I President’s Comer I SuperNaturalists I by Janet Millenson b arry Plover always knew he was different. No matter how many starlings roosted in the branches overhead, his car stayed clean. At the beach, his blanket was the only one left alone by pesky gulls. And much to the annoyance of his relatives, he delighted in hearing owls calling from the tree outside his window. Then one day a mysterious letter arrived, inviting him to attend the Hawkwarts School of Ornithology. Harry scanned the course list excitedly. Soon he would be initiated into the ancient secrets of those who wield binoculars, and he would learn the powerful "pishing" spell that magi- cally summons birds from thin air. . . J ane was an ordinary child until that fateful day when she fell into the river. Carried miles by the tumbling waves, she was saved when a powerful eagle plucked her from the raging waters. In gratitude, Jane vowed to devote her life to protecting birds. Gradually she built a secret identity as Catbird, enemy of feral felines, excessive pesticide use, and invasive species. Disguised in a gray cloak and mask, she testified against turning parklands into highways. Greedy politicians and developers would find a single feather lying on their desks and quake with fear. Yet Catbird always made time to chat with (President’s Corner continues on page 3) Inside this Issue: President’s Corner 1 Conference 2005 Wrap-up 1 DNR Reports 3 Other Voices, Other Atlas Blocks ... 4 Another Atlasing Lesson 5 MOS Coference 2006 6 MOS Pin Contest 6 Fall Count 2005 6 Congratulations, George Radcliffe! . . 7 World Series of Birding 7 Other Central American Paradise ... 8 Telling Tales 10 Board Bulletins 10 Wanted: Website Help 10 The Birder’s Vest 11 MOS Board Minutes 12 Chapter Chatter 14 Luther Chase Goldman 15 MOS Calendar 16 MOS Scholarship Program 23 Review: The Grail Bird 24 Last Call 24 llowthroat Newsletter of the Maryland Ornithological Society SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 VOL. 25, NO. 4 MOS Conference Wrap-up May 20-22, 2005 C onference 2005, hosted by the Anne Arundel chapter of MOS and the Southern Maryland Audubon Society, opened with a storm that brought 40-mph winds and more than 3 inches of rain — and some wonderful birds — to Calvert County. By the time of Sunday’s tally, some 220 MOS-ers had ticked 172 species, including a totally unexpected Swainson’s Warbler. Just a handful of intrepid birders braved Friday’s storm to visit Flag Ponds Nature Park; they were rewarded with a stunning show of shorebirds, including the park’s first Red Knot and Stilt Sandpiper. Jefferson Patterson Park scored its first Glossy Ibis, and also showcased breeding-plumaged Horned and Eared Grebes. Meantime, back at the Holiday Inn Select in Solomons, weather-wary registrants clipped on their conference pins — a Great Blue Heron silhouetted against a stunning background of primary colors — and streamed through the indoor attractions. The buzz at the Silent Auction cen- tered around a new feature: Auction Chair Maryanne Dolan persuaded some top birders to donate bird- related services and specialized field trips (think Bonnie Ott and sparrows, Dave Brinker and owls). The Silent Auction and Raffle netted $2,710, to be divided between the Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center and our Maryland/DC Breeding Bird Atlas Project. Dale Johnson did a superb job, as usual, of organizing the Artists display. John Malcolm and Joy Aso manned the Highlight of the weekend: Swainson’s Warbler. Photo courtesy of George Jett. MOS merchandise table, selling off everything except basic stock items and a few coffee mugs and generating more than $1,250. Following Friday evening’s banquet, MOS historian Don Messersmith traced the organization’s beginnings 60 years earlier; he recapped early field trips by streetcar and showed photos of the legendary Annual Conferences in Ocean City. (One picture included a youthful Chan Robbins. This year’s meeting was one of the few that Chan and Eleanor Robbins have ever missed; they were attending grand- daughters’ graduations.) By Saturday morning, storm clouds had cleared and the field trips — wonderfully organized by Peter Hanan, with the help of Gwen Brewer, George Jett, Helen Patton, Sue Hamilton, and Arlene Ripley — spread out through Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties. In addition to the birding trips, there were trips specializing in butterflies, dragonflies, and geology, along with sparrow identification. (Conference 2005 continues on page 2) 2 The Maryland Yellowthroat Conference 2005 (continued, from page i) The undisputed highlight was the Swainson’s Warbler discovered Saturday morning at American Chestnut Land Trust. This very coop- erative male sang almost constantly Saturday and Sunday, giving most attendees a chance for excellent views. Other birds of note on Saturday: breeding plumaged Horned and Eared Grebes and Red-throated Loon at Jefferson Patterson, Black Skimmer at Point Lookout. The day-long listers’ trip to St. Mary’s County, led by Tyler Bell, found 107 species; best birds on the chase, reports Tyler, were Northern Bobwhite in two locations, the Ruddy Turnstone loafing on the Sea Breeze pier, and a Red-headed Woodpecker in St. Inigoes. George Jett’s trip to Charles County tallied 108 species; highlights included Barn Owl young in nest and a nice mix of shorebirds at Allen’s Fresh. Saturday evening brought the Wine and Cheese Social, accompa- nied by the Research Posters Session, beautifully organized by Gwen Brewer. Displayed to advantage in sunlit exterior corridors, the posters The Maryland Yellowthroat Newsletter of the Maryland Ornithological Society, Inc. Editor: Lydia Schindler paulydia@erols.com 301-977-5252 Layout: Suzanne Probst sprobst@comcast.net 410-992-3489 Calendar Editor: Andy Martin apmartin2@comcast.net 301-294-4805 Proofreader: Ann Weeks annweeks@erols .com Mailing list: Helen Horrocks hlh 37@yahoo.com 301-831-6135 MOS website: http ://www.mdbirds . org Webmaster: Frances C. Saunders fcsaunders@att.net Anyone is welcome to contribute articles or ideas that would be of interest to other