Folks

I took some time off from the Big Year Atlas fundraising project with a trip to Brazil, and a week of atlasing, but went back at it today.  Mike Callahan and I canoed out into the Nanjemoy Creek marsh looking successfully for Least Bittern (#205).  We had maybe two birds calling in the morning before the heat arrived.  It's been almost a month since I saw the Alder Flycatcher singing along Pomonkey Creek.  The Alder was #204 for the year.  

Other birds of note in and around the Nanjemoy Environmental Educational Center were a few Great Blue Heron, a Mute Swan family with about eight young, four Forster's Terns, my first Ring-billed Gull in some time, Bald Eagle and good numbers of Osprey, two Red-tailed Hawk, a single Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo,  Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Wood Peewee, Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, lots of singing Marsh Wrens and several active nests, and singing Yellow-throated and Parula Warblers.   

I will trying to track down Virginia and King Rail later this week.  Maybe Seaside Sparrow if the colony is still down in Allen's Fresh.

Stay cool.

George