Hello all,

Nancy and I took some time this afternoon to continue our search for raptor nests before leaves come out and hide them from view. In the past three weeks we have found five active Red-tailed Hawk nests in nearby Kent County atlas blocks, unfortunately none have been occupied by Great Horned Owls. Four have been in hardwood trees, one in a loblolly pine; all were found on the edges of woodlots (one right over a road).

We also were on the lookout for other birds and were rewarded with five year birds, three of them swallows. The first was a Barn Swallow at Great Oak Landing. Next came a lone male Purple Martin over Fairlee Creek at the boat landing, followed by four Barn and two Northern Rough-winged Swallows at the Tolchester Marina. Finally, a pond near the north end of the Tolchester Estates development held a nice assortment of waterfowl, including 6 Blue-winged Teal, and shorebirds including 5 Lesser Yellowlegs. Other birds at the pond included 4 Canada Geese, 6 American Wigeon, Mallards, 7 Northern Shovelers, 37 Green-winged Teal, 1 Ring-necked Duck, 5 Lesser Scaup, 1 Bufflehead, 2 Killdeer and 1 Greater Yellowlegs. 

The highlight at Great Oak Pond was 73 Bonaparte's Gulls actively foraging over the water. Waterfowl there included a lone Snow Goose with several Canadas, Mallards, 1 Canvasback, 40 Lesser Scaup, 4 Hooded Mergansers, and 9 Ruddy Ducks, plus a Greater Yellowlegs.

Good Birding,

Walter Ellison

23460 Clarissa Road
Chestertown, MD 21620
phone: 410-778-9568
e-mail: 

"A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast" - E. B. White (in "Stuart Little")

"Are there *ever* enough birds?" - Connie Hagar as quoted by Edwin Way Teale in "Wandering through Winter"