JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 'ellowthroat Newsletter of the Maryland Ornithological Society VOL. 33, NO. 1 // President’s Corner by Maureen F. Harvey F irst, I want to thank two of our outstanding but outgoing volunteers for their many years of service to MOS. Janet Millenson, a Past MOS President, has served as our Communication Chair, herding cats for the most part, to ensure continuity in MOS publications and the MOS website. Thank you, Janet, for working with the various folks involved and trying to keep things moving along and transitioning to newer technologies. Helen Horrocks, a real behind-the-scenes trooper, has efficiently and effectively managed the membership and mailing list databases for many years, collected and distributed mail from our PO box, and sent welcome packets to new members. Thank you, Helen, for doing such a fine job that we took your efforts for granted; you kept the lists accurate and up-to-date, and made sure the printers had them on time for mailings. Did you know that MOS participates in workplace giving campaigns under the EarthShare umbrella? Since, at present, MOS does not have an EarthShare Representative, it falls upon the President to manage the annual paperwork. It’s worth the effort because we have received generous contributions from this funding source. One of the boxes that I checked in the application package states, “I certify that the organization named in this application is a human health and welfare organization providing services, benefits, or assistance to, or conducting activities affecting human health and welfare. The services, benefits, assistance, or program activities affecting human health and welfare provided in calendar year 2012 are reflected in Attachment A” Are you surprised that our activities are categorized under human health and welfare? Attachment A to the EarthShare application says, in part, “The Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS) is a nonprofit, statewide organization of people who are interested in birds and nature. It was founded in 1945 and incorporated in 1956 to promote the study and enjoyment of birds. MOS promotes knowledge about our natural resources, and fosters its appreciation and conservation. The Society also maintains a system of sanctuaries to encourage the conservation of birds and bird habitat, and to help record and publish observations of bird life. Local chapters throughout the state offer field trips, bird counts, and conservation projects for members and guests. Lively and informative programs complement regular meetings where members and guest speakers share their knowledge and expertise.” So much about MOS is encapsulated in those few words! Mentally and sometimes physically stimulating, these activities give us a sense of purpose and a connection to our natural world, essential for our health and wellbeing. Did you know that: MOS chapters conducted over 100 field trips open to the public in locations across the state this year? Conducted a week-long course on Field Research in the World of Birds in June at Washington College for three teachers and nine youths? Provided scholarships to five teachers or outdoor educators to attend Hog Island Audubon Nature Reserve in Maine this past summer? Provided grants to a post-doctoral Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center researcher and a U of MD PhD candidate, both studying birds in MD? Provided support via no-cost housing at MOS’ Irish Grove Sanctuary to field researchers during the second season of Maryland’s Tidal Marsh Bird Survey? I’m sure you know that MOS encouraged and supported MD youth birders through the YMOS division. Is it enough to say, yes, that’s MOS, and I’m glad to be a member? Well, no, it isn’t enough; consider this another call to action. The organization will only be able to continue to make a difference in the State, in your community, with volunteers who are willing to put in some time and effort to keep MOS and its chapters relevant and vital. We need you, and you can make a difference! Please contact me (president@mdbirds.org or 410-795-3117) to volunteer or ask more about what is expected for the positions listed below. The open positions are: Inside This Issue President’s Corner 1 MOS Conference 2013 2 50 Year Members Wanted 2 Duck Workshop 2 ABC Roundtable 3 YMOS News 5 Chapter Chatter 5 Louis DeMouy Tribute 7 Birds of Note 8 MOS Calendar 9 Record’s Committee 15 Audubon Scholarships 15 Communications Chair Development/Publicity EarthShare Representative Investments Long-range Planning Mailing Lists 2 The Maryland Yellowthroat 2013 MOS Conference Edgewood, Harford County May 24-26 The Holidays are over. It is time to make plans to attend our Harford MOS Conference this May. The registration brochure will be in the mail by the second week in January. Because there were so many problems with mail delivery last year, John Christy, MOS webmaster, will also have the registration brochure available on the MOS website, www.mdbirds.org. There are many things to anticipate. Harford County is a wonderful birding area that many of us overlook. FIELD TRIPS: Dennis Kirkwood (newarkfarms@gmail.com) will be arranging field trips with a possible kayak or canoe trip. There will be trips to Susquehanna State Park, Perryman Peninsula, Swan Harbor, Harford Glen, Eden Mill, Gunpowder Falls State Park, along with many other location. And of course there will be lister’s trips. Dennis is in need of field trip leaders; contact him if you can help. KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dave Ziolkowski is a long-time Harford Bird Club member, and also an MOS Research Chair plus being a wildlife biologist at the USGS’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. On Friday night his topic will be “Counting those who count on us. . . but are you sure the numbers really talk sense?” Knowing Dave, it will be a lively and interesting talk. Particularly in view of helping us making important decisions on environmental issues related to birds. WORKSHOP: Mark Johnson, past MOS President, will conduct a Warbler ID workshop Friday afternoon. There will be a follow- up field trip for twenty lucky birders. Sign up for it when you fill out your conference registration form. SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE: Jean Wheeler Gswheeler3@ verizon.net) is handling the auction and raffle. Proceeds will go to the Harford Land Trust. Bring donations to Jean on Friday at the conference. If you are unable to attend but wish to make a donation, contact Jean. Also, she is looking for volunteers to help man the silent auction area during Friday and Saturday. NATURE STORE: We are lucky to have Matt Mathias of the Audubon Naturalist Society Bookshop (ANS of Montgomery County) return this year. He came to our 2012 winter conference in Ocean City with an amazing variety of bird-related items. He promises to do so again this year. PIN CONTEST: Final Alert for the Conference Pin Contest. Artists wishing to submit their entries must get them to Ellen Lawler by January 17,2013. Send the entries to Ellen Lawler, 412 Monticello Ave., Salisbury, MD 21801. If you have questions, contact her at emlawler@salisbury.edu or 410-546-9056. Don’t forget the Wine & Cheese Social on Saturday evening. The Research Papers will also be on display during the Wine & Cheese Social. Of course, I know you all look forward to the MOS Annual Business Meeting Saturday night! We always finish up with a tally of birds seen during the weekend conducted by Bob Ringler at the end of Sunday lunch. So please come join us for a fun weekend with good birding at outstanding locations. Don’t hesitate to contact me with questions. Come to the conference and join in the fun. I look forward to seeing you in May. Janet Shields, Conference Chair janetbill@prodigy.net or 410-901-1036 Mark Your Calendars - Duck Workshop February 8 and 9 - Ocean City Derek Stoner, Conservation Project Coordinator for the Delaware Nature Society, will again offer his workshop on Ducks of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Derek got rave reviews when he gave this presentation at the MOS conference last year so the State-wide Education Committee (that’s me!) decided a repeat is in order. We’ll hold the workshop at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront, 6600 Coastal Highway, Ocean City. The lecture portion will begin at 6:00 pm on Friday, February 8, followed by a field trip at 7:00 am the following morning, Saturday, February 9. The Holiday Inn is offering a special rate of $69 a night. They will honor that rate for another night if anyone wishes to extend their stay in Ocean City for the weekend. Call the Holiday Inn at (410) 524-1600 to make a reservation. Be sure to mention you are with the MOS group to receive the special rate. To reserve space in the workshop, send a check for $20 for each participant, made payable to Maryland Ornithological Society, to Maryanne Dolan, 104 Milestone Road, Elkton, MD 21921. If you have any questions, I can be reached at (410) 398-7567, or via email at maryanne. dolan@gmail. com. 50-Year Members Wanted For the last few years we have recognized those people who have been a continuous member of the Maryland Ornitho- logical Society for 50 years. We will do this again at our annual convention. So, if you know or believe that you first joined MOS in 1961 or 1962 and have kept up your mem- ber ship continuously since then, we would like to recognize your loyalty to the Society. Please send your name and ad- dress to: Don Messersmith, 3158 Gracefield Road, Apt. 322, Silver Spring, MD 20904. Don Messersmith MOS Historian January /February 2013 3 ABC Roundtable on Migrating Bird Conservation by Maureen F. Harvey and Paul A. Zucker On October 24, 2012, the authors represented MOS at the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) Roundtable on Migrating Bird Conservation held at the National Wildlife Visitor Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge. Additional MOS members - including Chandler Robbins, Dave Ziolkowski, and Mike Callahan - attended to represent other organizations. The meeting began with a series of introductory and