn of birds that have left the vicinity of Laurel. Each bird carries a dis- tinctive color band in addition to its Fish and Wildlife Service numbered band, so they can be recognized easily in the field. Some have without doubt dispersed some distance, perhaps even hundreds of miles, from Laurel al- ready. Others may not leave the vicinity of Laurel until spring. This adult Golden- crowned Sparrow returned from Baton Rouge to San Jose on Nov. 11. It was released at Laurel, Nov. 15- Photo by CSR Should you see one of these birds, we would greatly appreciate all details as soon as possible. Please communicate such information to Mr. Robbins at Laurel, or to me. Additional releases will be made at Laurel during the winter and especially in March and April of 1963 * San Jose State College, San Jose, Calif. BLACK- CAPPED CHICKADEES SUMMERING AT ROCK RUN SANCTUARY C. Douglas Hackman This summer, while taking the Breeding Bird Census on the study area of the Sanctuary, I thought I heard Black- capped Chickadees ( Par us atrl - capillus ) calling on several occasions. Each time, however, the calling birds were quite distant and the calls were of short duration. All at- tempts to get closer to these birds in order to hear the calls more clearly and, perhaps, see the birds were unsuccessful. Since there was nothing positive about this observation I could do little more than won- der if the birds had been Black- caps. Several weeks later Betsy Schaffer, who had been working as a coun- sellor at the Camp Shadowbrook Girl Scout Camp in Cecil County, announced December 1962 MARYLAND BIEDLIFE 113 that she had definitely seen several Black-capped Chickadees there. She had seen her birds regularly through the course of the summer. With this information at hand, a special effort was made to locate the suspected Rock Run Black- caps — but with no success. On August 1 , 1962 , Mel Garland began running the Rock Run Operation Recovery Station. One of the first birds he captured was a chickadee with band number 102 - 12503 . The wing on this bird was a very long 69 mm. and its weight was a very heavy 12.8 grams. From the wing measurement and the weight Mel immediately knew he had a Black- capped Chickadee. Carolina Chickadees ( Par us carolinensis ) rarely have wings over 65 mm. in length and seldom weigh more than 10 grams. This bird had taken part in the large Black- cap invasion of Maryland during the fall and early winter of 1961 and had been banded at Rock Run on November 11 , 1961. It had been one of the more than twenty- five Black- caps banded at Rock Run Sanctuary between October 1961 and April 1962. It is interesting to note that the last Black- cap seen on the Sanctuary prior to this bird's capture had been one observed on May 7 > 19 ^ 2 . There are two possible explanations for this bird’s presence at Rock Run: (l) it may have been a straggler from the large invasion of the previous winter, or ( 2 ) it may have nested in Harford County. If the case is the former, the bird was simply a summer vagrant. If, however, the bird did breed in Harford (or in nearby Cecil County) then it repre- sents quite an extension of the previously known breeding range of the Black- capped Chickadee. It Is entirely possible that Black- capped Chickadees have bred for years, completely undetected, in certain areas in either Cecil or Harford County. Mary areas in these two counties have not had extensive coverage during the past 10 or 15 years. During the next several years, with proper coverage, it should not be too difficult to locate and positively Identify summer resident Black- capped Chickadees If they are present. Many other species of birds have been gradually extending their ranges and it is not unreasonable for a bird like the Black- cap to do so as well. Lilac Lane, Perry Hall MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING A special nesting of the membership of the Maryland Ornithological Society, Die,, was called by the President to consider the purchase of a farm located in Garrett County about six miles from Frostburg, Md., to be used as a Sanctuary for the Society* The meeting was called to order at 11*15 A. M. on Nov* 