Very strong and gusty winds with rain yesterday sure changed things
amongst the birds.  While doing Feeder Watch  for those two days I found a
total of only 21 species as compared to 29 species a couple of weeks ago.
In the rain a total of 58 Goldfinches crowded around my feeders around noon.
I had been having around 40 each day for the past couple of weeks, but these
birds seemed really anxious for some thistle seed.  Numbers for all other
species were significantly down, except for Flickers.  I had four today,
whereas I usually had been having one or none.  The Blue Jay flock has even
dropped down to just six birds.
    Laughing Gulls graced the skies high over my place this morning.
    Elsewhere - a Forster's Tern was on a piling in the harbor in St
Michaels at noon today.
    An Eastern Phoebe was calling jubilantly at the home of a neighbor two
days ago.  The same neighbor had a pair of Bluebirds paying lots of
attention to one of his nesting boxes. The neighbor's pond held Red-breasted
Mergansers, Black Ducks, Buffleheads and Lesser Scaup. A Horned Lark was
beside his driveway -which passes through a cornfield.
    The pair of Osprey seemed well established on their platform beside the
Rte 33 bridge at Newcomb this morning, and had added lots to that nest.
Another Osprey was on the platform beside the Miles River bridge this
afternoon.
     Most Canada Geese are now gone, but nearly 200 Lesser Scaup still are
feeding in Leeds Creek right in front of our house.  A single female Hooded
Merganser joined them during yesterday's rain.
    A pair of Mute Swan seem to be looking for a good nest site along our
shoreline.  Mallards are doing the same thing.  The Canada Geese have been
up on our Osprey platform a few times, but have not yet taken full control
of it like they did last year.
 
Les Roslund

Talbot County
Easton MD 21601