The temperature was perfect for birding early this morning at Oxbow Lake. 
The water level is dramatically low, exposing snags for the many birds to 
perch on for viewing. There seems to be more than enough mad flats, but you 
should bring a scope to catch the shorebirds on the far side of the lake.

Great Blue Herons
Great Egrets (20+)
Little Blue Heron (at least 1 adult, 4 imm)
Green Herons
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan #960
Wood Ducks (I'd estimate 50+)
American Black Duck (3)
Mallards
Bald Eagle (1st year)
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpipers
Least Sandpipers
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swifts
Belted Kingfishers
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Purple Martins
Barn Swallows
Caroline Wren
American Robin
American Redstart
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle

Deer (7)
Beaver (1)

I emerged from the woods onto the trail next to the lake, the beaver was 
lazily swimming by and didn't seemed bother by me at all. As he swam, he 
periodically raised his left front paw from the water and batted at 
something in front of his face. I noticed the fish were having a frenzy 
eating the insects, so maybe that's what the beaver was batting away. The 
lake is home to lots of Green Herons. As I walked along the edge, the Green 
Herons would fly low across the lake causing disturbances in the water 
below. Seems like multiple fish were rising to the surface to dine on the 
insects disturbed by the flight of the heron.

Marcy Stutzman
Russett, MD