inspirational speeches to help focus the attendees’ efforts during the follow-on breakout sessions. The first speech was a call to action by ABC President George Fenwick. He stated that we need to overcome our “let’s take a walk in the woods” persona and fight for birds. The community has learned much about bird migration and the need for protection of stopover areas along migration routes, but now it’s time to take action on that knowledge to make a real difference. Thus, this ABC conference was going to be different from past conferences which were used to disseminate knowledge. This time conferees would split into small groups to take advantage of the available expertise for discussions on how best to proceed (i.e., what next steps are needed) to focus limited resources on making a difference to birds during their long and stressful twice annual migrations. Claude Gascon of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) spoke next. He stated that the community needed to shift to a bottom-up approach that would focus first on saving species and second on saving physical places. While it is true that 80% of species endangerment was due to habitat loss, and even small remnants of habitat can help improve survival rates, taking a hemispheric view with a full life cycle approach would in the long run result in better outcomes. This means going beyond habitat acquisition to habitat restoration. He mentioned two successful programs that are working from this perspective - Zero Extinction Alliance and NFWF Seabird Keystone initiative to speed up large scale efforts on multiple islands that benefit many species. Brad Bortner, Chief of the Division of Wildlife Management of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), stated that we need to work at all scales - hemispheric, continental, and local landscapes. Grant programs with USFWS coordinators provide funding for local level efforts by multiple small groups. He cited many successful past and current joint ventures, but would like to seek new opportunities to build relevancy with the public, such as new urban refuges that would reach and teach new constituents to foster better understanding and support for conservation programs. USFWS must remain flexible, seek new funding sources, and work better with other groups. As such, a new communications strategy is needed to engage the human dimension, improve how programs interface with the public to reach target audiences and get the desired response. There’s also a need to clarify common terminology across the community of organizations working on these issues. How can we identify industrial development issues and influence support for migratory bird conservation? For example, the Mayor of Vancouver, BC, has established a program focused on bird conservation to help improve the life experience in poorer urban neighborhoods. This came about because a graduate student’s study on avian diversity showed greater diversity in the richer neighborhoods. There is also a need to focus on human-caused bird mortality. Peter Marra, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Research Scientist, stated a need to study birds in the context of full life cycles. He said that in many studies of animal ecology cyclical effects (e.g., tides, day/night circadian patterns, seasonal effects) are not considered. This is because most research is conducted during the breeding season, which is a small portion of the life cycle. This happens because it is hard to do research throughout the annual cycle (expensive and time consuming), but it gives the false impression that only breeding activity matters. There is a need for breeding, migration, and winter data for a fuller understanding of the survival limitations and the need for regulation. Furthermore, this life cycle knowledge should be developed for the various populations of a given species. Recognizing the need for a better resource of bird banding data from initial captures and recaptures, an atlas is now being compiled. In addition, we should compile morphological variation, molecular markers (genuine research needed for this), devices to detect isotopes, geo-locators to improve migratory connectivity, etc., because fundamental science helps pinpoint effective conservation actions. Let’s look beyond the trends to identify the underlying causes. Conservation decisions need to be science-based and strategic. In conclusion, we should quantify migratory connectivity for all North American species, conduct more full-life-cycle studies, miniaturize satellite transmitters, and apply full-life-cycle biology to policy and outreach efforts. Following the introductory speeches, Maureen attended a breakout session on Policy Issues on Shorebirds, and Paul attended one on What Limits Populations of Migratory Birds -A Life Cycle Analysis. Policy Issues on Shorebirds. Darin Schroeder, ABC’s VP of Conservation Advocacy, gave the history of shorebird hunting regulations and spoke of today’s challenges, which include habitat destruction and land use changes (including free-ranging pets, feral animals, off-road vehicle [ORV] use, recreation and hunting), climate change causing habitat loss and effecting food sources, avian disease, increased native and non-native predators, and changes in food supply. Public support is required to make the legal policies (e.g., Clean Air Act, cap-and- trade systems) work effectively. Better and more bird-friendly policies are needed for impacts of second tier threats (e.g., pharmaceutical pollution, nanoparticles from mining and micro plastics, beach grooming and replenishment). Scott Johnston, USFWS’s NE Region Nongame Migratory Bird Coordinator, wants to “turn conservation planning on its ear” by using a business strategy approach that takes a broader view rather than a regional approach. However, he recognizes that it is difficult to cover from the high arctic to Tierra del Fuego. Funding is a huge limitation partly because the Office of Management of the Budget (OMB) wants measurable outcomes (e.g., species removed from the endangered species list). This led to the keystone species initiatives (e.g., predator controls were shown to continued on page 4 4 The Maryland Yellowthroat ABC Roundtable continued from page 3 increase breeding success of oystercatchers and piping plovers). A tactical conservation concept was developed to include people, partners, and actions in a way that will get more buy-in and ownership from participants. In future, we need more partners from Central and South America. Public sentiments abound to reduce compliance with existing laws - people love their ORVs, pets, and Chincoteague ponies more than birds. Los Angeles has an effective beach-use campaign to protect nesting shorebirds - “run, swim, and play from 50 yards away”. Even reluctant public acceptance is important; we should tell the whole story to give the full picture of what’s at stake. What Limits Populations of Migratory Birds - A Life Cycle Analysis. The panel consisted of George Wallace, ABC, as moderator; Peter Marra, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Rosa Vidal Rodriguez, Director of Pro Natura Sur (Mexico); and Pablo Elizando, Director of Costa Rica Bird Conservatories. Marra made the suggestion that there should be a “d-bird” data base containing information about finds of dead birds. He thought that it would be possible to obtain detailed tracking data for a prioritized list of migrants in as little as 3-5 years. To reach this goal there should be increased organization and funding in the research community. Rodriguez mentioned that in Mexico there is not a perception that migratory birds are threatened. This attitude is present in researchers as well as in the general public (perhaps because there are abundant resident birds?). She stressed closer collaboration with the United States on life cycle data, especially since forest fragmentation and degradation are continuing. Elizando raised the concern that in Central America there are several countries, each with its own culture, conservation mechanisms, and threats to birds. In these countries there is a need to partner with industry, politicians, and local communities to achieve progress. After lunch and short field trips at Patuxent, we reconvened to hear informative talks by several scientists on their conservation work. A cooperative effort in the Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands among ABC, Pro Natura, and the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory shared expertise in conservation science and leveraged funding in excess of $1 million to protect, manage, and restore habitat in Valles Centrales in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Efforts are needed to engage landowners, facilitate habitat projects, increase and expand alliances, expand conservation evaluation (are we effective?). Species of concern include Worthen’s Sparrow, Sprague’s Pipit, Long-billed Curlew, Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Mountain Plover. The presentation ended with this thought: “Conservation begins with a conversation. Landowners are key to preserving species.” Following the post-lunch speeches, Maureen attended a breakout session on Building Support and Engaging People , and Paul attended Preparing for the Effects of Climate Change on Birds. Building Support and Engaging People. Gavin Shire, ABC VP of Communications, stated a need to educate decision makers, law makers, and key stakeholders on policy issues by providing rationale and a solution-based message. Issues mentioned were funding for the National Migratory Bird Conservation Agency and problems of public misinformation regarding Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) programs for feral cats. To engage more of the public, we need to raise the profile of under-recognized issues, presenting both the problem and solutions. We also should highlight successes. Major paths available include press releases to media and subscribers of e-mail list services, e-mail newsletters, and social media. Alicia King, USFWS Urban Migratory Bird Program Communications Coordinator, stated that a poll indicated people generally felt the