Hello Everyone,
	I spent the mornings of the long weekend working on my atlas blocks in Dorchester and Caroline.  I have a few blocks remaining that are lagging behind in number of species and confirmations.  So I am concentrating on them this year.

	Saturday 5/27 - Rhodesdale NE and CE (and Rhodesdale NW incidental) - I hiked the Chesapeake Forest trail off of Puckum Rd, north of Eldorado, Dorchester.  These trails are now open to the public (maps available online) and I wanted to see if it provided any access to the Marshyhope for the NE block.  For anyone that needs Louisiana Waterthrush in the county, this is the place.  There were 3-4 singing birds along Puckum Branch.  Found a Pileated WP nest hole.  Also the usual suspects for a wooded stream inc. a Yellow-throated Warbler at the edge of the block.  In this stretch, I heard an odd flycatcher that I will post separately.
	The trail continues into Rhodesdale NW, QB 2 in the small portion of this block on the east side of the Marshyhope and inaccessible from anywhere else.  There is a small pond formed by the road/trail that comes in from Wesley Rd.  At the upper end, there are numerous snags where I found nest holes occupied by Flicker and Tree Swallow.  This is the first Tree Swallow that I have ever found nesting in a natural nest site.  Brown-headed Nuthatch and Prothonotary Warbler here.  Proceeding down the trail, I flushed a hen turkey out of the brush.  The way it burst out of the tangled brush, I wondered if I had scared it away from a nest, so I began peeking carefully.  But then glancing back down the trail, I see a poult run across the trail.  Re-tracing my steps, I found 3 more camouflaged in the trail.  I think they ran out behind me rather than me completely missing them.  To make sure I had not injured any of them, I gave them a tiny nudge with my pen to make sure they ran a few steps.  All seemed fine and I cleared out quickly so the hen could return.  
	The trail does eventually come out the river and provides a decent view at the boundary between the blocks.  Added a Rough-winged Swallow here.  Rhodesdale NE is well into the 80s and in good shape.  For my efforts, I collect 36 ticks, both deer and wood.  A dubious personal best.
	Following up on a tip from Bob Ringler, I visited the Brookview Bank Swallow colony and viewed in from a different spot than I had before (where Brookview's one street splits off of MD 14).  I was able to see occupied nest holes from here.  Also a pair of Kingfishers copulating.  The Brookview bridge has several Cliff Swallow nests visible from where the one street ends at the river.  At least one active nest on the outside of the bridge and at least one being used by House Sparrows.  4-6 Cliffies here, more evident than at Sharptown this year.

	Sunday 5/28 - Birded at home first thing.  A late migrant Redstart, 3 YB Cuckoos, 4 Chat.  Nothing new for the year.  The homelist is stuck at 113 which is low because of the very dry weather.  I have had around 125 at the end of May the last few years.  But I did finally get a Catbird for the Seaford West CW block. #83 for a inland, away from a river block.
	Hickman SW - Then I went to the Idylwild Wildlife Area off of Noble Rd, near Smithville, Caroline.  The best bird was a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH in the first tall pines on the left of the trail.  Just a couple days short of being an out of place atlas tick.  This block needs many upgrades, so the main goal was to tally singing birds on territory for future upgrades.  Numerous Acadian Fly, Prothonotary Warb, 2 Green Heron that need to be watched, 2 Worm-eating Warb, 2 Louisiana Waterthrush and 3 Yellow-throated Warbler.  If you want Yellow-throated Warbler in Caroline, you will likely have to hike for it and this is a good spot.  Another is also at Idylwild, the trail along Houston Branch with the trailhead on Houston Branch Rd opposite Turner Rd.  Only 7 ticks, all wood, today.

	Monday 5/29 - Rhodesdale CE (and Rhodesdale SE incidental) -  Birded at the Henson Scout Reservation off of MD 313 just north of the bridge over the Nanticoke.  The Reservation occupies 1600 acres at the junction of the Nanticoke River and Marshyhope Creek, mainly in Rhodesdale CE, but with a trail that goes down the finger land between the rivers into Rhodesdale SE and inaccessible from anywhere else.  The best bird was a female PARULA also a couple of days from being a nice atlas tick.  Hopefully not just a late migrant.  Yellow-billed Cuckoos were everywhere.  Lost count, but probably heard 15-20 and saw several.  Also, Yellow-throated Warbler, Prothonotary, 4 Black-and-White Warblers around the HQ area, Brown-headed Nuthatch on both blocks.  I am hoping that access to the Marshyhope here will lead to several birds missing from this block.  And down to a mere 4 ticks.

	Tuesday 5/30 - Hickman CW and NW, Caroline.  These blocks have been rather problematic.  Their habitat is diversity challenged.  Hickman CW is mainly farmland with sparse woods on the MD side, wooded, but accessible by only one road on the DE side.  Hickman NW is largely wooded with a lot of cutover and pine plantations.  It is also at the head of drainage, so no decent waterways and therefore no Wood Duck or even Canada Goose.
	First stop was the Rt 404 bridge over the Marshyhope.  In DE, but in the corner of the CW block.  The Marshyhope here is a big ditch, but is still bordered by some swampy bottomlands.  It is about the northern limit of such habitat.  I walked a short distance downstream and heard a somewhat unexpected Louisiana Waterthrush along with 4 Prothonotaries.  
	Moving on the NW block, on Burrsville Rd I found a Tree Swallow using a decorative birdhouse.  One of those with a peaked roof, painted and decorated.  A first - I thought only House Sparrow and Starlings used such creations.  Next,  I visited Taber State Forest (DE).  The sorry excuse for a trail seemed more like I was freelancing through the woods most of the time and half of the loop shown on the map does not seem to exist.  I bailed out, but did see a Worm-eating Warbler and confirmed Yellowthroat.  On the MD side, I finally added Brown Thrasher and Barn Swallow.
	Coming back through the CW block, the bird of the day was a Kentucky Warbler well seen on Bullock Rd just off of 404.  Also finally added Tree Swallow and Black Vulture.  Both blocks are being coaxed toward 70 species.
	Passing through, I added Kentucky Warbler to Hickman SW at the west end of Trinity Church Rd (DE) and Killdeer at Smithville Pond.
	And a measly 3 ticks.  Disappointing.

Good Birding,
Glen Lovelace III
Seaford, DE