birders. Copy may be mailed or e-mailed to Lydia Schindler by September 25, 2005 for the November /December issue. Illustrations on pages 1, 10, 11, 13, and 14 © M. Suzanne Probst Photo on page 1 courtesy of George Jett drew a steady stream of engaged observers. It is interesting to note that some of the poster presenters were former MOS scholarship winners. So were both Mike Callahan and Paula Batzer of the Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Educational Center, one of the Silent Auction beneficiaries. It is very gratifying that this circle of giving money, time, and knowledge continues to go around. At Saturday night’s business meeting, President Janet Millenson gave an entertaining and informative briefing on the events of the year and introduced new chairs. The new Scholarship Chair, Tom Strikwerda, took the occasion to introduce four of this year’s scholarship winners who were in the audience. On Sunday morning, many field trips diverted to look for the Swainson’s Warbler (see “Telling Tales” on p. 10). The trip to the banding station struck gold with not one but two Mourning Warblers, as well as five other warbler species; the ensuing walk, reports leader Dave Harvey, added six more. The final formal activity was the lunchtime tally conducted by Bob Ringler. Many people helped organize the conference. Conference Committee members, many of them in their third year, did an outstanding job. Members of the Anne Arundel chap- ter as well as the Southern Maryland Audubon Society provided lots of help, leading field trips, graciously helping to organize them, and making themselves available for questions or suggestions. Thanks go to all of the field trip leaders; many of these peo- ple lead trips year after year. Our 2005 Conference was a resounding success because of the efforts of all these people. — Janet Shields, Chair CONFERENCE AWARDS At Saturday night’s business meeting, President Janet Millenson presented several awards: • Plaques went to Don Messersmith for environmental education, and to Jan and Kristen Lawyer of Thurmont for graciously hosting the lapwing seekers. • Valued Service Awards went to Bill Guion for managing the mailing list for 15 years, and to Gwen Brewer for chairing the Research Committee. • Attagirl/Attaboy awards to out- standing newcomers went to Emy Holdridge, Treasurer; Helen Horrocks, membership list; and Tom Strikwerda, Scholarships Chair. • Blood, Sweat & Tears awards for handling a tough task went to Maureen Harvey, Conservation Chair; Fred Shaffer, for arranging the WOS/AFO conference field trips; and Barbara and George Gaffney and Doug and Nancy Parker, for maintaining our Carey Run sanctuary. • Janet Shields, Secretary, received the “Montgomery County Nitpickers Seal of Aproval” [with the second p in approval inserted as a correction], “for enduring without complaint the slings and arrows of the MOS Board members who take great pleasure in proofreading . . . her minutes of the Board meetings before pronouncing them acceptable.” 2005 CONFERENCE POSTERS Threats to Neotropical Migratory Songbirds and Action for their Conservation. Melissa Boyle, Hood College, Frederick. Possible Distributional Changes Detected by a Second Breeding Bird Atlas in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Walter G. Ellison, MOS, and Mark Wimer, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel. The Genetic History of Maryland’s Lesser Snow Goose. Elizabeth M. Humphries"', Jeffrey L. Peters, and Kevin E. Omland, U. Maryland Baltimore County. Orchard Orioles: A Tale of Two Pigments. Christopher M. Hof- mann"', Kevin J. McGraw, Thomas W. Cronin, and Kevin E. Omland, U. Maryland Baltimore County. Possible Double Brooding in Temperate-Breeding Orioles: Breeding Behavior of Baltimore Orioles in Maryland. Spring Ligi* and Kevin Omland, U. Maryland Baltimore County. (Conference 2005 continues on page 7) September/October 2005 3 t sf ,, WJ.Tj VtlR Reports . . . by Qlenn 7 henes A fter 1 8 months of work, the Maryland Wildlife Diversity Conservation Plan is nearing completion. The 10-year plan summarizes the current knowledge of the status of Maryland’s wildlife and identifies necessary conservation efforts. DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service took the lead in the plan’s development, with significant assistance from the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) and Fisheries Service, and other public and private stakeholders. The plan was developed, in part, to fulfill obligations to the federal government, which is developing a new source of funding for state fish and wildlife agencies, State Wildlife Grants. By October 1, 2005, all 50 states are required to develop comprehensive wildlife conservation strategies, emphasizing species at risk. As required by the U.S. Congress, the plan addresses the needs of both “species of greatest conservation need” (GCN) and the “full array of wildlife.” Congress identified eight elements to be examined in the plan: ( 1 ) information on the distribution and abundance of GCN species; (2) locations and relative condition of key habitats and community types essential to conservation of these species; (3) problems that could adversely affect these species and their habitats, and priority research and survey efforts needed to identify factors that could assist in restoration and improved conservation of these species and habitats; (4) conser- vation actions proposed to conserve GCN species and their key habitats; (5) plans for monitoring identified species and their habitats; (6) procedures to review the strategy at intervals not to exceed ten years; and (7) plans for coordinating the development, implementation, review, and revision of the plan with federal, state, and local agencies. The eighth element: broad public participation in developing and implementing these plans. We held public workshops to solicit input in June 2004 and July 2005; MOS was adequately represented at both workshops. We also posted updates on the DNR webpage (www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/divplan), and we solicited comments throughout the process. We identified more