birds’ needs are not urgent, they don’t know what they can do, and need guidance. Alicia enlightened us with the required chain of changes that would lead to success: awareness (knowledge change) leads to concern (attitude change), then to ability (education and skills acquired) which leads to action (behavior change). Ashley Dayer, doctoral candidate from Cornell Lab of Ornithology, stated there’s an implementation gap - knowing what is needed but not doing it, where science is failing to inform conservation practices - and this breakdown is attributed to human resistance to change (i.e., failure to change behavior). ABC’s Bird Conservation Alliance Director Steve Holmer spoke about the economic and agricultural benefits of birds; this must be better conveyed to legislatures to ensure funding. It’s also important to contact them to let them know you care about birds. Donnie Dann (Illinois Wildlife) stated the annual USFWS State of the Birds report is useful for many purposes and its lead paragraph makes their importance clear. Wildlife folks are generally averse to controversy and must overcome this personality trait to get attention and press coverage. Preparing for the Effects of Climate Change on Birds. The panel consisted of David Wiedenfeld, ABA, as moderator; Benjamin Thatcher, Landscape Conservation Cooperatives in the US Fish and Wildlife Service; Greg Butcher, Wings across America, USDA Forest Service; and John Sauer, Wildlife Biologist in the US Geological Survey. This session was largely discussion between the audience and the panelists, who said the purpose of the session was to solicit ideas. There was mention of the models for climate change and the need to have more detailed models for specific regions. This is a difficult challenge since the model predictions become more uncertain as the region size decreases. Of particular interest are the species that are most threatened, including those in coastal wetlands, tundra, or at high altitudes. With changing migration patterns and nesting locations, land conservation and bird protection strategies have to become changeable as well. Emphasis was placed on the requirement for good data on bird wintering grounds in the neotropics, particularly since this region is predicted to change and to become drier. Next Event Planned. At the final gathering, ABC’s Migratory Bird Program Director Andrew Rothman announced that the fifth convening of Partners in Flight in its 20 years of existence is being planned from 26 to 28 August 2013 in Snowbird, Utah. The conservation issues and priorities from the breakout sessions will be incorporated into the agenda of that meeting. Further notes on all the breakout sessions and copies of the presentations are available at http://www. birdconservationalliance.org/meetings/oct2012.html. January /February 2013 5 YMOS News By George Radcliffe Announcing the 2013 YMOS Birdathon The fifth (yes, fifth!) YMOS Birdathon will take place Saturday and Sunday, 16 and 17 March 2013. This is the principal fund raiser for youth programs of the MD Ornithological Society. You will note that the Birdathon takes place around a very familiar holiday: Yes, 15 March is the day the Buzzards return to Hinkley, OH! This is the 2013 Birdathon’s first call for per species pledges of support. The YMOS Birdathon is not just an attempt to rack up a big species list on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The youth approve in advance a difficult “Must-See” list of 100 species, a list that changes every year. Each Must-See species missed requires the youngsters to see two additional species, one to make up for the miss and one as a penalty. At Birdathon’s end, the penalties are deducted from the grand total of species seen to produce a net species total. This is the total to which a per species pledge is applied. In addition, we ask each donor to double their per species pledge for each species over 100 in the net total. These rules make the second day a real challenge as the youngsters have to decide between going after a difficult Must- See and attempting to locate other easier to find birds. They leam a lot about what particular habitats offer the most promising prospects. The excitement mounts as the day progresses and, hopefully, the number of missed Must-See’s dwindles to ensure a net total of 100 or more species. As evidence of the challenge, in 2012 the gang achieved a net total of only 97 species. Although they actually identified 105 species, they saw only 92 of their Must-See’s. A coastal fog and early waterfowl departure both took their toll. How on earth do you miss Sanderling? Well, 2013 will present new challenges. Crossbills, anyone? Funds earned in the Birdathon are applied to youth participation in the annual World Series of Birding (WSB) team competition at Cape May, NJ in May and to additional scholarships for the summer workshop, Maryland Birds and Bird Habitats, at Washington College. This May, the YMOS may fledge not one but up to three teams in the WSB, one each at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Young birders in the latter two teams are seasoned experts, most having survived a plethora of field trips, past Birdathons, and previous WSB competitions. The young upstarts in the elementary team really do not require much seasoning as they already have shown good taste in electing to represent the MOS at the Cape May competition. Last year, the Birdathon raised nearly $2,000 for the YMOS. Please consider a pledge of $0.25, $0.50, $0.75, or $1.00 per species. Each person who pledges will receive an advance copy of the Must-See list. Email your pledges to: Wayne Bell, MOS former president wbell2@washcoll.edu or George Radcliffe, YMOS chair, radclifg@gmail.com Shortly after the Birdathon, we will let you know how this enthusiastic group did and where to send your donation. It is not too early to wish them luck! Finally, as mentioned above, we want to remind you of the Maryland Birds and Habitats Summer Programs for Students and Educators, June 23 - 28, 2013 at Washington College. Application information is found at www.ymos.org. Please consider deserving youth and encourage and help them apply. Thank you very much for your support and encouragement, ALLEGANY &GARRETT COUNTY Allegany & Garrett Counties’ chapter acknowledged Bill Devlin ’s 40 years of service to the Club at our annual banquet, on November 3rd. Bill has maintained the Blue Bird Trail at Carey Run for 40 years! Maureen Harvey , who was attending the banquet and was also presenting the program on Borneo (along with Dave), congratulated Bill as well on behalf of MOS. Bill has named Adam & John Rossi to continue his good work on the Blue Bird Trail! Thanks again, Bill, for all you have done for the Carey Run Blue Bird Trail! Mary Huebner ANNE ARUNDEL Addendum In the summary of Peter Hanan ’s Ecuador trip published last issue, I neglected to mention an important event which occurred on that trip. George DuBois (Frederick County), saw his 1000th life bird, an Ochre-breasted Antpitta. I regret the omission. Congratulations George! Jean Wheeler From September 4 through 1 7, 20 1 2 1 travelled to beautiful Turkey and Greece. I was joined by Kathy Neugebauer, a former MOS member, along with some new bird-watching friends we met on our International Expeditions trip (www.ietravel.com/). The focus of the tour was history and archaeology, but birders always drag binoculars and bird books. Luckily for me, I found a “Birds continued on page 6 6 The Maryland Yellowthroat Chapter Chatter continued from page 5 of the Middle East” and “IBird, UK” for my IPod. In Istanbul we saw Carrion Crows, Magpies, Rock Doves and Laughing Doves, a lifer for me. The Hagia Sofia Museum was spectacular and the shining star of our adventure. We then embarked for a seven day cruise on the fabulous small ship, the Panorama II. We sailed along the coast of Turkey and visited some Greek Islands. At the historic site of Lydae, we had a wonderful view of a Hoopoe. Even though I had seen one before, he was breathtaking and my personal favorite on the trip. On many of the islands we saw Coal Tits, Great Grey Herons, Great White Egret, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, Long-legged Buzzard, Great Grey Shrike and European Kestrels. On the Island of Rhodes we watched Pallid Swifts do their aerobatics. At the wonderful Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum, we were entertained by Jackdaws and some domesticated peahens and peachicks. We also observed Jays, Yellow-legged Gulls, Greenfinch, Pied Wagtails and Northern Wheatears. The trip was, I thought, to be a once in a lifetime, but I think I shall go back and do a more leisurely tour of the area and look for a chance to explore more natural settings and have some time to roam. The residents of both Turkey and Greece were hospitable and the food was delicious. By far, the history and mythology of this ancient region is the magnet that will bring me back for more exploration. Life birds will be the icing on the cake. Kim Hudyma HARFORD COUNTY Club member Phil Powers was recently recognized by Harford County as one of our “Most Beautiful People” nominees. No, not for his handsome demeanor, but for his many hours of volunteer service, mostly on behalf of birds and birding. Phil is a regular leader of field trips for the Harford Bird Club and serves on our field trip committee. He spends two mornings a week at the Harford Glen Environmental Center helping with a bird banding demonstration for fifth graders in the school system’s environmental education residential program. He also serves on the volunteer Board for the Anita Leight Estuary Center in Edgewood where he leads bird walks and pontoon boat trips into the Otter Point Marsh. In addition, Phil volunteers at several area nursing homes and the Harford Senior Center where he entertains the “troops.” He does all this while being a Pop-Pop to his grandchildren and helping his wife with the care of their 90+ year old mothers. The award is a small but significant honor for a very generous man. Congratulations, Phil! Dennis Kirkwood HOWARD COUNTY In October Kathie and Ralph Lillie spent a long weekend visiting his