This morning I set out early to hike some of the Patapsco in Anne Arundel
County. Stan Arnold has been reporting extensively on this area, and though I was
once familiar with it as a non-birder, it had been many years since I visited
there. So it was good to return to some old haunts, see what had changed, and
hopefully to see some of the good birds that have turned up. Basically the
area covered was from Hammonds Ferry Road at Snyder's Restaurant to the BW
Parkway (Stan's ponds #9 and 10), with a brief stop in the vicinity of B&A Blvd.
Before heading home I made a quick stop at the Halethorpe ponds. Some of the
highlights for the morning were:

Pied-billed Grebe -- 1 at pond 9, 4 at Halethorpe
Double-crested Cormorant -- many flyovers early and 11 at Halethorpe
Black-crowned Night-Heron -- 1 at pond 9
Great Egret -- 2 at pond 10
Wood Duck -- 16 (1 flock of 8 just E of B&A Blvd)
Gadwall -- 17 (15 of these at Halethorpe pond 4)
American Wigeon -- 2 at pond 10
Blue-winged Teal -- 2 at pond 10
N Shoveler -- 1m at pond 10 (flyover w/3 Mallards)
Green-winged Teal -- 5, pond 10
Ring-necked Duck -- 1f at pond 9
Osprey -- all locations
Am. Coot -- 3 at pond 10
Pileated Woodpecker -- 1m at pond 10
Brown Creeper -- 2
Winter Wren -- 2 singing
Hermit Thrush -- 1 E of B&A
Myrtle Warbler -- ~6, no singing males yet
Palm Warbler -- 8, all yellow
Rusty Blackbird -- 2 at pond 10

Didn't see any owls or bitterns, and surprisingly no swallows or
gnatcatchers. Many of the areas that used to be fairly open marsh have been taken over by
phragmites, and other areas that could once be walked with ease are now
virtually inaccessible due to wide, deep channels. But it was a beautiful day to be
out, and the only person I saw away from the roads was a white-haired
gentleman speed-rowing up the river.

Joel Martin
Catonsville, MD


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