Folks

Starting my October Charles County list.  September's month list ended at 126 species, but only two new ones for the year.  This is a huge disappointment.  The two species were Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Black Skimmer.

So far October species are all repeats.  On October 1 I found a breeding (alternate) plumage adult Lesser Black-backed Gull at Morgantown on the pilings at Lower Cedar Point. The head was completely white but the bright yellow legs gave the bird away at long range.  This bird was in the presence of about 20 Bonaparte's Gulls and 22 Royal Terns.  I got close enough for photographs with my new Canon 20 D.  If you have the money buy one.

Six American Kestrel were along the telephone wires at Allen's Fresh today. Also present at this location was one Cooper's Hawk and one Red-shouldered Hawk.  At the Port Tobacco Courthouse yard was an adult Red-shouldered Hawk feeding at close range.  The Nitza farm in Bel Alton had four American Kestrel.  They are moving through.

A surprise today was a Barn Owl I accidentally flush from a tight evergreen grove on private property near Allen's Fresh.  A neat find.  The bird was molting but still quite attractive.  

After reading Bonnie Ott's post on Sunday(10/2), I went out side and looked for Red-headed Woodpeckers.  It took a second trip two hours after the post but two Red-headed Woodpeckers visited my backyard about 3 PM.  One was a juvenile and sat long enough for pictures to document number 122 for 2004 for the yard list.  Thanks Bonnie.  This species has been on the move for a couple weeks so watch the sky.  

Today I had my first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker of the fall season.  The bird was on the Nitza Farm in Bel Alton.  You need permission to go on this property.  If anyone is interested in birding the Nitza farm, which includes a large turf area, let me know.  The manager is a nice guy.  A migrant House Wren was found on the Farm on October 1.  On Friday I had nine Horned Lark on a recently seeded field at this location.  The small flock was a mix of adults and first year birds.  Today the same field had 16 Killdeer.

My first Red-breasted Nuthatch was on October 1 at the deer parking area in Chapel Point State Park.  This park, in various locations, has also produced on several occasions Magnolia, Black & White, and American Redstart.  Today I found a female Black-throated Blue Warbler at the Port Tobacco Courthouse grounds.  The other warbler species of note this month was two Yellow Palm Warblers today at the Nitza Farm.

Today Chapel Point St. Park and Port Tobacco Courthouse both produced a single Gray-cheeked Thrush.  The bird at the Port Tobacco area repeated it's nocturnal flight call several time before I realized what species I had.  At Chapel Point I also found a fair number of Wood Thrush and a calling Swainson's Thrush.  Chapel Point also had a single Scarlet Tanager on Oct. 1 and Oct 4.  

Good flocks of migrant Eastern Bluebirds are passing over and feeding at various locations.  I found about 25 feeding on the way into the Nitza Farm with a mixed flock of Chipping Sparrow and House Finch.  The courthouse grounds had several flocks flying over today.  A latish Indigo Bunting was found at Allen's Fresh and a White-throated Sparrow popped up from the brush at Chapel Point State Park - both today.

What will #78 for the month be?

George