sister’s new condominium in Tampa, Florida. A member of the Howard County Bird Club for several years now, Kathie is still a novice birder and her companions were all non-birders. The group visited Honeymoon Island State Park, which has a fine beach and is listed as one of the premier birding spots of Florida. There were Laughing Gulls, sandpipers, and smaller shore birds that Kathie had trouble identifying. She decided she really needs to spend much more time lounging comfortably on a nice warm, sunny beach in order to learn shore birds. The highlight of this day occurred about 3 PM on the Nature Trail when the group heard two Great Horned Owls “talking” softly to each other, and Kathie was able to find them tucked up high in a tall pine tree. The next day Kathie and Ralph visited neighboring Caladesi Island State Park ($14 per person ferry ride from Honeymoon Island). There, next to the ferry ramp, was an exquisite Green Heron perched on an Evinrude motor. Double- crested Cormorants and Osprey decorated just about every post. Along the inner ferry channel they saw various herons, egrets and a Belted Kingfisher. The most curious sight was about 20 gulls engaged in a wild, chaotic, midair grab & snatch involving a bulky, rectangular object which turned out to be a Snickers candy bar. The jubilant winner finally flew off down the beach with the prize and things settled down. The condominium in Tampa where Ralph and Kathie stayed backs up to wetlands. One morning on the roof of the building was a Wood Stork, a life bird for Kathie. It was only a short visit to Florida, but a satisfying one. Kathie Lillie MONTGOMERY COUNTY Stephanie Lovell writes: “The idea for an American Birding Association ‘Birding Rally’ at Cape Charles, Va. (Oct 17-21, 2012) belongs to George Armistead, newly hired as Events Coordinator for the ABA. This was his first Rally and he plans many more around the country. He also plans to rejuvenate the Institute for Field Ornithology (IFO) sessions in various parts of the country, notably Albuquerque and Philadelphia in coming weeks and a North Carolina pelagic institute next spring. I attended the Kiptopeke rally, arriving a day late to join the Hawk Watch group on the platform on Wednesday where we were treated to fly-bys of Cooper’s, Sharp-shinned, Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks. One Cooper’s stooped right into the waiting net to be banded. The group, which was limited to 60 people, enjoyed evening Happy Hours, and delicious dinners catered by the Norfolk Grille. On each of the days we were divided up and had morning and afternoon excursions to various birding sites in the area, including Fisherman’s Island, Kiptopeke State Park, Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, and a wonderful boat trip with Broadwater Bay Ecotours through a salt marsh where we saw a host of Oystercatchers and many shorebirds. Fletcher Smith of the William & Mary Center for Conservation Biology led an exciting demonstration of banding Nelson’s and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows where some brave participants in hip boots helped drive them into the mist nets. A trip to Chincoteague and its beaches was included, plus stops on Phil Powers continued on page 7 January /February 2013 7 Chapter Chatter continued from page 6 all the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel islands. There was an impressive group of leaders, at least two for every van, who were most helpful and informative. Perhaps the most unusual bird seen during the Rally was an Audubon’s Warbler. All-in-all it was a very successful experience and I hope the precursor of many more such adventures. For a slide show of the event, check out this url; http://american-birding.smugmug.com/Events/ABA- Kiptopeke-Virginia-Birding/” . Tom Marko , our expatriate club member, recently transitioned from sushi and sake to schnitzel and schnapps. After 4 years of living in Okinawa, he and his wife Joanne decided it was time to say Sayonara to Japan and Willkommen to Germany. They are now living near the Bavarian city of Ansbach where his wife is working with US Forces families stationed there. Tom noted that Bavaria is a beautiful and historically rich region of rolling hills covered with farms, forests and picture perfect postcard villages all leading to the German Alps in the south. He added “What’s not to like about going to a country with cobblestone streets, beautiful architecture, delicious food, great beer and wine and, of course, unfamiliar birds?” Chris Wright TALBOT COUNTY In June, Charles Hopkins along with Paul and Priscilla Thut joined Sue and Dave Palmer for a great week in Colorado. The Palmers were excellent guides and we enjoyed beautiful scenery and great birds. Our favorite find was the White-tailed Ptarmigan in Rocky Mountain National Park. In October, Tucker Dalton joined the Thuts in Jennings, Louisiana at the “Yellow Rails and Rice Festival.” We rode on the combines during the rice harvest and enjoyed the Yellow Rails, Soras, and Virginia Rails that flushed ahead of the combine. This is a “Not- to-miss” festival! Charles Hopkins attended the Monterey Bay Birding Festival in California in September and enjoyed his trip. Priscilla Thut Louis D. DeMouy (1940-2012): A Tribute Lou DeMouy, one of the best-known and admired birders in the Greater Washington area, passed away on November 8, 2012, after a long battle with mesothelioma, a rare cancer in the lining of the lung. He leaves Jane, his wife of 47 years, three daughters, and four grandchildren. Family, colleagues, and friends attended a funeral home viewing and funeral mass a week later. Lou was that relatively rare local commodity, a through-and- through native Washingtonian. He attended Gonzaga College High School in DC and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Georgetown University. He served two years in the U. S . Army, after which he worked in the Navy Department, the U. S . Commerce Department, the MNCPPC , the Securities Industry Association, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. In 1975, Lou started a long and successful professional career in the Federal Energy Administration, which later became the U.S. Department of Energy. His division analyzed and published data relied upon by governments and the oil industry around the world. Lou traveled widely and became an internationally known and respected expert on energy statistics. After retirement from federal service, he became an in-demand professional consultant. He was extremely well liked by his colleagues and by those who worked for him. One told me that “he was by far the best boss I ever had.” As we birders know firsthand, Lou was the most charming and gracious human being there could be. His smile was gentle, but warm and genuine, and his wry sense of humor infectious. Of course, those of us in the Montgomery Bird Club knew him primarily as a birder. He served the club as a chapter director from 1992 to 1994, as president from 1994 to 1996, and then as state director from 1996 to 1998. In 2003 he was the Guest of Honor at the chapter’s March Social, at which his many contributions to the chapter were formally recognized. At the state level, he served for several years as the manager and coordinator of the MOS Annual Conference, making arrangements with hotels and birding sites and setting up the necessary committees. Lou was active too in the Audubon Naturalist Society, and took part in the yearly “Bloomin’ Birdathon” to raise money for ANS programs — as recently as May 2012 he saw 78 species, even though his health was failing. He was a long-time sector coordinator for the annual Washington, DC, Christmas Bird Count, and for the Sugarloaf Mountain CBC in Montgomery and Frederick Counties. There could be no more delightful companion on a day’s birding in the field. Lou got a kick out of seeing and hearing even common local birds, and his wide range of interests made for interesting and stimulating conversation during those periods when the birds became quiet. Indeed, there was much more to Lou DeMouy than a birder and energy information expert. He was a keen runner, completing four Marine Corps Marathons and annual Army 10-milers and Cherry Blossom 10-milers until poor health made it impossible. He was an avid reader, fascinated by all aspects of conservation, and was a whole-hearted and knowledgeable fan of our local professional sports teams. For five years he was a reading mentor in DC continued on page 8 Lou DeMouy The Maryland Yellowthroat Lou DeMouy continued from page 7 schools, winning an award in the Everybody Wins program. He also volunteered in his church’s food pantry program. It is terribly hard to have to bid goodbye to Lou. Perhaps the best way to say it is to use the phrase he always said at the conclusion of our phone conversations: “Take care.” Take care, Lou. Michael Bowen Montgomery Bird Club Birds of Note — by Les Roslvmd Yes indeed! This year has certainly turned out to be a BIG IRRUPTIVE YEAR! Way back in August the stream of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES started pouring in. One PINE SISKIN showed up in late August, and there were two separate reports of RED CROSSBILLS in early September. That turned out to be only the beginning. Over the past two months much of Maryland has been blanketed with PINE SISKINS while the RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES have dug in and stayed. Then the great joy of EVENING GROSBEAKS came to our state, followed by a delightful sprinkling of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and RED CROSSBILLS, and most recently by two sightings of COMMON REDPOLLS. What a year! • The first October report of a PINE SISKIN came from Elkton in Cecil County where on Oct 1 Sean McCandless heard one calling overhead in the morning before it made a single circle and then flew away on a southward route. Four days later, Patricia Rose of Callaway, St. Mary’s County reported 3 SISKINS outside her kitchen window. SISKIN swarms started showing up the next day, with over 30 birds reported by Bill Hubick of Pasadena, Anne Arundel County, then 21 on the 9th by Carol Broderick of Salisbury, Wicomico