Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 09:11:09 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Henry Armistead <74077.3176@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Ferry Neck Aug. 11-12 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Rigby's Folly, Ferry Neck, near Royal Oak, Talbot County, MD. Rain, oppressive heat/humidity, and chores limited field activity, including a boat trip to the South Marsh Island area, which was scrubbed; I may go next weekend if I succeed in finishing 2 articles during the week. Fri, August 10, 2001, c. 10:30 P.M. A Luna Moth over the road on the way in. Sat., Aug. 11. 2 ad. Bald Eagles (in the vicinity of their nest), 1 Royal Tern, 1 ad. Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Wood Duck, 1 Cedar Waxwing, and 55 Bank Swallows (2nd highest yard total, surpassed only by 80 on Aug. 28, 1983). Butterflies: 1 Tiger Swallowtail, 3 Monarchs, 1 Common Wood Nymph, 1 Question Mark, 1 Red-spotted Purple, several Silver-spotted Skippers, and several unID'd small fold-wing skippers and large blackish swallowtails. 1 cottontail. Still lots of Fowler's Toads (small ones mostly) and Southern Leopard Frogs. Sun., Aug. 12. 1 Short-billed Dowitcher (a fly-by like most of the previous 8 yard records, and the first since 1986). 1 Royal and 5 Forster's Terns. 3 fawns. 1 Gray Squirrel. Our one clump of marsh mallows persists with 16 blooms and several more on the way. 7 Ospreys in one compact kettle. When there is a strong southerly wind they hang over the wooded bluff of our shoreline riding the updrafts. A Blue Grosbeak still singing. On the way home to Philadelphia we follow Route 309 north from the Easton airport, cross 404 and turn right (north) on 481 all the way to 301 via the Ruthsburg and Hope areas. This by-passes the beach-Washington-Annapolis traffic and is a very birdy route, good for Snow Geese and Tundra Swans in season, and numerous wire birds: Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, swallows, and a few kestrels at this time of year. Route 481 has some beautiful fallow fields each year which should be investigated by someone for Dickcissels if they haven't been already. We are so focused on getting home we don't, unfortunately, do this. 3 Woodchucks on the way home, 1 young one along the Easton bypass, 2 south of Wilmington on Rt. 1. Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA 19119. Any off-list replies, please, to: harryarmistead@hotmail.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================