Hi Folks,

Elaine and I spent a day and a half birding in Charles, St. Mary's and
Calvert Co.  The most noteworthy birds were WILD TURKEY, CASPIAN TERN, and
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER in Charles Co., and DICKCISSEL in St. Mary's.  Charles
Co. was the major thrust of the expedition, and I will include a complete
list of what was found, along with the handful of atlas sightings in that
county.  I'll just include the highlights from the other two counties.  Many
many thanks to George Jett who provided planning info and real-time help in
Charles Co., and to Tyler Bell who provided help in St. Mary's.  The tally:

    Charles Co., 11 July 2005, 0630-1330, hot but tolerable (low 90s?),
mostly clear, and windless

Canada Goose--25, Bumpy Oak Rd. pond; Allen's Fresh
Wood Duck--FL--hen and 4-5 medium-sized youngsters, Bumpy Oak Pond
Mallard--1, Morgantown
WILD TURKEY--FL--3 adults and 8 poults (less than half the length of
adults), Gwynn Rd. (off of Bumpy Oak) 7 a.m.
DC Cormorant--ca 20, Potomac River bridge
Great Blue Heron--4, Allen's Fresh; 1, Bumpy Oak Pond
Great Egret--5 flyovers, Bumpy Oak Pond
Green Heron--1, Bumpy Oak Pond; 1, Purse St. Park
Black Vulture--2, Piccowaxen Rd.
Turkey Vulture--all over
Osprey--all water areas
Cooper's Hawk--1, near Purse State Park
Red-shouldered Hawk--1, Myrtle Grove
Laughing Gull--25, Morgantown
Herring Gull--1 adult, Morgantown
Great Black-backed Gull--15, Morgantown
CASPIAN TERN--2, Morgantown
Royal Tern--1, Potomac R. bridge
Forster's Tern--2, Morgantown
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo--several, Hwy 425, Myrtle Grove and other places
Barred Owl--at least three carried on extensively at the parking area, Purse
St. Park
Chimney Swift--many locations
Hummingbird--1 zipped by at Myrtle Grove
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, 1 adult at Purse St. Park, 2nd wetland (bridge) S. of
parking area along hwy
Red-bellied Woodpecker--FL--all gray-headed fledgling with parents, Myrtle
Grove
Downy Woodpecker--FL, adults and at least one fledling, Myrtle Grove
Hairy Woodpecker--FL, fledgling along Rte 425 in wooded area, 1.1 mile north
of Rt 6; also Myrtle Grove
N. Flicker--just 1, Cobb Island
E. Wood-Pewee--several, Bumpy Oak Rd., Myrtle Grove, Purse St. Park, other
places
Acadian Flycatcher--widespread and vocal in appropriate habitat, e.g. Bumpy
Oak Rd.
Great Crested Flycatcher--just one, seen but not singing, Purse St. Park
parking area
E. Kingbird--pair at Morgantown; pair at Bumpy Oak Rd. pond
White-eyed Vireo--a few along Bumpy Oak Rd. and other locations
Yellow-throated Vireo--just one singing at Myrtle Grove along entry rd.
Red-eyed Vireo--widespread
Blue Jay
Am. Crow
Fish Crow--just one, bridge to Cobb Island
Purple Martin--Morgantown, US 301 near visitor Center, Cobb Island
N. Rough-winged Swallow--1 at Bumpy Oak Rd. pond
Barn Swallow--FL--all over; fledglings with adults, Myrtle Grove
Carolina Chickadee--several at Purse St. Park
Tufted Titmouse--FL--fledglings with adults at Purse St. Park parking area
White-breasted Nuthatch--several, very vocal, Purse St. Park parking area
Carolina Wren
House Wren--2-3, only on Cobb Island
BG Gnatcatcher--2 at Myrtle Grove
E. Bluebird--1 at Myrtle Grove
Wood Thrush--widespread and vocal
Am. Robin--on a few lawns, but not too many
Gray Catbird--just one, Myrtle Grove
N. Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher--several, Myrtle Grove and other locations
Eur. Starling
Cedar Waxwing--a few at the Rte 301 Visitor Center, near Potomac bridge
N. Parula--many locations such as Bumpy Oak Pond
Am. Redstart--one male seen, Bumpy Oak Pond area; none heard
Prothonotary Warbler--one heard at Red-headed Woodpecker location
Ovenbird--we lucked into hearing one sing at 10:20 a.m., along Smith Point
Rd. (Nanjemoy area)
Common Yellowthroat--a few, Bumpy Oak Pond and other places
Hooded Warbler--1 at Bumpy Oak Pond area, 1 at Purse St. Park
Yellow-breasted Chat--1 on Baptist Church Rd. at Bowie Rd.; 1 at Myrtle
Grove; 1 elsewhere
Summer Tanager--1 at Myrtle Grove (entry road); 1 along Smith Point Rd.
Scarlet Tanager--1 seen and heard at Myrtle Grove
E. Towhee--Bumpy Oak Rd.; a few other places
Chipping Sparrow--everywhere
Field Sparrow--just 1, Rte 6 at Ward Run
Grasshopper Sparrow--just 1, Piccowaxwen Rd. (Morgantown area)
N. Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak--just 1, heard singing, Baptist Church Rd. at Bowie Rd.
Indigo Bunting--everywhere
Red-winged Blackbird--a few at Myrlte Grove; a few at other places
E. Meadowlark--1 singing outside Myrtle grove
Common Grackle--just 1, Nanjemoy area
BH Cowbird--FL--fledgling on Smith Point Rd.
Orchard Oriole--FL--pair of adults with three fledges, Baptist Church Rd. at
Bowie Rd.
House Finch
Am. Goldfinch
House Sparrow

