I visited several spots along the Patuxent in Prince George's County this
afternoon.  The highlight was a Vesper Sparrow at Aquasco Farms.  It was at
the rear end of the park, near the large barn at the center of a field.
The barn also has a trailer and some farm equipment next to it.  I heard a
chip note from the grass, and then the bird popped up into a shrub next to
the barn.  I got great looks at it for a minute or more at fairly close
range, seeing the complete white eye ring.  The bird then flew part way
across the field and landed in a snag on a bush, where I continued to view
it through my scope.

Other highlights were:

At Merkle:

An adult male Northern Harrier flushed up about 40 or 50 Wilson's Snipe
from the pond behind the visitor's center.  Chipping Sparrows were singing
all around the fields nearby.  The Purple Martin's have returned to the
Martin houses outside the visitor's center.

At Aquasco Farms:

Beside the Vesper Sparrow, also present was a beautiful Savannah Sparrow,
many Chippies, several Field Sparrows, a pair of Kestrels, and some
Bluebirds.

At Eagle Harbor:

At least 15 Royal Terns, plus some Ringers, Herring Gulls, and Great Black
Backed Gulls.  A few Caspian Terns and Forster's Terns were also present,
at least until the pair of Bald Eagles came by.  Many, many Double Crested
Cormorants were also around.  A Song Sparrow was singing, and several Tree
Swallows were on the wires.

At Magruder's Ferry Landing:

Another Bald Eagle, several Osprey, some Red Breasted Mergansers, a
Gadwall, and two White Throated Sparrows.

Fred Shaffer
Patuxent MOS


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