Hi Everyone,

I had the chance to do a bit of local atlasing this afternoon, and was quite
surprised by the amount of activity in my block (Curtis Bay SW/AA. Co). It
seemed almost as if the birds have somehow replicated themselves and that
there were twice as many as the last time I was there! :) 

There were fledged young and doting parents practically everywhere I looked.
I don't think I've ever confirmed a higher percentage of nesting birds
during such a short hike :)

Fledged young:

Red-tailed Hawks (2 plaintive youngsters in Stan Arnold's CB/CW block)
Hairy Woodpeckers
Northern Flickers
Eastern Kingbirds
Blue Jays - So loud and conspicuous!
Brown Thrashers - Always funny to see the awkward young of this usually
serious looking bird :)
European Starling - A small post-breeding gathering (young appeared
independent)
Carolina Chickadees - Family unit, but young appeared independent
Tufted Titmice - Ditto
Common Yellowthroats - Adults feeding begging youngsters
Northern Cardinals
Orchard Orioles

Also present were a single KILLDEER (post-breeding dispersal), many Downy
and RB Woodpeckers, Acadian Flycatchers (2), GC Flycatchers (2), vocal
Red-eyed Vireos (10+), Barn Swallows (2), WB Nuthatch (1; an overdue new
atlas bird for the block), BG Gnatcatchers (6), Wood Thrushes (~5), Gray
Catbirds (~10), Pine Warblers (2), Ovenbirds (~10), YB Chat (vocal and
conspicuous), Scarlet Tanagers (2), Eastern Towhees (~20), Field Sparrows
(~15), Blue Grosbeaks (2), Indigo Buntings (~20), Red-winged Blackbirds
(~10; including the ever sought-after FS confirm).

Insects: Monarchs (2), Common Wood-nymphs (~8), Eastern Tailed Blues (~20),
Pearl Crescent (1), Orange Sulphurs (2), Cabbage Whites (10), Sphinx Moth
(1); Common White-tails (2), Widow Skimmers (~6), Needham's Skimmer (1),
Blue Dashers (2), many others I didn't ID as I rushed to beat an impending
thunderstorm.

Block stats: 83 species and 39 nesting confirmations, compared to last
atlas's results of 64 species and 26 confirms. I'm continuously surprised by
the diversity that can persist in a developed area when patches of habitat
are left intact.

Good birding,

Bill

Bill Hubick
Linthicum, Maryland

www.billhubick.com