than 500 GCN species. These are animals, both aquatic and terrestrial, that are at risk or are declining in Maryland. In addition to threat- ened and endangered species, the list includes many species whose populations are of concern in our state. Birds comprise a big portion of Maryland’s GCN species, but the list includes all animal forms, including 240-plus invertebrates. Developing a statewide plan for over 500 species, with various life histories and requirements, would be nearly impossible. Instead, we used a habitat approach, since the distribution and abundance of wildlife species are directly related to the condition and location of their habitats. While some species can be found in a variety of habitats, many are less adaptive and are restricted to one or relatively few habitats. This is especially true for the rarest and most vulnerable wildlife species. Habitats that support GCN species are referred to as “key habitats.” Examples of key habitats include tidal marshes and floodplain forests. This more holistic approach makes it possible to conserve entire assemblages of species at the same time. We identified 35 key habitats, including 8 forested types, 9 wetland types, and 9 types of streams and rivers. These habitats capture most of the wildlife species residing in Maryland, other than strictly urban or agricultural species. For each habitat, the plan includes a description of the habitat, a map depicting its distribu- tion throughout the State, a list of GCN species associated with it, threats to the habitat, and actions necessary to conserve the habitat in Maryland. The conserva- tion actions are broad-based and include such things as minimizing and reducing habitat fragmentation, incorporating conservation actions into land use and land President’s Corner (continued from page 1) average citizens as she traveled about in her hybrid vehicle. In fact, that's how she met Robin. . . S etting permission to bird the grounds of the top-secret military base was a privi- lege and a thrill. Afterwards, though, the field trip participants started to feel rather strange. Remembering the three-legged Ospreys nesting on the cooling tower, several birders grew concerned that they'd been exposed to dangerous chemicals or radiation. Indeed, the transformations had already begun. New identities and super powers emerged: Hawkeye could spot birds a mile away without binoculars; Phoebe could dis- tinguish among silent Empidonax flycatchers; and Woody could cling to vertical walls. The team united to fight an arch-villain known as The Mocker, whose song imitations lured many an unwary birder to doom. . . I guess you can tell I didn't spend the summer reading Dostoevsky. MOS really is a "super" society, and we have achievements to be proud of. Last year, a lot of terrifically talented people agreed to serve as committee chairs. We met our budget and we improved our administrative processes. MOS chapters organized hundreds of field trips and sponsored dozens of bird counts for scientific and fund-raising purposes. MOS stayed deeply involved in conservation issues affecting the state and the nation. We were offered 80 wooded acres in southern Prince George's County as a new bird sanctuary. Thousands of volunteer hours were devoted to the fourth year of the Atlas Project. This year promises to be exciting, too. Although we don't have a plan for world domination, we do plan to be a more domi- nant presence in Maryland birding. Our statewide educational activities and youth programs will be starting up soon, and we're looking at other innovative ways to attract and retain members. We'll keep seeking a suitable headquarters location to use for meetings and storage. We want MOS to be known as the group to join if you want more birds, more birding, and more birders. Your continued support is vital and much appreciated. Whether your identity as a birder is secret or not, MOS welcomes you! (DNR Reports continues on page 7) 4 The Maryland Yellowthroat M □rylnnd DC Branding Bird P |Crt J 2002 2006 Other Voices, Other Atlas Blocks by Walter Ellison I have often written about the adventures that ensue when one goes afield during an atlas project. I have also often enjoyed reading the accounts shared by many atlas workers with readers of the Maryland birding e-mail listserv MD Osprey. It is about time that I let others speak for me on the pleasures and excitement of atlasing; I herewith offer five excerpted MD Osprey accounts from the 2005 field season, ranging from the Allegheny Plateau to the Atlantic Coast. Thanks to the atlasers for permission to publish their words here, and thanks to MD Osprey listserv owner Norm Saunders for permission to use these accounts. — Walter Ellison We begin with some comments from Glen Lovelace on birding inland at night on the central Eastern Shore. (The Atlas still needs a lot more nocturnal work to truly represent the ranges of our owls and nightjars.) 5/26/2005. I got out last night to do several hours of night atlasing on my Rhodesdale NE, Rhodesdale CE, and Sharptown CW atlas blocks. First stop was Wesley Rd (south of MD 392) where there was at least a Chuck or a Whip at every stop I made, with a total of 4-5 Chucks and 3 Whips (including one in Rhodesdale NW). But oddly, all of their calling was done between 9 and 9:30 PM; after that I met with silence. Additional birds were a calling Barred Owl on Puckum Rd about .5 mile south of the stream and a calling Screech-owl on Jones Thicket Rd approx 1.5 miles west of the Indiantown Rd pig farm. Also a Great Blue Heron fishing at the Sharptown boat ramp at 10:30 PM. 6/15/2005. Rhodesdale NW: Sharp corner of Wesley Rd, 2 Chucks and a Whip, both for upgrades to probable. I also had a visit from a state trooper. I was driving along slowly, pulling off the side of the road and turning my lights off, all suggesting a drunk driver in his eyes. Instead it was some nut out listening for birds in the middle of the night. He was very nice about it and went on his way. Elise Kreiss describes some of the pleasures of suburban and urban park birding on the fall line in the Baltimore area. 6/5/2005: Of the five active [Yellow-crowned Night- Heron] nests on Windsor Mill Road across from the Leakin Park trailhead that remained when the dust settled this year, one has a visible nestling. We saw two adults at the nest and a head visible above the nest. Also, we took a short trip to Gwynn Oak Park on Thursday and found an Eastern Kingbird nest and Cedar Waxwings at a very early stage of nest-building. One bird was wrapping a piece of what might have been fishing line around a tree limb. You do wonder how the birds ever get done; the beginning stage of nest-building looks so awk- ward. We also found our first Killdeer within safe dates, and four Great Blue Herons, including two flying in together, and happened to see a fifth further downstream on our way home. We have hopes of finding nests at some point. There was also a Black-crowned Night-Heron. We continue the theme of urban birding with Rob Hilton's account of block-busting in Washington, D.C. 6/11/2005: Highlights from this morning’s blockbust- ing with Paul Pisano and John Hubbell. Fort Dupont Park in Southeast DC, from around 6:45 to 8:15 am. We spent our time in and around the picnic area loop road, which runs on top of a hill with mature trees and lots of under- growth. We heard a calling Yellow-billed Cuckoo and a singing Ovenbird and saw a male Scarlet Tanager and a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Off in the distance we may have heard a Pileated Woodpecker calling. We then spent about an hour along Fort Circle Park Hiker and Biker Trail. The segment south of Pennsylvania Avenue was rich! There are a lot of mature trees and much undergrowth. The best bird there was a Worm- eating Warbler that sang twice. We also heard a singing Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, and several Acadians and pewees. Another nice sight was a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers fluttering around a hole that seemed to hold a nest. Moving from the fall line to the Atlantic Coastal Plain and Assateague Island, we follow Worcester County Coordinator Mark Hoffman during part of a long and suc- cessful day of atlasing. 6/17/2005: Tingles Island SE: I wasn’t planning on doing this block, which roughly includes the area on Assateague from Hungerford to the north end of the Fox Hill Levels, but noted again I still needed chickadee — just too much to take! I had a great trip working the Hungerford woods, adding 6 species for the block (Brown Pelican, Northern Bobwhite, Clapper Rail, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Cedar Waxwing). No chickadee, however. The nuthatch was a real surprise, as I have worked this area several times and not had one here. It seemed to be a lone individual, right near the old house. The Clapper was in the marsh just west of the house, and while working this area I flushed a meadowlark, as if from a nest. It took me 4 minutes of looking in the clump of grass, but I finally found a nest with 4 eggs, the first I had ever seen. Two Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were near the Hungerford house as well; I confirmed them here last year as the first breeding record for Assateague. They were not found on the Island during the prior atlas. Whittington Point NW: up to day, I had 69 species for this block and wanted to get it over the 70 threshold. In the Green Run woods, a total surprise was a single Blue Jay — heard, seen, and photographed. There was a record September/October 2005 5 from this block in the prior atlas, but it would seem hard to believe that Blue Jays nest on Assateague, where they are otherwise scarce migrants in spring and fall. I did have a number of birds (in the woods) in this general area during my trip here at the end of May this year. Two other adds (Great Blue Heron and American Goldfinch) brought the list up to 72. Whittington Point CW: Here my goal was to better the prior atlas. I had 64 species; the prior record was 66. Working the woods south of Green Run, I added Purple Martin (how close could the nearest colony be?), Common Grackle, and American Goldfinch — 67 in the bag. Still no chickadee in this one either. A single Common Nighthawk continued the many records I have had of this species on Assateague this year and last. I now have recorded it in 5 atlas blocks (4 probable), while in the prior atlas there was only one record (a possible) on the Island. Given that this species can be tough to find in Worcester (and would appear to be declining elsewhere in the state), this has been a real pleasant surprise of atlasing. Finally we have an account of a very productive evening hike by Stan and Elaine Arnold in the mountains of Maryland’s far west. 6/26/2005: After two nights in Indianapolis, we returned to our atlasing in the Barton NE block of Garrett County with an early evening hike to the top of Four-Mile Ridge, accessed from one of the yellow Forest Service gates on the west side of Avilton-Lonaconing Rd. By far our best find of the outing came just as we crossed the dilapidated bridge across the Little Savage River. Here we heard some very forceful chip notes that caused us to pause in our tracks. I did not know to what species these utterances belonged until a little song revealed the bird as a Canada Warbler. In short order, a fledged youngster flitted into and then out of my field of view, as an alarmed parent scolded the young- ster out of harm’s way and then proceeded to fly circles around us, chipping the entire time. It was difficult for Elaine and me to get a good look at the bird as it constantly changed position, but we were, in time, able to get a fairly satisfying look at the bright yellow underside, black neck- lace, and bold eye-ring. We then hiked up the trail, where Hermit Thrush could be heard singing in the distance, and where a Chestnut-sided Warbler scolded us from a perch over the trail but didn’t seem to be defending a nest. Then as we came back down, a male Black-throated Blue Warbler came bursting out of a thicket and noisily flew circles around us, certainly leading us away from his nest. When we returned to the Canada Warbler location, we were given the third degree. This time we had