GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.  I was on a tour of these spectacular islands August
10-21.  My writeup will be finished in c. 10 days.  Glad to send it to
anyone interested, just request via:   
Otherwise I'll be sending it to my fellow tour participants and family as
well as posting it to the Talbot (County, MD) Bird Club LISTSERV.  It will
have the itinerary, an annotated list of all bird species, an annotated but
brief bibliography, a few quotations from pertinent literature, and my own
commentary.  It was the trip of a lifetime, but then, I have not had need
for a passport since 1962.  


RIGBY'S FOLLY, Armistead property on Ferry Neck, Talbot County, MD, 25124
West Ferry Neck Road near Royal Oak but nearer still to Bellevue. 

3 splendid high summer days, August 25-27, 2006.  Fair weather with temps
from the high 70s to the low 90s and light winds.  Not very humid,
mercifully.  The drought is on.  Pray for rain.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25.  40 species incl.:  1 Great Horned Owl (flushed from
where it was roosting in the yard).  1 Baltimore Oriole (migrant).  1
Northern Waterthrush.  1 Spotted Sandpiper.  8 Ospreys.  3 Chipping
Sparrows (1 carrying food).  1 Belted Kingfisher.    

The 2 Mute Swan cygnets hatched from the nest at the head of the cove are
now the size of Canada Geese.  A Yellow-billed Cuckoo heard each day and I
am certain they're nesting in Woods 8.  The 200 some feral Mallards have
left hundreds of "great quotations" on our dock which Liz and I hosed and
swept off in about half an hour.  The males are starting to look sprucey as
they acquire their alternate plumage, the green building in on their heads.
 

Also:  17 Green Frogs and 4 Southern Leopard Frogs in the Waterthrush Pond.
 When startled, most of the Green Frogs hop UP the bank LEAVING the water
and disappear into cavities there as if they are wannabe Bank Swallows.  On
the edge of the lawn a doe and 2 large but still spotted fawns, one a
partial albino.  Gray Squirrels, 2 seen, have made depredations around the
periphery of the corn fields, perhaps 20 shredded corn cobs being found. 
Such a resourceful mammal.  1 mouse in the house traps.  

Butterflies:  2 Silver-spotted Skippers.  2 Spicebush & 4 Tiger
swallowtails.  30 Monarchs.  1 American Lady.  5 Red-spotted Purples.  1
Variegated Fritillary.  2 Common Wood Nymphs.   5 Pearlcrescents.  5
Buckeyes.  2 Cabbage Whites.  1 Cloudless Sulphur.  1 unidentified LBJ
(little blue job).  There seem to be more Monarchs than usual this summer. 


Spent 2 hours chainsawing downed trees.  A March Hibiscis (small red
flowers) and some Sea Lavender persist at our primitive, "green" boat ramp.
 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26.  46 species.  Not seen yesterday:  1 Royal Tern.  2
Red-bellied Woodpeckers.  4 Carolina Chickadees.  1 Veery.  1 Red-eyed
Vireo.  1 Black-and-white Warbler.  1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  4 adult
Bald Eagles.  4 Purple Martins.  3 Great Egrets,  3 adult male and a female
American Redstart.  A young Indigo Bunting begging from an ad. male in our
one Elm.  A stubby-tailed juvenile Downy Woodpecker.  41 American Robins
are an interesting count for this time of year, going to roost at dusk.    

15 butterfly species, cf. 13 yesterday, incl. (not seen then) 1 Least
Skipper, 1 Red Admiral, and an unid. folded-wing skipper plus an unid.
anglewing.  Notable are 14 Red-spotted Purples.  5 Diamondback Terrapin.  2
Fireflies at dusk, late in the year for them.  Rescued a beautiful, pale
green damselfly from a spider web constructed between my 2 white waterman's
boots, which I keep upsidedown on 2 posts on the dock ("When in Rome ..."),
ready for use in the cove.   

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27.  Not seen previous 2 days:  3 Bank Swallows.  16 Cedar
Waxwings.  1 imm. Bald Eagle.  1 Ovenbird.  an imm. White-eyed Vireo (which
has a dark eye).  1 House Wren (probably an early migrant).  2 Brown
Thrashers.  Also of interest:  a juvenile Royal Tern.  2 hummingbirds.  2
Snowy Egrets plus 10 Diamondback Terrapin.  1 Northern Water Snake.   1
Least Skipper, a butterfly I don't see very often.  3 Tiger Swallowtails
apparently nectaring at the Rose of Sharon Bushes.    

Missed, surprisingly:  Bobolink.  

Best to all.-Henry ("Harry") T. Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia,
PA 19119-1225.  215-248-4120.  Please, any off-list replies ONLY to: 
harryarmistead at hotmail dot com  (never, please, to 74077.3176 ....)