Hi Folks,

Elaine and I took advantage of the fabulous fall weather to spend the day
birding in Calvert Co.  The morning was hopping, and the afternoon was
barely crawling after the wind kicked up.  No major finds, but some nice
birds:

    End of Smoky Rd. (SE of Lower Marlboro; this is a WMA, and a very birdy
spot; reminds me of Higbees in Cape May, except there were a lot of hunters
around, so we stayed out in the open; thanks to Jim Stasz for putting us on
to this place):
E. Phoebe--4
GC Kinglet--1
RC Kinglet--6
Hermit Thrush--2
Co. Yellowthroat--1 female
Savannah Sparrow--1
Lincoln's Sparrow--1
Swamp Sparrow--5
Song & White-throats--lots
Indigo Bunting--1 brownie

    Kings Landing Park (this place has gotten really nice--great view of the
Pax River and a beautiful marsh; today's Boy Scout jamboree didn't hamper us
at all):
DC Cormorant--1
Caspian Tern--5
Barred Owl--2 (or more; couldn't tell how many with the cacaphony, once they
got going; powerlines at park gate)
B. Kingfisher--1
YB Sapsucker--3
Brown Creeper--1
GC Kinglet--1
RC Kinglet--3
Catbird--1
B. Thrasher--1
C. Waxwing--12
YR Warbler--30
Chipping Sparrow--5
Swamp Sparrow--25, very vocal in marsh

    Woodpecker spot along Stoakley Rd. (looking unsuccessfully for RH
Woodpecker):
YB Sapsucker--3
B. Thrasher--2

    Battle Creek Cyprus Swamp--pretty dead around noon, except for kinglets
& Yellow-rumps

    Lloyd Bowen Rd.:
Am. Kestrel--1
BH Nuthatch--1 stashing a nut 10 feet from ground--almost too close for
binoculars
G. Catbird--1

    J. Patterson Park--a total bust--way too windy for this open area; lots
of people around, too

    Solomon's:
Osprey--2
Merlin--1 (went sailing by as we were viewing the pigeons at Asbury Ret.
Ctr)
all 4 common gulls
Royal Tern--6
Rock Pigeon--13

    Am. Chestnut Land Trust:
Cooper's Hawk--1, mobbed by crows which didn't shut up the entire time we
were there
Traill's Flycatcher--1

    North Beach:
DC Cormorant--just 5
Forster's Tern--between 50 and 100, some sitting on pilings, but most diving
with gulls in a feeding frenzy about 200 yards from shore
Zero ducks, except for the semi-domestic mallards near the shore, and the
marsh only had GB Herons

    A spectacular day to be out enjoying the back roads of Maryland.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie