Date: 7/19/12 2:09 pm
From: Tim Carney <timmyc83...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Re: Swan Creek 7/19


Some followup notes to Matt's post:

The Ring-billed Gulls have been hanging out on the pilings in the Patapsco for a few weeks; my first summer date was 6/28. Today was the first day this summer I've seen them in the cells.

We are discharging from the South Cell so the area around the spillway is turning into a nice mudflat. I had 2 entire flocks of Semi Sandpipers and several Least Sandpipers/Lesser Yellowlegs. Did not get the Stilt Sandpipers reported by Matt, but I did get the Short-billed Dowitcher in the North Cell. Matt Grey had a Greater Yellowlegs this morning.

Altogether 7 species of herons/egrets today, including Cattle Egrets found by Matt Grey, as well as an adult and immature Black-crowned Night-Heron I found hanging out in the NE corner of the North Cell. I've never seen them outside of the wetland before. The Little Blue immatures are all over the place, and have started exploring outside of the wetland as well -- there were some in both cells today and also on the rocks along the Patapsco.

Other odds and ends:
- 1 Western Sandpiper in the South Cell yesterday
- 9 Osprey (1 per piling) in front of the beach yesterday
- Ruddy Ducks, male Lesser Scaup, male Ring-necked Duck continuing in North Cell (seen both days)
- MUCH higher numbers of Barn Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and European Starlings than I saw last week. They are all hanging out as one massive flock on the outer dike. A few Bank Swallows are mixed in as well.

Tim Carney
Baltimore/Anne Arundel

On Thursday, July 19, 2012 1:06:13 PM UTC-4, Matt Hafner wrote:
> Took a lunch break at Swan Creek today and found the south cell loaded with shorebirds.� Unfortunately, I couldn&#39;t identify most of them from the heat shimmer.� I was able to find a Stilt Sandpiper and a <em>hendersoni</em> Short-billed Dowitcher though.� </div>
>
>
> �</div>
>
> I also saw my first Ring-billed Gull of the summer at Swan Creek and it was a fresh juvenile.� Probably came down from the Great Lakes with the 4 Caspian Terns that were also present today.</div>
>
> �</div>
>
> Matt Hafner</div>
>
> Forest Hill, MD</div>

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