As you can also see in this issue, our members have been ranging the whole globe and sharing their experiences. Thanks for your contributions.
Don't forget we are the Baltimore Bird Club. Let us hear about your good birding experiences in or near Baltimore, too. Informal descriptions of good birding locations would be especially welcome.
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On arriving at the page, viewers with graphics capabilities will see the BBC logo, a full color version of the emblem that appears on the masthead of this newsletter between the words "Chip" and "Notes." I have Mark Pemburn to thank for sending me the logo in a computer file, and also for letting me see what it looks like on his computer. The computer I use spares me such annoying distractions as pretty pictures and lovely sounds.
After a few words of welcome, the rest of the BBC page is divided into six sections. If I were Julius Caesar, and this were the home page of the Gaul Birding Club, there would be three parts, but I'm not, and it isn't, and so there are six.
The first section comprises transcripts of rare bird alerts. You can choose among the Baltimore Birdline (featuring another one of Mark's graphics), the Voice of the Naturalist, the Philadelphia Birdline (which consistently has the best coverage of the Delaware refuges), and the Cape May Birding and Butterfly Hotline. Anyone whose eyes haven't yet glazed over can follow a link to all the other RBAs from the United States and Canada.
The second section of the page presents information about the BBC. There's a detailed description of the club itself (I retyped one of our BBC flyers), the current issue of Chip Notes (sent me via e-mail by Steve Sanford), and the schedule of meetings and activities from the program booklet (sent by Pete Webb). After all that, now that a visitor to the BBC page has seen what a classy organization we are, there is a membership application that may be downloaded and mailed in. As of August 30, we had acquired five new members in this way.
The third section is devoted to the rest of the MOS. As of this writing, the only items here are the statewide schedule of chapter events and the newsletter of the Harford County Chapter, but I hope to put up newsletters from other chapters as well.
The fourth section of the page is headed "What else is out there?" Here are links to the very best birding sites on the internet. Most of these sites are so comprehensive, they even include a link back to the BBC page. (There's something decidedly incestuous about the internet. My sister is planning to put up a home page, but I'm not sure it would be proper for me to link to it.)
The fifth section, "What are birders talking about?" contains links to the archives of birding mailing lists and the discussion group "rec.birds." There was recently a flurry of correspondence on BirdChat about the proper pronunciation of "osprey," and almost everybody who wrote in admitted to pronouncing it incorrectly--that is, differently from the way I do (there is no "pray" in "osprey," the second syllable is pronounced "pree"; I am also willing to lay down the law about "pileated").
Finally, the section called "Enough with the birds, already" is for anyone who stumbled onto the page by mistake. It includes a link to that other BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation.
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IF YOU OWN A COMPUTER WITH A MODEM, you can get to the Baltimore Bird Club home page for no charge on SAILOR, Maryland's online public information network. Set your telecommunication software to vt100 (terminal emulation), no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and full duplex. SAILOR supports modem speeds from 300 to 14,400 baud. Have your modem dial one of these numbers:
Enoch Pratt Free Library: (410) 605-0500
Anne Arundel County Public Library: (410) 222-7100
Baltimore County Public Library: (410) 494-1199
Carroll County Public Library: (410) 848-1230
Cecil County Public Library: (410) 392-0909
Frederick County Public Library: (301) 620-0055
Harford County Library: (410) 638-5669
Howard County Library: (410) 730-0707
Montgomery County Public Libraries: (301) 424-4200
Prince George's County Public Library: (301) 925-2400
Southern Maryland Regional Library
Association--Charles County: (301) 645-2002
Talbot County Free Library: (410) 820-4411
Washington County Free Library: (301) 739-7600
Wicomico County Free Library: (410) 742-0500
Follow the login instructions and select "Lynx." From the first menu
inside SAILOR, select "Other Maryland & Regional Information." From the
"Other Maryland etc." menu, select "Culture - Entertainment - Leisure."
From the "Culture etc." menu, select "Baltimore Bird Club." IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A PERSONAL COMPUTER WITH A MODEM, visit your local library and use SAILOR at one of its computers. You can use SAILOR at a growing number of Maryland libraries. In some, you will use the same computer available for the library's online catalog. Others will have special computers set aside for SAILOR. Follow the instructions to reach SAILOR and select "Lynx." From the menu called "SAILOR's Home Port," select "Other Maryland & Regional Information." From the "Other Maryland etc." menu, select "Culture - Entertainment - Leisure." From the "Culture etc." menu, select "Baltimore Bird Club." If you're not sure how to do this, ask your local librarian.
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April 29 - Steve Simon led a new trip through the retirement community of Glen Meadows. Fifteen people turned out for the trip (including seven Glen Meadows residents) and 32 species were recorded. Steve reports that there is good habitat in the area even though the birds weren't particularly cooperative this day.
May 5 - In heavy overcast and temperatures in the low- to mid-50s, Bill Gray and Dot Gustafson did the tour of Woodstock, spotting fifty species, including a Solitary Sandpiper. Bill asks that people interested in this trip call him at home (301-596-0063) after 6:00 PM for confirmation prior to the event.
May 6 - The report of a Brewster's Warbler in the area lent an exciting edge this day's trip to Lake Roland. Paul Strohecker and 13 others scoured the woods and managed to turn in a respectable 66 species but, alas, the Brewster's was not seen again.
May 7 - A beautiful day and an incredible turn-out. Twenty-nine people(!) showed up for the Milford Mill Park trip, led by Steve Sanford. I swore under oath that I would not reveal the number of Warblers we saw. We did see 67 species, though.
May 8 - Bob Rineer led the trip to Cylburn this day. Thirty species were seen by the eight birders in attendance. Highlights included Ovenbird, Black-and-White Warbler, and Scarlet Tanager.
May 9 - A very birdy day at Lake Roland. Shirley Geddes and Pete Webb led 24 people all the way up the dike and along the stream toward the train trestle, snagging 76 species on the way. Of those, a solid 20 were Warblers. They reported great looks at Blackburnian, Worm-eating, and Magnolias.
May 11 - The day began under overcast skies but later cleared and rose into the mid-70s. Bill Gray's trip to Dr. Dandy s in Monkton gave some 14 birders a look at 79 species. Among the highlights were Red-headed Woodpecker, and Magnolia and Cape May Warblers.
May 13 - This trip was originally scheduled for the Phoenix Pond area but heavy bicycle traffic on the trail moved Paul Strohecker and two colleagues to try their luck at Gunpowder Falls State Park instead. They didn't do too badly, with a total of 48 species listed.
May 14 - The next day was cool and overcast, turning to rain after a couple of hours. Graham Egerton guided 20 folks through the Phoenix area, turning in 47 species all told. There were nests of Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, as well as Kingbirds and Gnatcatchers. Graham reports, "A male Baltimore Oriole [was seen] repeatedly taking material from the nest of a Kingbird to use in its own. The Kingbird didn't like this."
May 14 - Cyburn Self-Guided - see Spring Continues at Cylburn
May 23 - Sunny and temperatures in the 70s, a pleasant day for the 21 people who attended Mac Plant's tour of Lake Roland. Sixty-one species were tallied, including a Wilson's Warbler and Baltimore Orioles on the nest.
May 27 - One of the year's big trips, Gene Scarpulla's Delaware Bay Shore odyssey was bigger than ever with a turn-out of over 25 birders. We ranged up and down the coast, ticking off this and that until the total reached 100 species. Highlight birds were King and Virginia Rails and a breeding plumage White-winged Tern. (Editor s Note: The strain that two-dozen-odd birders and their cars puts on the refuges [as well as on the trip leader] is not inconsiderable. The board would appreciate any creative suggestions you might have to lessen the impact of these popular trips. Please drop me a note at 2617 Guilford Ave, Baltimore, 21218 or e-mail .com.)
May 28 - Cyburn Self-Guided - see Spring Continues at Cylburn
June 4 - Cyburn Self-Guided - see Spring Continues at Cylburn
August 12 - We fast-forward now to late summer where we find a sun-dazed crew of 14 birders lined up along the refuge dikes for the next installment of the Delaware Bay Shore trip with your host, Gene Scarpulla. This time 99 species were recorded, including Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Ruff, White-winged Tern, and Buff-breasted Sandpiper.
August 26 - Good weather today for a trip to Liberty Reservoir with Burton Alexander. The eight attending saw 33 species, including a Northern Harrier and a Red-shouldered Hawk that was flushed up by a gang of crows.
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The change in barometric pressure did have its advantages, for the pungent odors of the forest were evident. They reminded me of a flower shop without the usual sweet fragrances. While we birders listen for bird songs, the scents of wildflowers must be just as distinctive to an avid horticulturist.
May 21st Thirteen birders greeted this day with a wonderful walk through the gardens and paths of Cylburn. The Garden of the Senses was in bloom, and twenty-one bird species greeted us as we walked along.
I don't know whether it was the camaraderie of the birders, the display activity of the cowbirds or the beautiful Oriole that we saw, but the day was picture-perfect. Among the species we saw were Catbirds, Yellow and Blackpoll Warblers, House Wren, Baltimore Oriole, Common Yellowthroat and Great-crested Flycatcher.
May 28th The day was overcast and cool for the three birders that came out this Memorial Day weekend. The birds stuck to the trees and, while we heard some interesting calls and songs, only seventeen species were counted. The activity of the Robins and of a Yellow Warbler were the highlights of this outing -- but it was interesting to try to identify the birds that only gave us a quick look at their rumps before darting into the underbrush. For those interested in fungi, we saw some interesting specimens this morning. Who says that walk through Cylburn has to always be the same?
June 4th A wonderful day at Cylburn! Nine birders enjoyed a beautiful spring day with sunny skies and balmy temperatures. While the birds were not singing with their earlier intensity, we did manage to see 21 species. We discovered a flycatcher but could not identify the species. Some of the special treats were good views of a Cedar Waxwing, a Red-eyed Vireo and a singing Indigo Bunting. Watching two Red-shouldered Hawks soaring overhead made for a beautiful day with our feathered friends. For those interested in botany, the large-leaf Magnolia trees at Cylburn were in bloom and presented their lightly scented flowers for our enjoyment.
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The Conference will be held at The University Of Maryland at Baltimore County (UMBC). Volunteers are needed for multiple projects, tasks, and duties, including helping with reservations, envelope stuffing, field trips and leaders, and on-site registration. If you want to be a part of making the conference happen call Mary Byers at (410) 686-7294 to volunteer.
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However, in the course of my travels in and around Dakar, the capital, and Goree Island off the coast of Dakar, I observed fifteen bird species. These included White-necked Vultures, Black Kites, White-necked Cormorants, Golden-backed and Black-headed Weavers; a Yellow-fronted Canary; African Firefinches, and Purple-breasted Sunbirds, which behave like large hummingbirds. I saw Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, White-rumped Swifts, Pied Crows, a Yellow-billed Hornbill, in addition to the ubiquitous Cattle Egrets, Mourning Doves, and English Sparrows.
I also saw a number of iridescent turquoise birds with long tails - ground feeders - which the French call "Merle." I suspect they are a type of Starling. They were gorgeous. Based on the few birds I did see, it is a puzzle to me why birding companies travel to East Africa, which is much further and takes longer to get to, when West Africa, and particularly Senegal, has so much to offer.