Birders Even Series One a Piece - NY Monuments, Pr Wm Co, 31 August 2008
After a solid thrashing by the Ticks just a few days ago, the Birders
rallied with a new game plan and came back with a convincing win this
morning at the Manassas Battlefield NY Monuments, handily beating the Ticks
with out scratch, bites or blister. The Birders Coach Raven said, "I gave
the team a new game plan". Starter for the Birders, Kurt Gaskill said,
"Coach gave us a good motivational, told us to dig in our heals..and
insisted on heavy DEET coverage while making us wear the new uniform with
the calf length boots." Did the new plan work? "Oh yeah, those pesky Ticks
got no traction on us, nuthin'!"
Although the win was convincing, the play was still average for this early
in the season. The best highlight of the first half was the old "Nashville"
play that resulted in a great Blue-winged tackle but then the play petered
out, going no further down vermivora road. Only the appearance of recent
trade Bev "The Dutchess" Leeuwenberg in the second half resulted in a better
than average period where she initiated a good pair of plays yielding
Blackburnian and Chestnut-sided, plus a repeat hit on Yellow-billed Cuckoo
in just a matter of a few minutes.
Other than the constant Bobolink reminder from high in the stands early in
the game, participant level was down. All game action was on the hillside
below the monument. Complete game statistics over the 2 hours of action are
below. Next game in this series is currently unscheduled, but will likely
come soon.
Start time: 0645
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2
Chimney Swift 6
Ruby-throated Hummer 1
E. Wood Pewee 5
E. Phoebe 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Red-eyed Vireo 4
Blue Jay 14
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5
E. Bluebird 6
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 24
Gray Catbird 1
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 1
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 2
Black & White Warbler 3
American Redstart 3
Common Yellowthroat 2
Scarlet Tanager 1
E. Towhee 2
Indigo Bunting 2
Bobolink 36
Common Grackle 40
Brown-headed Cowbird 4
Baltimore Oriole 2
Turf battle note: a scratch game on the turf farm south of Manassas
Airport, although well attended by 400+ Laughing Gulls, only yielded 3
Killdeer.