County, 14 on the 22nd by Don Simonson of Damestown, Montgomery County, 195 on the 22nd by Les Roslund of Tunis Mills, Talbot County and finally an estimate of over 350 seen by Jan Reese of Talbot County as the birds departed from Black Walnut Point, Talbot County, on Oct 28th. As of Nov 18 the numbers had dropped substantially, yet many of the birds were still around. • Most years the birders of Western Maryland attain a few EVENING GROSBEAK sightings, but for much of the rest of the state there have been essentially none since 1995. To the great delight of the birding community, that changed this year. The excitement all started on October 21 when EVENING GROSBEAKS were reported very close to the Maryland line in Pennsylvania. Three days later Sean McCandless of Elkton heard the loud and clear calling of five EVENING GROSBEAKS flying over his house. Moments later six more flew by. Next day Eileen Wise found three visiting her feeders at Prettyboy, Baltimore County. The following week one came to a feeder of Russ Ruffing of Woodstock, Howard County; three to the feeders of John Churchill of Frostburg, Allegany County; five to a feeder of Jim Wilson of Queenstown, Queen Anne’s County; and ten to a feeder of Frode Jacobsen of Windsor Mill, Baltimore County. On Nov 3 the first Talbot County EVENING GROSBEAK in this parade came to the home of Donna Tolbert- Anderson of Easton and posed graciously for her photography. On Nov 6 two of the birds (male and female) stopped briefly at the home of Paul and Priscilla Thut near Royal Oak in Talbot County and one came to the home of Les and Carolyn Roslund of Easton for the first day of a three-day stay. The peak event of the EVENING GROSBEAK irruption may have been the visit of ten at the platform feeder of Matt Rogosky on Nov 12. These stayed long enough for some great photographs, but were spooked by something that made them all depart and they did not return. Matt’s home is in Ellicott City, Howard County. The run was short, but what a run it was! Perhaps a few more will still be coming our way. • CROSSBILLS soon joined the 2012 irruption scene in our state. The first recent RED CROSSBILL report was from Sean McCandless, Elkton, Cecil County. Sean heard one calling from his neighbor’s yard early in the morning on Sep 30. The next day, Dan Haas of St. Margaret’s, Anne Arundel County, heard and saw an overhead pass of a RED CROSSBILL while scoping the north cell of the Swan Creek Wetland. Fast-forward to Oct 26 and Kevin Graff reported a male RED CROSSBILL fly-over at the old cemetery on Gunpowder Road north of Hofmanville Road in Parkton, Baltimore County. About a week later, on Nov 4, Matt Hafner was treated to a fly-over by male RED CROSSBILL at Swan Harbor in Harford County. On Nov 5, two more RED CROSSBLLS were seen and heard as they flew past the house of Frode Jacobsen of Windsor Mill, Baltimore County. Frode watched as they disappeared over the rooftops down the street, heading west towards Patapsco Valley. On Nov 6, Jim Wilkinson of Columbia, Howard County, heard a RED CROSSBILL flying overhead above the Columbia Crossing Shopping Center. And the top reported sighting to date was from Bill Hubick of Pasadena who watched, heard and recorded six RED CROSSBILLS as they flew over his house on Nov 12. • WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS have generated three recent reports. On Nov 4, Stephen Davies of Silver Spring, Montgomery County, heard and then saw a lone male bird flying over the Wheaton Branch Stormwater Ponds in Montgomery County. Two days later six of these birds were seen at the Point Lookout (St. Mary’s County) Camp Store and Boat Concession parking lot by Joe Hanfman of Columbia. Joe was helped by an earlier report of a single bird at that site. The most cooperative WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL in the area was seen for several days around Nov 10 at the feeders of Dave Palmer in Easton, Talbot County. This bird provided great viewing because it stayed around feeders that were easily visible from the driveway of the home. • The irruption reports shown above are only a small sample of the visits that actually occurred. This flood of birds brought great joy to many, many birders. With the irruption going so well, leave it to birders to be pulling for the arrival of even more special species. How about some COMMON REDPOLLS? As continued on page 9 January /February 2013 Birds of Note continued from page 8 of this writing there have been two sightings. On Nov 17 John Hubbell of Washington, DC, birding with Dan Small of Queen Anne’s County, turned up a COMMON REDPOLL in Worcester County in the area immediately south of the parking lot of the Assateague Island State Park. Two days later, Ron Gutberlet of Salisbury, Wicomico County, following a tip from Sam Dyke, ventured down to Rumbly in Somerset County where he confirmed another COMMON REDPOLL. This bird was visiting feeders at the home of Joann Wilbur of Rumbly. • Irruption activity was great but was not the only thing occurring in Maryland this fall. SUPERSTORM SANDY brought many unusual birds to the state, and these will surely be described elsewhere. Amongst additional note-worthy sightings have been unusual numbers of CAVE SWALLOWS. The first report was of a dead bird found on Nov 3 by a family group that was passing out Halloween candy. The family told Ron Boyle of Williamsport, Allegany County, and he retrieved the bird, attained verification of the identification, and then forwarded the body to Frostburg University. Though dead, this specimen provides the first evidence that the species has been present in Maryland west of Frederick County. On Nov 5 Mike Burchett and Betsy Bangert found two CAVE SWALLOWS in the company of three TREE SWALLOWS in St. Mary’s County on Long Neck Road. Photos were obtained of these. On Nov 6 Mike Ostrowski of Bowie, Prince George’s County, found a single CAVE SWALLOW flying east over Governor Bridge. The bird was quite high and Rob watched it fly on to Anne Arundel County before it got out of sight. Several other CAVE SWALLOWS were seen at the Turkey Point Hawk Watch in Cecil County on Nov 1 7 by a group of birders led by Matt Hafner of Harford County. Matt provided the report. • And finally, for the second year in a row, Talbot County had a visiting CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD. This one chose the home and garden of Vince and Francine deSanctis of Tilghman Island and first appeared on Nov 15. Since it could be readily seen from the driveway of the home, this bird attracted lots of visitors, and most of them managed glimpses at least, and some even attained excellent photographs. This was a young bird, so it was not considered to be the same one that came to the County in 2011. As of Nov 20 the bird was still regularly visiting the flowers of the yard and also using a feeder that Vince had quickly installed after the bird was first seen. MOS Calemcl ar lam - EeL 2013 Tuesday, January 1 4 CHRISTMAS COUNT. Bowie, MD. Compiler: David Mozurkewich, 301-509-2212, mozurk@bellatlantic.net. pools. Reservations required. Limit: 20. Leader: Mike Bowen, 301-530-5764 or dhmbowen@yahoo.com. Wednesday, January 2 A Baltimore. First Wednesdays at Fort McHenry. A continuing series of monthly morning surveys of bird activity at the Fort and wetland. Scope can be useful. Cancelled in inclement weather. Meet 8 AM in the park, outside the Visitor Center. Leader: Mary Chetelat, 410-665-0769. h Baltimore. Loch Raven. Start the New Year birding. Varied habitats including woods, fields, and the reservoir. Probably also birding other sites for a “Big Day” in Balt City and Co. Meet 8:30 AM along Stone Hill Rd. All cars need to park on the same side of the road. Leader: Kevin Graff, keyweststyle2001@gmail.com or 410-557-2456. Thursday, January 3 MEETING. Frederick. Mike’s Bird Quiz! Your bird identification skills will be challenged as Mike Welch presents a series of photos. 7 PM at Homewood at Crumland Farms (7407 Willow Rd) in Frederick. For info, contact Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660 or Pres@FrederickBirdClub.org. n Harford. Perryman Area. Celebrate the new year/recover from New Year’s Eve by birding the always productive Perryman Area with leader Phil Powers, 410-679-4116 or birdsinmd@ verizon.net. Meet at the Wal-Mart parking lot at 8:30 AM. A Patuxent. Lake Artemesia (Luther Goldman Birding Trail). Joint trip with PGAS. Meet 3 PM at the parking lot at Berwyn Rd and Ballew Ave in Berwyn Heights. No reservations needed. Call David Mozurkewich, 301-509-2212 for more info. h Howard. Start Your 2013 List! Half day. Plan to carpool to different locations to find as many species as possible. The one day of the year where every bird is new! Meet 8 AM at boat ramp of Centennial Park. Expect moderate walking. Possibility of lunch stop depending on the weather. Facilities at some spots. Leader: Bonnie Ott, 410-461-3361. A Montgomery. Earliest Bird Walk, Georgetown Reservoir and DC Hotspots. Half day. Start the New Year right. Meet 8 AM at Georgetown Res., DC, by the gate leading to the dike between the Friday, January 4 MEETING. Anne Arundel. Dan Haas will reveal some of Anne Arundel Co’s birding hotspots and show off his dazzling photography. 7:30 PM at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center, 975 Indian Landing Rd, Millersville. For add’l info contact Barbara Johnson at barbarajohnson222@gmail.com. ft Frederick. First-Friday Trip. Leader and destination TBA. Meet at 8 AM at Culler Lake in Baker Park to join this half- continued on page 10 10 The Maryland Yellowthroat Calendar continued from page 9 day trip. For info, contact Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660 or Pres@ FrederickBirdClub.org. MEETING. Harford. 7 PM at Churchville Presbyterian Church, intersection of Rtes 22 and 136. Program: “Winter birding in South Florida” presented by Debbie Stewart and Friends. Info at newarkfarms@gmail.com or 410-692-5905. Saturday, January 5 4 CHRISTMAS COUNT. Calmes Neck, VA. Compiler: Margaret Wester, 540-837-2799 or margaretwester@hotmail. com. This count includes much of far-western Loudoun as well as Clarke Counties. 