    Some misses included Red-tailed Hawk, Tree Swallow, and Song Sparrow

St. Mary's Co., 11 July 2005, late afternoon and evening

Am. Black Duck--3 (adult and two large young??), Point Lookout St. Park
N. Bobwhite--1 or 2 singing, Longneck Rd.
Brown Pelican--15, Pt. Lookout St. Park
Great Egret--1 at Pax River NAS
Purple Martin--several, Longneck Rd., 1st house; also Pt. Lookout St. Pk
Carolina Wren--FL--2 adults with at least 1 fledgling, Longneck Rd.
Grasshopper Sparrow--1 perched on wire, Longneck Rd.
Blue Grosbeak--several, Cornfield Harbor Rd., Longneck Rd., PRNAS
DICKCISSEL--1 singing from wire, Longneck Rd. (reported a couple weeks ago?)
Orchard Oriole--pair, Longneck Rd.

"Wildlands" section of St. Mary's River State Park, St. Mary's Co., 12 July
2005, 0630 - 0830

Cooper's Hawk--1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo--1
Barred Owl--1
EW Pewee--1
Acadian Flycatcher--4
Great Crested Flycatcher--1
Red-eyed Vireo--about 5
Wood Thrush--several singing
Brown Thrasher--1
Ovenbird--5, including one that read us the riot act for entering his
territory
Hooded Warbler--1
Scarlet Tanager--1

also, House Wren along Town Creek Dr. (California), where Tyler Bell said
they would be

Calvert Co., 12 July 2005, 0900-1300, weather hot, air motionless, and not a
good time to be outside:

Forster's Tern--1 with several gulls, North Beach
YB Cuckoo--1 at Patterson Park, 1 at Cypress Swamp
Belted Kingfisher--only one of trip, Parran Rd. at bridge, just off of Rte 4
Purple Martin--Lower Marlboro, Chesapeake Beach, North Beach
House Wren--just 1, Solley Wharf Rd.
Gray Catbird--just 1, Lower Marlboro Rd.
N. Parula--a few, Cypress Swamp, Patterson Park, other locations
Hooded Warbler--1 singing, parking area of Cypress Swamp
Grasshopper Sparrow--1 singing, Solley Wharf Rd.
Summer Tanager--1, Patterson Park
Blue Grosbeak--FL--highly agitated adult pair, and recent fledge well
viewed, Cypress Swamp; others seen on Turner Rd. and at Patterson Park
E. Meadowlark--1 perched on a post, Solley Wharf Rd.

It was a hot couple of days, but a lot of birds were still singing.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie