Folks

 No stable shorebird habitat found in the county yet so I have been trying to add a few migrants to the year list this week.   Not a lot of birds out there.  A few here, as few their.  I hope we are not heading to a "Silent Spring".  I hope that's not too political.  

I started Wednesday with a deck site.  I found a Canada Warbler (#116 for the yard year list) and Common Yellowthroat (#117) for Gwen and I.  117 may be my big year yard record. We also have about 30 Chipping Sparrows around fattening up for the migration.  The young are very pretty.

After the deck site, I tried the Potomac River along River Road.  Not a lot.  Highlights were one Black-throated Green Warbler, and a singing Screech Owl in Bob Lukenic's yard.  I did have about 4 Great Egret, two Green Herons, about 6 Bald Eagles, Fish Crow, and a Pileated Woodpecker at the wetland at the end of River Road.  

When I returned home I found a non adult male Rose-breasted Grosbeak eating Black-oiled Sunflower seed from one of the feeders in the back.  An early surprise.  The real highlight on Wednesday was two duetting Great Horned Owls in our back yard keeping Gwen and I awake to around 11:30 PM.  

Today was a little more productive.  I birded the Port Tobacco area, Chapel Point State Park, Allen's Fresh, and Morgantown route.  

The Sedge Wrens may have produced young, but are very hard to find in the grown up field on this private property.  I am keeping track for the atlas project hoping to confirm as breeder.  For those sensitive about breeding birds, I am quietly and carefully walking into the field alone.  I saw parts of three birds today.  It good that one of the birds sang part of a song or I may never have found them.  A couple did a sort of guttural call note.  I wonder if that is the young when I get too close.  How do I know I am close?  One scarred me when it jumped, pooped, and flew about 10 feet away never to be seen again.  

At the old courthouse in Port Tobacco I found another Warbling Vireo mixed in with the multitudes of Red-eyed Vireo. Other species located at this spot were an Eastern Phoebe, the following warblers:  a female Blue-wing, Northern Parula,  Black and White, Common Yellowthroat, and maybe a Wilson's (not countable yet).  Boy they are fast.

At Chapel Point State Park, I went up the east side trail off Chapel Point Road.  This is currently being used by Dove Hunters in the afternoon on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.  I was safe at 9 AM in the morning and was the only person there.  I found lots of Red-eyed Vireo, about 6 White-eyed Vireo, one Acadian Flycatcher, 10 Cedar Waxwing, a Wood Thrush, a Brown Thrasher, two Gray Catbird, another Black and White Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, and two Magnolia Warblers in this area.  Sparrows were one Eastern Towhee and several Chipping.  

At Allen's Fresh a few Wood Ducks fly by, about 16 Least Sandpipers (yaa shorebirds) were on the mud, and 35 Bobolinks were present in the fields.   

At Morgantown four Caspian Terns were the highlight with a smattering (~15 Royal, 29 Forster's) of other terns and the common four species of gulls.  Great Black-backed numbered about 50 and were the most common.  Another species of note was Mute Swan.  There is a pair of adults and five signets hanging around near the bend in Morgantown Road at the river.

Tonight my neighbor Zeke saw about eight Wild Turkey down the road from the house in an old tobacco field now growing soybeans.  Keep them out of the driveway.

Camp Merrick tomorrow with hope in my heart.  

George