both parents in the alarm-mode, with one of them making two kamikaze runs at me. I thought I was going to get hit both times. We left them to their business, feeling quite smug at this wonderful atlas confirmation. Yet Another Atlasing Lesson 21 June 2005. I spent three hours atlasing this first morning of summer. I found myself at the end of a road, listening to an odd Orchard Oriole song and trying to find the bird to make sure that's what it was. I stopped here because of the large field — I hadn't realized this much habitat was left in this part of Prince George's County and I was optimistically hoping for a Field Sparrow. I search the large sycamore for the oriole, eventually finding it and a silent female. Along the way I find silent waxwing and kingbird in the tree. Then I realize I'm hearing Field Sparrows singing in the background. Wow, this is a good stop. I find one of the Field Sparrows perched in a nearby bush, then hear a familiar song that's so out of place in this part of the county it had to sing a couple of more times before I realize it's an Eastern Meadowlark. That's a bird no longer on my well-it-COULD-happen list. I see no "No Trespassing" signs, so I decide to chance the ticks and walk around a little. A group of trees halfway across the field are swarming with Indigo Buntings plus a silent Song Sparrow with a bill full of dry grass. What a lovely place. Behind the trees is a small pond with four species of swal- lows, two species of herons, Mallard, geese, and a Killdeer. Flow much better can this get? I see a dense growth of saplings beyond the pond; can I hope for White-eyed Vireo and maybe a Prairie Warbler? I don't have either in this block yet. I cross the field, finding neither target bird, but while I'm walking back toward the pond, a chat sounds off in the distance. The walk is through thick, waist-high grasses which are pretty devoid of birds and, thankfully, of ticks. A Red-tailed Hawk screams from overhead. I get to an area of thinner, shorter growth with last year's dried weed stocks and suddenly I'm surrounded by Common Yellowthroats. I figure there's four pair, one feeding young. I set off in yet another direction but stop when a bird flies by carrying food. It lands in one of the trees near the pond. I think it's an oriole but all I got was a silhouette. That should be an easy confirmation, but instead of trekking off after it, I decide it's easier to wait for the bird to make another pass by me. While standing there, I find a few more kingbirds, a pair of Blue Grosbeaks and then I hear it — Grasshopper Sparrow! The best bird of the day. The immature male Orchard Oriole makes a few more passes carrying food. I think there are two sparrows singing. I locate one perched on a twig. It throws it head back and with its bill opened wide, it looks like a mute opera singer. This place seems too good to be true. I walk up a small hill and see even more fields beyond. There, running across the far side of those fields, is a bulldozer. Perhaps Fairview Estates will have a Meadowlark Lane. — Dave Mozurkewich This first appeared on MDOsprey. 6 The Maryland Yellowthroat MOS Conference 2006 The keynote speaker at the 2006 Conference will be Tim Gallagher, one of the first successful searchers for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and author of The Grail Bird. The conference will take place June 9-11 at Rocky Gap Lodge, Cumberland, Allegany County. (See review of The Grail Bird on page 24.) Great Blue Heron pin design by Teri Christensen of the Tri-County Chapter. MOS Pin Contest Attention Artists! You are invited to enter the 2006 MOS Conference Pin Design Contest. The deadline is January 16, 2006. The basic rules are simple: entrants must be mem- bers of MOS, and the design must contain a bird appropriate for the conference site (Rocky Gap) and the phrases “MOS” and “2006.” On the back of each entry the artist must put name, address, and chap- ter affiliation, and identify the species represented. The pin can be any shape. Send entries to John Malcolm, 10205 Kindly Court, Montgomery Village, MD 20886. To see all the rules and more tips about designing pins for the contest, visit the MOS website, or contact John Malcolm at 301-977-5788 or at smudgie@comcast.net. Maryland Fall Count 2004 T he annual Fall Seasonal Count sponsored by MOS will be held Saturday, September 17, 2005 and/or Sunday, September 18. Several counties have traditionally held counts on the third weekend in September, but the MOS Board has left the choice of Saturday or Sunday to local chapters and coordina- tors. Chapters that have not included a formal count in their programs this year are urged to plan to do so in future years. Everyone is urged to participate, no matter his or her skill level. Identification is only part of being successful; you have to spot the bird first, so every pair of eyes helps. The guidelines for this count are the same as those for all seasonal counts. Local coordinators will assign volunteers to areas, honoring requests whenever possible. Party leaders are responsible for tracking party miles and times, names of participants, and documentation for unusual sightings. A checklist compilation form is available in the “Annual Counts” section of the MOS website: http://www.mdbirds.org/counts/fall/fallcount.html. The list includes those species one would expect to find in Maryland and DC during this season. Species requiring further written documentation are noted with asterisks. All write-ins require full details. County coordinators who have volunteered so far are listed on the website and in the Calendar (page 18). Anyone already organizing a count or interested in volunteering as a coordinator for another county can contact me. If you don’t have web access or you are interested in counting in a county without a coordinator, you can contact me directly. Individual parties or other groups (e.g. Hawk Watch sites, field trips) who count in areas without a coordinator are asked to submit their data, along with details on the area that was covered, directly to me by October 11. Deadline for submitting completed reports to your county coordinator is no later than October 10, 2005. County compilers are asked to submit compilations by November 1. Plan to join the fun and have a great day birding! Chuck Stirrat Fall Count Coordinator 13318 Hunt Ridge Ellicott City, MD 21042-1155 Home phone: 410-531-2417 E-mail: stirrcrl@att.net (home) Charles.Stirrat@jhuapl.edu (work) September/October 2005 7 CONFERENCE 2005 (continued from page 2) The Function of Call Length Variation and Vocal Overlapping Behavior in Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis). Jennie M. Niewood, mentored by Jordan Price, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City. Presence and Impact of Environmental Lead on Breeding Passerine Birds. Karin E. Roux 51 ' and Peter P. Marra, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater. Water Quality and Foraging Behavior in Wintering Common Loons (Gavia immer). Stephanie Thompson, mentored by Jordan Price, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City. The Important Bird Areas Program in Maryland and the District of Columbia. David Curson, Director of Bird Conservation, Audubon MD-DC. * Recipient of an MOS Research Award SILENT AUCTION Thanks to the enthusiastic sup- port of conference attendees and my terrific volunteers, this year’s Silent Auction and Raffle were once again huge successes. A big “thank you” goes to Joy and Tom Loomis, Laddie Flyger, and Sherry Zucker. It may be commonplace to thank volunteers and ascribe to them all manner of marvels, but in this case it’s true. Tom, Joy, Laddie, and Sherry bring calm and good sense to a hectic day and a half. I simply could not run the auction/ raffle without them. New to this year’s Auction were “personal” items, and they were a huge success, bringing in over $500. We hope to expand on this concept next year, so put on your thinking caps and come up with something you, too, can “sell.” — Maryanne Dolan Auction/Raffle Chair Congratulations ! C ongratulations to George Radcliffe, winner of a 2005 Disney Teacher Award for Middle School Science Education. George, who teaches science at Centreville Middle School (Queen Anne’s County), was chosen from more than 50,000 nominations nationwide. The award recognizes “creativity, innovative teaching methods, and ability to inspire stu- dents while actively engaging them in learning.” In birding circles, George is renowned for nurturing a love of birds and birding in his students. In particular, he has for years fielded student teams that compete in the World Series of Birding, teams whose alumni constitute some of Maryland’s best young birders. ( See World Series of Birding story.) He is also the chair of the newly formed MOS Youth Programs Committee. The Disney award includes $10,000 for George and $5,000 for his school — plus a week of festivities at Disneyland. DNR Reports (continued from page 3) planning efforts, and minimizing human disturbance to habitats by limiting access and by educating the public about the value of these habi- tats. For this initial plan, we could not get too detailed, as much more analysis is required at the site-specific and species levels. Such details will be incorporated into future revisions. The plan also includes inventory, monitor- ing, and research needs for the habitat and associated GCN species. The conservation actions identified need to be implemented not only by DNR but by all those interested in conserving Maryland’s diverse wildlife resources. This includes state, federal, and local government agen- cies, private conservation organiza- tions, and the public at large. The plan is ambitious. It will need ade- quate funding, support, and collabo- ration among conservation partners, stakeholders, and the public. This plan is only the beginning! Please help to implement the necessary actions for conserving Maryland’s wildlife. World Series of Birding Maryland again exerted a strong pres- ence in the 2005 World Series of Birding sponsored by New Jersey Audubon. The MOS team, the Maryland Yellowthroats — Matt Haf- ner, Hans Holbrook, and Jim Brighton — scored 172 species over the 24 hours of the competition, com- ing in second in the Cape May County division. This was only 5 species behind the winning team. Cape May residents — but former Marylanders — Mark Garland (still a member of MOS) and Michael O'Brien, and Michael's wife, Louise Zemaitis. Birders from the Montgomery Bird Club, competing as The Holy Order of Loggerhead Shrikes, took third place in the County division with 150 species. The Shrikes team — Gordon "Golden Plover" Gover, John "Laughing Falcon" Hubbell, Andy "Raptor" Rabin, and captain Don "Lord High Loggerhead" Simonson — gathered over $ 1 ,200 in pledges for Pronatura Veracruz. In the youth competition. Queen Anne's County shone, with three teams from Centreville Middle School (see article about George Radcliffe at left), a Queen Anne's County high school team, and an independent high school team sponsored by Steiner Optics. In addition, QA resident Zach Baer competed on the winning high school team. Space Coast Coastal Cuckoos, whose 212 species state- wide would have been good enough to earn them third place in the adult division, and was only 10 species behind the grand winner. In the Middle School Division, top honors went to four girls from Centreville Middle School who com- peted as the Chick-burr-ders and tallied 150 species. In second place was CMS's The Peeps, with 144, and in fourth place, CMS's Butcher Birders with 1 08. Among High School teams, the Queen Anne's County HS Saw- What Owls scored fourth, with 1 68 species, and the independent QA Steiner Team Merlin placed sixth with 150. 