4 CHRISTMAS COUNT. Inwood, WV. A count centered near Martinsburg. Compiler: Bob Dean, bobdean52@gmail.com. NOTE: The NOV/DEC issue of the Yellowthroat mistakenly listed this count on January 6. H Anne Arundel. Thomas Point. Dan Haas will lead a trip to Thomas Point and surrounding areas in conjunction with his January 4th AABC speaking engagement entitled “Photographer, Promoter, Dreamer, Falcon Aficionado, Rarity Lover, Birding Fanatic!” Meet at the Parole P&R at 7:30 AM. Leader: Dan Haas, 443-756-6207 or nervousbirds@gmail.com. H Cecil. Eastern Neck NWR, Meet 7 AM near Dunkin’ Donuts in Big Elk Mall, intersection of Rtes 40/213 in Elkton. Leader: Parke John, parke@del.net. H Kent. Eastern Neck NWR. Kick off your birding year with a half-day trip to Eastern Neck NWR for waterfowl, eagles, and winter landbirds. Meet 8 AM at Dollar General Store parking lot, Chestertown. Leaders: Walter Ellison and Nancy Martin, 410- 778-9568 or rossgull@baybroadband.net. ft Patuxent. Fran Uhler NA. Meet 7:30 AM at the end of Lemon Bridge Rd off MD 197, just north of Bowie State U. and the MARC line. No reservations required. If you have questions, contact trip leader Bill Sefton at kiwisuits@msn.com. Sunday, January 6 AUDREY CARROLL MID-WINTER COUNT. Frederick. Meet at the Sanctuary at 6:30 AM. You may want or need waterproof boots. Compiler: David Smith, 410-549-7082. H Tri-County. Ocean City to Cape Henlopen. Searching for winter coastal birds. Bring a lunch. Dress for the weather. Meet 7:30 AM Ward Museum parking lot. Contact leader Sam Dyke, 410-742-5497 for directions and more details. Tuesday, January 8 MEETING. Allegany/Garrett. Topic: “Rare, Threatened and Endangered Birds of Maryland.” Speaker: Jim McCann. 7 PM at Compton Hall, Frostburg State U. Info: Mary Huebner, marybrd22@gmail.com. MEETING. Patuxent. Gull Identification Workshop by Clive Harris. 7:30 PM at the College Park Airport Annex, College Park, MD. For add’l info call David Mozurkewich at 301-509- 2212 or go to http://www.pgaudubon.org/programs.html. Thursday, January 10 MEETING. Howard. “Birding Central Asia: How NOT to Do It,” by Kurt Schwarz. In addition to speaking about birding and ecotourism potentials of Kazakhstan, Kurt, a club member, will relate his birding mis-adventures. Hospitality 7:30 PM; meeting/ program 8 PM at Robinson Nature Center, 6692 Cedar Ln, Columbia. Info: Wes Earp, 410-531-3197. Saturday, January 12 ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY. Carroll. Once again hosted by Splinter and Sue Yingling at 70 Ridge Rd in Westminster. If you’ve never attended before, now’s the time to start. Everyone has a good time. 7:30 PM until ? For more info and to coordinate your potluck dish, contact Sue Yingling at 410-857-0902 or syingling@mac.com. H Harford. Feeder Tour. Join our annual feeder tour to visit the private homes of a few of our members in the Darlington/ Conowingo area to survey avian visitors to their bird feeders. Contact leader Russ Kovach at russell.kovach@gmail.com for details and directions. H Howard. Alpha Ridge Landfill. Reservations required. Carpooling is required. Moderate walking over hills and fields of the landfill. We will search for Short-eared Owls with no guarantee of finding one. Other possibilities are Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Horned Lark, American Pipit, and Eastern Meadowlark. If we finish early, we may go to Mount Pleasant and look for wintering sparrows. Facilities at Alpha Ridge Park. Limited to a maximum of five cars. Contact Joe Hanfman for reservations, aukl844@gmail.com, 410-772-8424. Leader: Ralph Cullison, rociii@cullison.org or 410-442-2181. Sunday, January 13 H Baltimore. Marshy Point Nature Center. Half-day trip for winter waterfowl, raptors, passerines. Half-mile trail leads to point overlooking Dundee Creek. Boots advisable, scopes useful. Meet 9 AM at the nature center. Leaders: Bob Rineer, 410-252- 6408 or rrineerl@jhmi.edu, and Brent and Mary Byers, 410- 626-7294 or baypuffin@hotmail.com. COVERED DISH DINNER AND LECTURE. Baltimore. Tonight’s featured talk: “What I Have Learned from 100,000 Hours of Backyard Bird Banding”, with Chan Robbins. 4:30 PM at the Vollmer Center at Cylbum. Please contact Kevin Graff in advance at keyweststyle2001@gmail.com, to let him know you are coming, and what you plan to bring. FRED ARCHIBALD MID-WINTER COUNT. Frederick. Meet at the sanctuary at 6:30 AM. Dress warmly and wear waterproof boots. Contact Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660 orPres@ FrederickBirdClub.org for info. A Montgomery. Waterfowl for Beginners at Black Hill RP. continued on page 11 January /February 2013 11 Calendar continued from page 11 Learn and review the basics of duck ID at this premiere Mont Co spot for winter waterfowl. The trip will be geared to new birders but all are welcome. Bring a scope if you have one. Meet 7:30 AM at the pull-off next to the south side of Rte 121 bridge. Half day. No reservations needed. For more info contact Dave Powell, 301-540-8776. Wednesday, January 16 MEETING. Montgomery. Speaker: Bob Mumford. Topic: South Georgia Island. 7:30 PM at Potomac Presbyterian Church, 10301 River Rd, Potomac. For more info contact Anna Urciolo at urcioloa@sidwell.edu. Thursday, January 17 ft Caroline. MEETING. Judy Hodges will present: “2012 Trip to Cuba” 7:30 PM, Caroline Co Public Library, 100 Market St, Denton. For more info contact Debby Bennett at dabennettl 996@ gmail.com. ft Patuxent. Lake Artemesia (Luther Goldman Birding Trail). Joint trip with PGAS. Meet 3 PM at the parking lot at Berwyn Rd and Ballew Ave in Berwyn Heights. No reservations needed. Call David Mozurkewich, 301-509-2212 for more info. Saturday, January 19 it Baltimore. Saturday Monitoring Walks at Fort McHenry. Continuing survey of bird activity at the Fort and wetland. Cancelled in inclement weather. Meet 8 AM in the park, outside the Visitor Center. Leader: Wendy Alexander, 410-788-4080. MID-WINTER COUNT. Baltimore. To participate in post- migration bird count in your choice of location in Balt. City or County, call Pete Webb, 443-904-6314 (m) or pete_webb@juno. com. ft Anne Arundel. Conowingo Dam for eagles, gulls, and anything else. Leader: TBD and departure time (from Parole P&R) also TBD; in the meantime, contact Kevin Smith at ravens3077@yahoo.com for info. MID-WINTER COUNT. Carroll. Parties of counters will set their own schedules in their pre-arranged areas, to count resident and late migrant bird species throughout the County. Contact Don Jewell to verify your bird counting area (jewelldg@gmail.com or 410-259-4716). Tally Rally will be hosted by Amy Hoffman at her home. If you will be attending the Tally, please RSVP to Amy at 410-549-3598 and bring a cash donation ($5) or a food item. H Cecil. Ocean City Area. Meet 6 AM near Dunkin’ Donuts in Big Elk Mall, intersection of Rtes 40/213 in Elkton. Prepare for a long and cold day. Leader: Sean McCandless, seanmccandlessl@ comcast.net. ft Frederick. Cambridge and Blackwater NWR. Full-day search for wintering waterfowl. Contact Lois Kauffman, 301-845-6690 for meet time and location. ft Harford. Conowingo Gull/Eagle Watch. Les Eastman (410- 734-6969; les@birdtreks.com) leads this morning survey from Fisherman’s Park just below the Conowingo Dam on the Harford Co side of the Susquehanna. Meet 8 AM to begin the search for Bald Eagles, maybe a Golden Eagle, various gulls, and waterfowl. ft Patuxent. Governor Bridge NA. Joint trip with PGAS. Meet 7:30 AM at the parking lot for Governor Bridge Park. No reservations required. Park is located on Governor Bridge Rd, approximately 1 mile east of MD 301. If you have questions, contact trip leader Bill Sefton at kiwisuits@msn.com. Sunday, January 20 MID-WINTER COUNT. Prince George’s. Interested participants can contact the compiler, Rob Ostrowski at rjostrowski@gmail. com. Tuesday, January 22 POT LUCK DINNER AND MEETING. Washington. Mount Aetna Nature Center. Pot Luck starts at 6 PM. Bring a dish to share along with your own drink, plate, and utensils. Meeting follows at 7 PM with the film “Birds of the Gods.” Call 301-797- 8454 for directions. Saturday, January 26 H Baltimore. Patterson Park. Come see what birding action abounds amid the varied habitats of this green oasis in the middle of Balt. Meet 8 AM at the White House just inside the west edge of the park at intersection of S. Patterson Park Ave and Lombard St. For questions, contact Patterson Park Audubon Center at ppaudubon@gmail.com or 410-558-2473. ft Anne Arundel. Tuckahoe SP and Adkins Arboretum. Leaders: Derek Stone and Hilary Sullivan, hilzsully@gmail.com. Meet at the Bay 50 Shopping Center parking lot (Located off Rte 50 on Whitehall Rd) at 7 AM. MID-WINTER COUNT. Harford. Contact compiler, Rick Cheicante, 410-803-2712 or rickcheicante@cs.com to participate in this opportunity to assess bird life quantity in our area. Feeder counters are especially welcome. ft Kent. Ocean City and Worcester County. Our annual search for winter specialties including gannet, sea ducks, alcids, gulls, Purple Sandpipers, and wintering songbirds. Full day. Dress warmly, bring lunch and warm beverages. Meet 8 AM at Dollar General Store parking lot, Chestertown. Leaders: Walter Ellison and Nancy Martin, 410-778-9568 or rossgull@baybroadband. net. ft Montgomery. Blue Mash. Search for wintering sparrows and raptors. Walk will be around 1.5 miles on grass trails. Waterproof shoes recommended. Targets include Northern Harrier, American Tree Sparrow, and Fox Sparrow. Meet 8 AM at the Blue Mash parking lot along Zion Rd. Limit: 8 participants. For reservations and more info contact Jared Fisher atjared.fisher@gmail.com. Sunday, January 27 MID-WINTER COUNT. Anne Arundel. Take the day off from continued on page 12 12 The Maryland Yellowthroat Calendar continued from page 11 your usual chores and spend the day at your favorite birding spot hunting down and counting all the birds you can find. Contact Kathie Lambert for details at kbert59@yahoo.com. ft Harford. Wild Card Birding Quest. Contact Matt Hafner at 410-971-3203 or hafner.matt@gmail.com to take part in this field trip venture to visit yet to be determined recent birding hot spots! A Patuxent. Local Ponds for Waterfowl. Meet 7:30 AM at the Bowie P&R. For more info, contact Fred Fallon at 410-286-8152 or fwfallon@ymail.com. Friday, February 1 MEETING. Anne Arundel. “How You Can Help Migratory Birds” by Steve Holmer , The American Bird Conservancy, Senior Policy Advisor and Director. 