2iith, at Qylburn Mansion, It was determined that a quorum was present which is at least 10* of the voting membership of the entire Society* Mrs, "Billie* Taylor gave a general description of the 52*3 acre 114 MARYLAND BXRDLIFE Yol. 18, No. 4 farm and stated that It could be obtained at a price of $4000.00. Copy of description to be Bade a part of these ainutes. The President , grs. Edvard Mendinhall, told the assembly that she had received an anonymous gift of $2000*00 to be used towards the purchase of this Sanctuary for M. 0. S. This gift is given in memory of Seth Low but with absolutely no strings, implied or attached, in any say when the time comes for naming or dedicating the Sanctuary. It was also shown that pledges were available from the local clubs for this purpose in amounts as listed below: illegany $640. Anne Arundel 540* Baltimore 1000* Caroline No report Frederick 25. ( one member) Harford 405* Cent $200. Patuxent No report Soldier's Delight • TAKOMA Park No report Talbot 150. (sent for Seth Low Memorial The question was put before the membership "Shall this property be purchased for the M.O.S* to be used as a Sanctuary if it is found to be in order legally?" A written vote was taken end each of the 111 members present registered and was checked to be sure that those voting were paid up members in accordance with die requirements of the By-Laws of the Society. All votes cast were in the affirmative with none cast in tbs negative* It was believed that the two or three less votes, than those registered, was due to only one vote being oast for a family membership* It was moved and seconded that the meeting adjourn* Motion carried and the meeting adjourned at 12:30 PM Nov. 24th. The Baltimore Chapter was host 1 and served refreshments in the M.O.S. office where the many exhibits and study materials were on display aid received great commendation* Secretary J. E. M. Mood COMING EVENTS Dec. 19 Dec. 22 Dec. 22 Dec. 23 Dec. 26 Dec . 26 Dec. 27 Dec. 28 Dec. 29 Dec. 30 Dec. 30 Dec. 30 - Jan. 1. Christmas Bird Count period. Register in advance for all counts. Details of territories and meeting times will be available from the compilers. Help with as many as you can. DENTON CHRISTMAS COUNT. Register with A. J. Fletcher, 643-W-2. TRIADELFHIA CHRISTMAS COUNT. Veron Kleen, Pa 5-6867. CATDCTTN MT. CHRISTMAS COUNT. Dr. John W. Richards, HL 7-4006. ALLEGANY COUNTY CHRISTMAS COUNT. Mrs. Gordon Taylor, OV 9-6791. BLACKWATER REF. CHRISTMAS COUNT. Chandler Robbins, PA 5-1176. CHINCO TEAGUE REF. CHRISTMAS COUNT. Philip A. DuMont, EM 3-8994. OCEAN CITY CHRISTMAS COUNT. Chandler S. Robbins, Pa 5-1176. CYLBURN CHRISTMAS COUNT. Mrs. Robert E. Kaestner, DR 7-8990. ANNAPOLIS AND GIBSON ISLAND CHRISTMAS COUNT. LOWER KENT COUNT! CHRISTMAS COUNT. Dr. Daniel Z. Gibson, CH 278. PALMERS CHRISTMAS COUNT. James Banagan, Col tons Pt., St. M. Co. MARYLAND BIKDLIFE December 1962 Dec. 30 Dec, 31 Jan. 1 Jan. 3 Jan. 4 Jan. 11 Jan. 12 Jan. 20 Jan. 22 Jan. 23 Jan. 23 Jan. 26 Jan. 27 Jan. 28 Feb. 6 Feb. 7 Feb, 8 Feb. 9 Feb, 16 Feb. 24 Feb. 26 Feb. 27 Mar. 2 Mar. 6 Mar. 7 Mar. 8 Mar. 10 ST. MICHAELS CHRISTMAS COUNT. Richard L. Kleen, RI 5-U821. PORT TOBACCO CHRISTMAS COUNT. John S. Weske, WA 4-9661. ROCK RUN CHRISTMAS COUNT. C. Douglas Hackman, ED 5-1*437. FREDERICK monthly meeting, C. Burr Artz Library, 8 p.ra. C. & 0. Canal Supt. at Harpers Ferry. HARFORD supper meeting, Churchville Presbyterian Church, 6:15 p.m. Mrs. Richard D. Cole, n Birds In lour Back Yard 1 *. BALTIMORE monthly meeting, Pratt Library, 8 p.m. National Audubon film, "The Bald Eagle", Philadelphia Conservationists films, "Tinicum, Philadelphia Wildlife Preserve" and "Holgate, New Jersey Sanctuary." ANNE ARUNDEL trip to Sandy Point, 9 Capt. & Mrs. JEM Wood. BALTIMORE feeding stations trip followed by covered dish supper at Cylbum. Details from Mr. & Mrs. John Murison, VA 3-0561. PATUXENT monthly meeting. Laurel City Hall, 8 p.m. Chemical Pesticides in Relation to Bird Life. Dr. Paul F. Springer. ALLEGANY monthly meeting, Bd. of Ed. Building, 7*30 p.m. A discussion period to plan for New Sanctuary developments. ANNE ARUNDEL meeting at Conrad »s home, 121 Spa View Ave., 7:30 p.m. "Shells", by Mrs. W. A. Conrad. BALTIMORE trip to U.S. National Museum. Guarantee you 1 11 see your favorite bird. Call Mrs. Richard Gillespie, ID 3-2473. BALTIMORE trip to crow and/or vulture roost in late afternoon. For details phone Mr. Gerald G. Elgert, NO 8-5278* PATUXENT monthly meeting. Laurel City Hall, 9th & Montg'y 7 : 45 * KENT monthly meeting, Minta Martin Hall, Washington College, 8p.m. FREDERICK monthly meeting, C. Burr Artz Library, 8 p.m, Roy Okan, "Outdoor Education", Fred. Co. Bd. of Ed. BALTIMORE monthly meeting, 8 p.m., Cylburn. Mr. & Mrs, Joseph Brown, slides on Glacier Nat. He. ANNE ARUNDEL bird observation, Howard 1 s yard, 8 a.m., 137 Monti- cello Ave., Prof, and Mrs. D. G. Howard, CO 3-3213. BALTIMORE bird walk, Qylbura, 8 a.m. Mr. Ryan. BALTIMORE Druid Hill He: Waterfowl Lake, Song Birds, Nat. Hist. Museum, 2:30 p.m. Mr. Walter Hill & Mr. & Mrs. John Iftirison. PATUXENT monthly meeting. Laurel City Hall, 8 p.m. Waterfowl Habitat Management at Patuxent. Frank McGilvrey. ALLEGANY monthly meeting at the Bd. of Ed. Building, 7:30 p$m. Film, "A Green Island of Nature". Nan Livingstone, leader. BALTIMORE AND ANNE ARUNDEL Sandy Pt., 7:30 a.m. - meet Farmers Mkt. at Beltway and Ritchie, or 8 a.m. - meet at Sandy Point. KENT monthly meeting, Minta Martin Hall, Washington College, 8 p.m. FREDERICK monthly meeting, C. Burr Artz Library, 8 p.m. member participation. 8 p »m . BALTIMORE monthly meeting, Cylburn, 8 p.m., Merrill S. Cottrell. Film, "Birds of the N.J. Coast." BALTIMORE Bombay Hook Nat. Wildlife Ref. & Little Ck. Wildlife Area on Del. Bay nr. Symraa, Del. Wintering Waterfowl. Meet 8 a.m. Edgewood Diner, Rt. 40 E. at Md. Rt. 24. Miss Elizabeth Thomley. ll 6 MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Vol. l8, No. k Mar. 13 Mar. 19 Mar. 23 Mar. 23 Mar. 2ii Mar. 26 Mar. 27 Apr* 3 Apr. 3 Apr. 1* Apr, 5 Apr, 6 Apr. 7 Apr. 13 Apr. 20 Apr. 20 Apr. 2it May It May 10 ANNE ARUNDEL "Bird art and Painting" (open to public). John Taylor, 8 p.m. Auditorium, New State Office Bldg, BALTIMORE migration walk at Lake Roland, 8 a.m., Mrs. Robt. E. Kaestner. ANNE ARUNDEL talk on "Shells", Mrs. W. A. Conrad, 121 Spa View Ave., (Conrad's home), 7:30 p.m. BALTIMORE Susquehanna River and Rock Run Sanctuary, Meeting place and time to be announced. Mr. Doug Hackman. BALTIMORE Courtship flight of Woodcock at Loch Ravan. 5:30 p.m. Mr. C, Haven Kolb, Jr. PATUXENT monthly meeting, Laurel City Hall, 8 p.m. Mist Netting in Peru. Ted Van Velzen. ALLEGANY monthly meeting, Bd. of Ed, Building, 7:30 p.m. Seminar: Mr. Edgar Reynolds, "Bird Ecology". BALTIMORE bird walk at Cylburn, 9-11 a.m. Mr. Carl Lubber t. KENT monthly meeting, Minta Martin Hall, Washington College, 8 pn. FREDERICK monthly meeting, C. Burr Artz Library, 8 p.m. BALTIMORE Annual Spring Lecture. Dr. Olin Sewell Pettingill, Dir. of Lab. of Ornithology, Cornell U. Md. Casualty Co. Auditoruim, UOth. and Keswick. 8 p.m. Tickets: $1, Mrs. Robt. Kaestner, DR 7-8990. ANNE ARUNDEL bird walk, business meeting, election of officers. The Douglas Miners, VI 9-h33k. 8 p.m. Sherwood Forest, Cottage 53U. Keep straight past store, down to shore, turn right, to 53k* ALLEGANY duck trip. Meet at Nave's Crossroads. Mr. & Mrs. Dan Folk. 2p.m, BALTIMORE Loch Raven ftr early spring arrivals. 8 a.m. to*. Charles Buchanan. ANNE ARUNDEL Bird walk at Goldsborough's. 8 a.m. Mr. & Mrs. P. L. Goldsborough, 1 mile on Epping Forest Rd. to mail box 16L, turn left in gate, follow signs. BALTIMORE Lake Roland for early spring arrivals. 8 a.m. Mrs. C. Lockard Conley. ALLEGANY monthly meeting, Bd. of Ed. Building, 7:30 p.m. Mr. Don Enerson, "Wildlife Conservation". STATEWIDE BIRD COUNT - 12 M.O.S. CONVENTION, Ocean City, Md. MARYLAND BIRDLIFE Published Quarterly by the Maryland Ornithological Society, Inc, to Record and Encourage and Study the Birds in Maryland Editor: Chandler S. Robbins, Patuxent Research Center, Laurel Editorial Board: C, Douglas Hackman, Vernon Kleen, Miss Nan Livingstone, Mrs. Helen Webster, Mrs. Jean Worthley. Production: Gladys Cole, Mel Garland, C.D. Hackman, Mrs. Robt. E. Kaestner, Mrs. Edward Mendinhall, Pan Minke, Mr* and Mrs. Cecil R. Ryan.