8 The Maryland Yellowthroat The Other Central American Paradise-Panama by Marcia Balestri T his year the Frederick County Chapter picked Panama for our annual “big” trip, and last March, 11 birders — Gary Smyle, Mike Welch, Linda Keller, Lois Kauffman, Kathy Calvert, Katherine Grandine, Dave Smith, Elinor and Stauffer Miller (former MOS-ers now living on Cape Cod), and my husband Bob and I — set out for eight days of excit- ing tropical birding at Canopy Tower and El Valle de Anton. Panama has some of the most accessible forests anywhere in the tropics and a checklist of 944 species. One of the easiest and best introductions to tropical birding in Central America is at Canopy Tower on top of Semaphore Hill, in a well-preserved semi-deciduous forest in the heart of Soberania National Park, a 55,000-acre wilderness reserve bordering the Panama Canal. The tower is 900 feet above sea level, and from its roof you can see the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal and the skyline of Panama City. Raul Arias de Para, a prominent Panamanian businessman and conservationist, opened the ecolodge in January 1999. (Raul was also opening Canopy Lodge in El Valle in August 2005.) The Canopy Tower has five levels that offer different views of the surrounding forest. Levels two and three house bed- rooms. On the fourth level, panoramic windows surround the dining area and kitchen (wonderful food); hammocks add a relaxed touch, as does a library and a comfortable lounge area. For the wildlife viewer, the upper level is where most of the action is. Just 20 steps up from the dining area, you are on top of the world with a 3 60 -degree view. Sturdy chairs and tables let you rest your morning coffee or after- noon tea and your weary bones as you watch the parade of wildlife. Decadent birding at its best! Imagine being awakened every morning by the throaty roars of Howler Monkeys, the raucous chatter of toucans and parrots, and the tew-tew-tew of the Green Shrike- Vireo! And providing a break from the onslaught of fantas- tic birds are other critters — mammals, reptiles, butterflies, and bugs. Our typical day started at 6 AM with coffee, tea, and birds on the observation deck. One could easily spend all day, every day, captivated by the rooftop birding, or enchanted by the well-maintained hummingbird feeders below. But the forest and the birds always beckoned. After breakfast at 7, off to a morning of birding. More delicious food for lunch at the Tower, with a siesta until about 3 PM, when we would leave for our afternoon adventures. Hors d’oeuvres and checklist at 6 (unless we got sidetracked by a good bird) and a wonderful dinner at 7. Most of us arrived the afternoon of March 21. After set- tling in, we enjoyed birding around the Tower and up on the observation deck with our guides while we were at the Tower, Carlos Bethancourt and his very able assistant. I think Carlos is the best birder in Panama; certainly no one is faster at getting a scope on a bird in dense tropical forest, and his eyes, ears, and knowledge of Panamanian birds are phenomenal. Spring migration brought hundreds of Broad-winged and Swainson’s Hawks, as well as smaller numbers of other migrating hawks, over the Tower most every day. Among the numerous local residents were Chestnut-mandibled and Keel-billed Toucans; Palm, Plain-colored, Blue-gray, and White-shouldered Tanagers; and Lesser Greenlets. The feed- ers downstairs welcomed White-necked Jacobin, Long- tailed Hermit, White-vented Plumeleteer, and Violet-bellied, Blue-chested, and Snowy-bellied Hummingbirds. The first morning we were treated to a Blue Cotinga, a sig- nature bird, atop the Tower. After breakfast we walked down narrow, windy, and birdy Semaphore Hill Road; best birds were Bright-rumped Attila, Oscellated Antbird, the elusive Green Shrike- Vireo, Great Jacamar, Dusky Antbird, Common Potoo, and Broad-billed Motmot. That afternoon we all piled into the Tinamobile, a truck with benches in the back bed, and headed to the Ammo Dump. It sounds awful, but it’s a nice marshy area surrounded by secondary growth scrub areas. This was the birdiest area Eve ever seen, with close to 60 species in about 2 hours — and we didn’t even move much. Tanagers, warblers, euphonias, flycatchers, and seedeaters were everywhere. We also heard White-throated Crake — one of the target birds at the Ammo Dump — but it chose not to show its face. On March 23, we spent the whole day on Pipeline Road, known for its specialty birds and ant swarms. We did not encounter a spectacular swarm, but thanks to Carlos’ keen eyes and ears, we saw close to 70 species, including Black- tailed, Slaty-tailed, and Black-throated Trogons; Spotted, Dusky, and Chestnut-backed Antbirds; Streak-chested Antpitta; Spot-crowned Antvireo; White-whiskered, Pied, White-necked, and Black-breasted Puffbirds; and several species of manakins, honeycreepers, woodcreepers, and woodpeckers. The highlight of the day was a Common Potoo mother and her baby perched on a snag right next to the trail. The next morning before breakfast, we heard a Pheasant Cuckoo near the Tower. We had been hearing it since we arrived, but it was an elusive bird. Several of us tried to find it from the top level, from the bottom, and even along the road, but no luck. Then Carlos spotted it from the kitchen window, and much to the kitchen staff’s chagrin, we all crowded in for a lovely scope look. After breakfast, we hiked Plantation Trail, narrow and about 2.5 miles long, passing through forest and paralleling September/October 2005 9 a stream. The highlight was a very cooperative Great Tinamou; it posed while we all had great looks and took bunches of pictures. (You can hear Great and Little Tinamous all around the Tower, but this is the first one I have actually seen!) In the afternoon, we visited Summit Park, a large park with a small zoo and with different habitat. The Park houses a state-of-the-art Harpy Eagle exhibit, including two live birds in a gigantic aviary. Around the park we found Panama Flycatcher, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Masked Tityra, and Streaked-headed Woodcreeper. Nearby Summit Ponds held Amazon, Ringed, and Green Kingfishers; Blue- crowned Motmot; and Yellow-headed Caracara. That evening we went on a night-creature drive, using large spotlights to scan for eye shine. At first things were a bit slow, only the occasional Three-toed Sloth, but eventually we managed wonderful looks at Pauraque, Great Potoo, and a Crested Owl that flew right over the truck and land- ed just so we could see him. What a treat! The next morning we set off along Old Gamboa Road, one of my personal favorites. The