7:30 PM at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center, 975 Indian Landing Rd, Millersville. For add’l info contact Barbara Johnson at barbarajohnson222@gmail.com. Saturday, February 2 ft Cecil. Winter at Fair Hill. Half day. Meet 8 AM at Fair Hill Nature Center, near covered bridge parking lot (fee required, $3 MD residents; $4 out-of-state visitors [bring small bills for honor box]). Enter Fair Hill off of Rte 273 and follow signs to the Nature Center. Leader: Richard Donham, rdonham8@gmail. com. A Harford. Cambridge/Blackwater NWR. Blackwater is one of the most reliable birding locations in the state. Diverse habitat provides a broad variety of species with a focus at this time on wintering waterfowl. Meet at the Rte 155/1-95 P&R at 7 AM. Leaders are Tom Congersky, 410-658-4137 or jnjtcon@ zoomintemet.net and Randy Robertson. MID-WINTER COUNT. Howard. Compilers: Joe Hanfman, aukl844@gmail.com or 410-772-8424 and Joe Byrnes, LBRoller@verizon.net. ft Patuxent. Fran Uhler NA. Meet 7:30 AM at the end of Lemon Bridge Rd off MD 197, just north of Bowie State U. and the MARC line. No reservations required. If you have questions, contact trip leader Bill Sefton at kiwisuits@msn.com. Sunday, February 3 MID-WINTER COUNT. Frederick. Contact David Smith, 410- 549-7082 for more info. Tally Rally afterwards at the Smith’s. ft Montgomery. Winter Waterfowl on the Potomac. Meet 8 AM in the Swain’s Lock parking lot at the end of Swain’s Lock Rd. Bring a scope if you have one. Trip will be canceled if icy conditions along the canal towpath make walking treacherous. Reservations required. For reservations and more info, contact Andy Martin, martinap2@verizon.net or 301-529-2066 (cell). Tuesday, February 5 MEETING. Baltimore. Tuesday Evening Lecture at Cylburn, 4915 Greenspring Ave. Tonight: “Rare, Threatened and Endangered Animals”, with Jim McCann. Doors open at 7 PM for socializing and snacks, show starts about 7:15 PM. Info: Pete Webb, 443-904-6314 or pete_webb@juno.com. Wednesday, February 6 A Baltimore. First Wednesdays at Fort McHenry. A continuing series of monthly morning surveys of bird activity at the Fort and wetland. Scope can be useful. Cancelled in inclement weather. Meet 8 AM in the park, outside the Visitor Center. Leader: Mary Chetelat, 410-665-0769. MEETING. Carroll. On Our Own in Panama Video” by Robert Schaefer. 7:30 PM at South Carroll Senior Center, 5928 Mineral Hill Rd, Eldersburg. Contact Dave Harvey, 410-795-3117 for more info. Thursday, February 7 MEETING. Frederick. Speaker: Greg Kearns. Program: “Brazil’s Pantanal.” 7 PM at Homewood at Cmmland Farms (7407 Willow Rd) in Frederick. For info, contact Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660 or Pres@FrederickBirdClub.org. A Patuxent. Lake Artemesia (Luther Goldman Birding Trail). Joint trip with PGAS. Meet 3 PM at the parking lot at Berwyn Rd and Ballew Ave in Berwyn Heights. No reservations needed. Call David Mozurkewich, 301-509-2212 for more info. Friday, February 8 A Frederick. First-Friday Trip. Leader and destination TBA. Meet at 8 AM at Culler Lake in Baker Park to join this half- day trip. For info, contact Bob Schaefer, 301-831-5660 or Pres@ F rederickB irdC lub . org . Friday and Saturday February 8 to 9 MOS EDUCATION SEMINAR. Duck Workshop. Derek Stoner, Conservation Project Coordinator for the Delaware Nature Society, will again offer his workshop on Ducks of the Mid- Atlantic Region. Derek got rave reviews when he gave this presentation at the MOS conference last year so the State-wide Education Committee decided a repeat is in order. We’ll hold the workshop at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront, 6600 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 410-524-1600. Be sure to mention you are with the MOS group to receive a special rate. The lecture portion will begin 6 PM on Fri, Feb 8, followed by a field trip at 7 AM the following morning. To reserve space in the workshop, send a check for $20 for each participant, made payable to Maryland Ornithological Society, to Maryanne Dolan, 104 Milestone Rd, Elkton, MD 21921 . For add’l info, contact Maryanne at 410-398- 7567 or maryanne.dolan@gmail.com. Saturday, February 9 A Baltimore. Youth Birding at Loch Raven. Ages 8-15 with parent. Waterbirds and landbirds. Possible Bald Eagle, bluebird, and Common Loon. Two-mile level walk. Leader: Marty Brazeau at 410-583-0275 or tropicbirder@verizon.net. Meet 8 AM. Directions for Loch Raven. From 1-695, take exit 27, Dulaney Valley Rd north, go several miles, cross large bridge over reservoir, and bear right immediately. Continue to first left, Stone Hill Rd. Go about 100 yards, turn around, and then park continued on page 13 January /February 2013 13 Calendar continued from page 12 on your right. All cars need to park on the same side of the road. H Carroll. Lower Adams County, PA. Look for waterfowl on the two reservoirs south of Hanover, PA and for landbirds along Kridler’s Schoolhouse Rd. For more info, including meet place and time contact Don Jewell at jewelldg@gmail.com or 410- 259-4716. H Frederick. Frederick County Hot Spots. Half-day trip to search for waterfowl and other winter visitors. Contact Mike Welch at 301-685-3561 for meet place, time, and other trip details. ft Harford. Bradenbaugh Flats. Enjoy a tour through NW Harford Co’s agricultural area to find wintering fieldbirds and waterfowl. Expect Homed Larks, Ring-necked Ducks, with possible Cackling Goose, longspurs, and Snow Buntings. Meet at Jarrettsville ES at 8 AM. The trip ends at the leader’s house with hot soup. Contact Dennis Kirkwood, 410-692-5905 or newarkfarms@gmail.com for further info. ft Patuxent. All day trip to the Eastern Shore. The birds will determine the destination. Meet 7:30 AM at the Bowie P&R. For more info contact Fred Shaffer at 443-926-6457 or glaucousgull@ verizon.net. ft Washington. Fort Frederick and Big Pool. Leave from the Rte 65 P&R at 7:30 AM for a Vz day trip. Leader: Bmce Field, 310-797-6189. Sunday, February 10 it Baltimore. Marshy Point Nature Center. Half-day trip for winter waterfowl, raptors, passerines. Half-mile trail leads to point overlooking Dundee Crk. Boots advisable, scopes useful. Meet 9 AM at the nature center. Leaders: Bob Rineer, 410-252- 6408 or rrineerl@jhmi.edu, and Brent and Mary Byers, 410- 626-7294 or baypuffin@hotmail.com. MID-WINTER COUNT. Kent. Full day. Join the field crew or count in your neighborhood, anywhere in Kent Co. Contact Walter Ellison and Nancy Martin, 410-778-9568 or rossgull@ baybroadband.net. for more info. ft Montgomery. Oaks Landfill, Laytonsville. Bundle up to explore this now-closed landfill adjacent to the Blue Mash Nature Trail. Should be mostly open terrain with some ponds. Possible wintering sparrows, raptors, and waterfowl. Leader will have scope for distant birds. We have special permission to enter this “closed to the public” landfill so reservations are essential. Limit 16. Meet at 8 AM. Contact leader for reservations and more information. Leader: Mark England, 240-207-3132 (h) or 240-375-4500 (m). Tuesday, February 12 MEETING. Allegany/Garrett. Topic: “Bats and White-nose Syndrome.” Speaker: Dan Feller. 1 PM at Compton Hall, Frostburg State U. Info: Mary Huebner, marybrd22@gmail.com. MEETING. Patuxent. Gail Mackiernan will talk about “Birding Bhutan.” 7:30 PM at the College Park Airport Annex, College Park, MD. For add’l info call David Mozurkewich at 301-509- 2212 or go to http://www.pgaudubon.org/programs.html. Thursday, February 14 MEETING. Howard. “The Ten Most Important Things You Can Do For Birds and Bird Conservation,” by PaulJ. Baicich, former employee of the ABA. Hospitality, 7:30 PM; meeting/program 8 PM at Robinson Nature Center, 6692 Cedar Ln, Columbia. Info: Wes Earp, 410-531-3197. Friday to Monday February 1 5 to 18 GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT. Anyone can take part, from novice bird watchers to experts, by counting birds for as little as 15 minutes on one or more days and reporting the sightings online at www.birdsource.org/gbbc/. Add’l online resources include tips to help identify birds, a photo gallery, and special materials for educators. Saturday to Monday February 1 6 to 18 H Carroll. Winter Weekend at the Beach. Meet at the Bombay Hook Visitor’s Center at 1 0 AM. Bird great spots such as Bombay Hook, Indian River and Ocean City Inlets, and West Ocean City Pond for winter waterfowl and other winter residents. Leader: Bob Ringler, 410-303-2792. Contact Bill Ellis at 443-520-8809 to inquire about sleeping space at his house in Ocean City on Sat and Sun nights. A Frederick. Ocean City. President’s Day weekend on the beach. Contact Mike Welch at 301-685-3561 for meet place, time, and other trip details. Saturday, February 16 A Baltimore. Saturday Monitoring Walks at Fort McHenry. Continuing survey of bird activity at the Fort and wetland. Cancelled in inclement weather. Meet 8 AM in the park, outside the Visitor Center. Leader: Ben Poscover, 882-1309 or bposcove@bcpl . net. A Harford. Broad Creek Scout Camp. Explore diverse habitats of this Harford Co treasure for wintering songbirds and possible raptors. Meet at Dublin ES on Rte 136 north of Rte 1 at 8 AM. Leader: Sue Procell, 443-417-4919 or suzanne. a. procell. civ@ mail.mil. A Howard. How to Find an Owl. Meet 1 PM (possibility of birding till dusk) at the Annapolis Rock Rd horse trailer parking lot, midway between Hipsley Mill Rd and Rte 94. Learn how to find owls by habitat and signs. Jay is an expert at finding owls and will share his skills and knowledge as to how to find different species. Contact Jay to sign up so participants can be advised of weather related changes. Our target species are Long-eared, saw- whet, and other owls. No facilities. Leader: Jay Sheppard, JMSheppar@aol.com, 301-725-5559. A Patuxent. Governor Bridge NA. Joint trip with PGAS. continued on page 14 14 The Maryland Yellowthroat Calendar continued from page 13 Meet 7:30 AM at the parking lot for Governor Bridge Park. No reservations required. Park is located on Governor Bridge Rd, approximately 1 mile east of MD 301. If you have questions, contact trip leader Bill Sefton at kiwisuits@msn.com. YMOS. Youth Winter Bird Count. Dorchester County. Beginning to Advanced. 8 AM to 5:30 PM. The group will meet 8 AM at Sailwinds Center immediately across the Choptank River Bridge in Cambridge. We’ll spend time looking at the large array of ducks, before heading south to Blackwater Refuge and Shorter’s Wharf to look for Short-eared Owl and the Rough-legged Hawk. Bring a lunch and money for dinner and plenty of warm clothing. Contact George Radcliff at radclifg@gmail.com for more info and to make a reservation. Sunday, February 1 7 n Cecil. Bombay Hook NWR. Meet 7 AM near Dunkin’ Donuts in Big Elk Mall, intersection of Rtes 40/213 in Elkton. Snow Geese and Ducks. Bring lunch and snacks. Contact Maryanne Dolan, maryanne.dolan@gmail.com for more info. Wednesday, February 20 MEETING. Montgomery. Speaker: Andy Martin. Topic: Listening to and Recording Night Flight Calls - What’s It All About? 7:30 PM at Potomac Presbyterian Church, 10301 River Rd, Potomac. For more info contact Anna Urciolo at urcioloa@ sidwell.edu. Thursday, February 21 Caroline. MEETING. James McPherson will present “Bird Photography in Your Own Backyard.” 7:30 PM, Caroline Co Public Library, 100 Market St, Denton. For more info contact Debby Bennett at dabennettl996@gmail.com. n Patuxent. Lake Artemesia (Luther Goldman Birding Trail). Joint trip with PGAS. Meet 3 PM at the parking lot at Berwyn Rd and Ballew Ave in Berwyn Heights. No reservations needed. Call David Mozurkewich, 301-509-2212 for more info. Saturday, February 23 n Baltimore. Patterson Park. Come see what birding action abounds amid the varied habitats of this green oasis in the middle of Balt. Meet 8 AM at the White House just inside the west edge of the park at intersection of S. Patterson Park Ave and Lombard St. For questions, contact Patterson Park Audubon Center at ppaudubon@gmail.com or 410-558-2473. ft Harford. DE Coast/Ocean City. Meet at the 155/1-95 P&R at 6:30 AM. This trip will visit several hotspots along DE Bay for wintering specialties concluding in MD at Ocean City. Contact Les Eastman for further details at 410-734-6969 or les@ birdtreks.com. n Kent. Chesapeake Farms. Wintering waterfowl, raptors, White-crowned and other sparrows. Half day, bring snacks. Meet 8 AM at Dollar General Store parking lot, Chestertown. Leaders: Walter Ellison and Nancy Martin, 410-778-9568 or rossgull@ baybroadband.net. Sunday, February 24 n Harford. Loch Raven Reservoir. Explore the beautiful surroundings of Balt’s premier watershed for wintering migrant songbirds, waterbirds, and raptors. Meet at the MD 147/152 P&R near Fallston at 7:30 AM. Co-leaders: Dave Larkin, 410-569- 8319 or dlarkin@towson.edu and Phil Powers, 410-679-4116 or birdsinmd@verizon.net. Tuesday, February 26 MEETING. Washington. Program: “The Antietam Battlefield Bluebird Trail” with Judy Lilga. Call 301-797-8454 for further info. 7 PM at the Mount Aetna Nature Center. Friday, March 1 DINNER MEETING. Harford. 6:15 PM for dinner; 7 PM for meeting and program. Program: “Banding Hummingbirds in the Mid- Atlantic Region” presented by Bruce Peterjohn , Director of the Bird Banding Lab at Patuxent Wildlife Center. Get location info and make dinner reservations at newarkfarms@gmail.com or 410-692-5905. YMOS. Deadline to commit to youth World Series of Birding team. Contact George Radcliffe at radclifg@gmail.com if interested. Saturday, March 2 A Harford. Harford Glen. Experience a variety of habitats and a great variety of birds at this neighborhood site. Meet at the Glen (west end of Wheel Rd) at 8 AM. Co-leaders are Dave Ziolkowski, 443-299-8453 or djziolkowski@yahoo.com and Mark Magnani, 410-838-1778 or mmagnani@peoplepc.com. n Howard. Winter Sparrow Search. Explore wetlands and dry fields in this intensive search for as many sparrows as possible. Previous years have turned up non-sparrow rarities! Limit: 12. Expect difficult walking for most of the day. Knee boots a must. Facilities at some spots. Contact Bonnie Ott, bonnieott@verizon. net or 443-285-3302 to sign up and get meet time. MOS. Board Meeting. 10 AM. Hosted by the Baltimore Bird Club. Location TBD. Contact Janet Shields, MOS Secretary at janetbill@prodigy.net or 410-901-1039 for add’l info. A Patuxent. Fran Uhler NA. Meet 7:30 AM at the end of Lemon Bridge Rd off MD 197, just north of Bowie State U. and the MARC line. No reservations required. If you have questions, contact trip leader Bill Sefton at kiwisuits@msn.com. Sunday, March 3 n Howard. Centennial Park. 2-3 hours. Easy walking on paved path around Centennial Lake. Woodlands, fields, and water host a wide variety of species. Great view of the sky for flyovers. Waterfowl expected along with early migrant passerines possible. Meet 8 AM at west end parking lot. Leader: Mike Kerwin, m63kerwin@verizon.net or 410-461-2408. Facilities available. January /February 2013 15 Maryland/DC Records Committee Status Report as of November 20, 2012 by Phil Davis, MD/DCRC Secretary The MD/DCRC has reached the following record decisions since the last committee status report was published in The Maryland Yellowthroat. This report covers MD/DCRC review package 146. MD/DCRC report numbers are in brackets. These records will be addressed in additional detail in a future issue of Maryland Birdlife. New “state” species include Virginia’s Warbler for Maryland. This increases the total number of species on the Official List of the Birds of Maryland to 445. More information on the MD/DCRC can be found on the committee’s web pages at the following URL: http://www.mdbirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html MD Records Accepted: White- faced Ibis, Plegadis chihi [MD/2010-038] Snow Hill, Worcester County 17- Apr-20 10 through 28-Apr-2010 White- faced Ibis, Plegadis chihi [MD/20 11-179] Truitt Landing, Girdletree, Worcester County 04-M-2011 White- faced Ibis, Plegadis chihi [MD/20 12-0 19] Truitt Landing, Girdletree, Worcester County 08-Apr-2012 White- faced Ibis, Plegadis chihi [MD/20 12-023] Fairmount WMA, Somerset County 20-Apr-2012 White- faced Ibis, Plegadis chihi [MD/20 12-041] Newport Bay Drive, Berlin, Worcester County 11 -May-20 12 through 23-May-2012 Barrow’s Goldeneye, Bucephala islandica [MD/20 11 -430] Elms Environmental Education Center, Elms Beach, Saint Mary’s County 18- Dec-2011 through 18-Feb-2012 Bell’s Vireo, Vireo bellii [MD/20 11 -3 87] Assateague State Park, Berlin, Worcester County 08-0ct-2011 Virginia’s Warbler, Oreothlypis virginiae [MD/20 12-009] Pickering Creek Audubon Center, Easton, Talbot County 26-Jan-2012 through 25-Mar-2012 MD Records Not Accepted: Black-capped Petrel, Pterodroma hasitata [MD/20 11-180] Atlantic Ocean, Pelagic Zone, Worcester County 02-M-2011 Brown Booby, Sula leucogaster [MD/2009-071] Assateague Island National Seashore, Berlin, Worcester County 22-M-2009 Barrow’s Goldeneye, Bucephala islandica [MD/20 1 1-127] Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Lexington Park, Saint Mary’s County 21 -Dec- 1996 Green Violetear, Colibri thalas sinus [MD/20 11 -375] West River, Anne Arundel County 5 -Aug-20 11 National Audubon Society Scholarships Editor’s Note: The following came to me, providing information about scholarships available from the National Audubon Society for Programs at Hog Island during 2013. These are in addition to those available from MOS, which are restricted to teachers, naturalists, or state, federal park or refuge folks. Please note the application deadline. News Release: Hog Island Audubon Camp Scholarships are available for the legendary 6-day, 5-night birding and nature programs at the Audubon Camp in Maine on Hog Island. The application deadline is January 15th for National Audubon Society Scholarships. 2013 camp instructors include Kenn Kaufman, Scott Weidensaul, Clay and Pat Sutton, and many more. All summer programs include a trip to Eastern Egg Rock, home of the restored Atlantic Puffin colony, by Project Puffin director, Steve Kress. Early Bird Special! $50 discount for all registrations received by Dec. 14th. For more information: http://hogisland.audubon. org or email: hogisland@audubon.org or call (607) 257- 7308 xl4. See you on the island! Former campers have said: “Your program, staff, environs and heritage are an absolute TREASURE. Memories of the “Joy of Birding” week will live contentedly in my heart for a very long time. Thank you for caring about our wonderful world and it’s future.”- Rick, CAD programmer, Pennsylvania “Best workshop I have ever attended. No teacher left inside. All teachers deserve summer camp! Total stress relief, FUN, FUN, FUN!” - Deb, teacher, Alabama!” 2013 programs: • Maine Seabird Biology & Conservation May 31 - June 5 and September 8-13 • Joy of Birding June 9-14 • Field Ornithology June 16 — 21 • Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens June 16 — 21 and June 23 — 28 • NEW The Arts of Birding June 23-28 • Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week July 1 8 — 23 • Family Camp August 20 — 25 • Fall Migration and Monhegan Island September 15 — 20 and September 22- 27 16 The Maryland Yellowthroat POSTMASTER: TIME-DATED MATERIAL— PLEASE EXPEDITE! MARYLAND ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, INC. P. O. Box 105, Monrovia, MD 21770-0105 Nonprofit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID at Hagerstown, MD Permit No. 1 84 The Maryland Yellowthroat Newsletter of the Maryland Ornithological Society, Inc. Editor: Richard Donham r donham8 @gmail . com Designer: Eric Skrzypczak ericskrz@gmail.com Calendar Editor: Andy Martin martinap2@verizon.net 301-294-4805 Chapter Chatter: Jean Wheeler jswheeler3@verizon.net Mailing list: Helen Horrocks hlh_3 7 @yahoo .com 301-831-6315 MOS web site: http://www.mdbirds.org Webmaster: John Hays Christy SiteMa ven@mdbirds . org Anyone is welcome to contribute articles, photos, or ideas that would be of interest to other birders. Copy may be e-mailed to Richard Donham by January 20, 2013 for the March/April 2013 issue. Illustrations pp. 1, 5 ©M. Suzanne Probst