road passes through scrubby and secondary growth habitat as well as pastures and other open country areas. Highlights were American Pygmy Kingfisher, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Violaceous Trogon, Spectacled Owl, Orange-chinned Parakeets, Garden Emerald, and Rufous Nightjars (very unusual here — even Carlos got excited about them). Old Gamboa Road ends back at the Summit Ponds, where this time we found Striated and Boat-billed Herons. That afternoon we visited the feeders of a Gamboa resident. We brought our own fruit and loaded up the feeders, to the delight of honeycreepers, tanagers, parakeets, and oropen- dola. Next, on the grounds of Gamboa Resort and the Chagres River, we added Southern Lapwing, Streaked and Buff-throated Saltators, and Flame-rumped Tanager. We had time to revisit the Ammo Dump, hoping to see the elusive crake, but still no luck! We did have great looks at a Rufescent Tiger-Heron and a Least Bittern. On March 26, we took our leave of Canopy Tower, and six of us continued on to the forested foothills in El Valle de Anton, a couple of hours away. We were met by Tino and Danilo, our guides for the next 3 days, checked into the hotel, and birded around the motel before a delicious lunch (this and every day in El Valle) at Raul’s guesthouse, on a delightful veranda filled with birds. It was hard to eat with tanagers, honeycreepers, dacnis, hummers, motmots, salta- tors, oropendola, migrating warblers, and other birds scrambling about on the bird feeders and flowering shrubs! And imagine having a Chestnut-headed Oropendola colony in your backyard. On the way back to the hotel, a stop at Cara de Iguana found Black-chested Jay, Lance-tailed Manakin, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, and Rufous-capped Warbler. The next two days we birded areas on and around La Mesa Road and Cerro Gaital Natural Monument, seeing a variety of foothill species: Black-headed Saltator, Silver-throated Tanager, Gray-headed Kite, Long-billed Starthroat, White- ruffed Manakin, Emerald Toucanet, Plain Antvireo, Barred Hawk, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Tawny-crested Tanager, and Black-faced Anthrush. We also managed to find Green Hermit, Pale-vented Thrush, Black-faced Grosbeak, Tawny- capped Euphonia, and Gray-necked Wood-Rail. At a private refuge with a beautiful 150-foot waterfall called Chorro Macho, we watched as two Sunbitterns enjoyed the rushing water and spray. The trail around the waterfall held Violet-headed Hummingbird, Eye-ringed Flatbill, and the showstopper of the day — a Tody Motmot, the smallest motmot in the world. We had the pleasure of touring Raul’s exciting, new (but not quite completed) Canopy Lodge. This soon-to-be-open facility has eight large guest rooms and is nestled between the base of a forest-shrouded mountain and a pristine bab- bling stream. The scene is nothing short of idyllic — can’t wait to go back and stay there! Unfortunately, we had to leave this paradise and head back to civilization. But even around the airport in Panama City we added shorebirds and a few other species, bringing our list to 304. We had also had wonderful looks at a variety of mammals and other animals including Giant Anteater, Agouti, White-nosed Coati, Geoffroy’s Tamarind, Capuchin Monkey, and Blue Morpho butterfly. Linda Keller summed up our Panama experience very nice- ly. “I felt as if someone had put me in a time machine and I was back in the Garden of Eden, when we humans consid- ered ourselves one of them, the animals, on an equal basis. Very much at peace with the world I’d come to enjoy, I anticipated, just as the first humans must have, each new wonderful creature I was about to see. Sometimes I feel like the first adventurers exploring the region, and I could name the flora and fauna on my own.” 10 The Maryland Yellowthroat Telling Tales On Sunday morning, before Arlene Ripley left to take her group to look for the Swainson's Warbler, I asked her to call me on my cell phone if they found it. When nobody showed up for my Patterson trip (everyone was looking for the warbler), I called Jane [Kostenko] and we went to the American Chestnut Land Trust. We were there, looking at the bird, when Arlene called my cell — then muttered something disparaging about it being out of service. As she started to leave a message, I called over to her. She looked around and burst out laughing; I was standing 6 feet behind her. — Tyler Bell Travel Notes The MOS web site is now carrying members' trip reports, starting with an Icelandic saga by Tom Marko (Montgomery). Check the "What's New" section to track down this new feature. Travelin' birders can send their write-ups directly to webmaster@mdbirds.org. BOARD BULLETINS From the June 4 meeting in Columbia, Howard County • Newly appointed chairs: Brent Byers, Sanctuary Committee; Cecily Nabors, Publicity Committee. • New Nominating Committee: Helen Patton, Chair; Peter Mann, Mike Bowen, Mary-Jo Betts, Barbara Gaffney. • Liaison with Important Bird Areas program: Matt Hafner. • Wind power facility in western Maryland has changed plans, from 23 towers to 12 larger towers; persons interested in dates of hearings should contact Maureen Harvey, maureen.harvey@jhuapl.edu. • The Atlas will again be receiving a $50,000 grant from DNR, tied to matching volunteer hours. • President Janet Millenson and Sanctuary Chair Brent Byers are continuing to explore the pros and cons of the potential Piscataway Sanctuary. • President Janet Millenson seeks Chapter feedback on the idea of a central headquarters for the Society. • The Board warmly applauded Dotty Mumford, retiring from the Board after more than 20 years of service, much of that time as Sanctuary Chair. Dotty will continue to play an active role at Irish Grove. • The Board agreed to reprint Field Checklists. WAISTTBID: Fran Saunders, Director o f MOS’s award- winning web site, is looking for one or two persons to train as ker backup and eventual replacement. This is a stellar opportunity to learn a valuable skill at tbe bands of an expert. You can contact Fran at fcsaunders(5)worldnet. att.net. September/October 2005 11