About an hour ago (3:30pm) I had the opportunity to observe/compare 
Trumpeter Swan #960 and a Tundra Swan visiting the Little Patuxent Oxbow 
Lake Nature Preserve in Anne Arundel County. I had been there already for 
about 2 hours working on the trails, and was just turning south on the trail to 
head towards Eagle's Head Cove (the southern cove on the lake). I had just 
noticed Trumpeter Swan #960 standing on a log in the lake on near the 
western shore. Since he is the biggest white thing on the lake, he's usually not 
hard to notice. My eyes caught sight of a white swan, but much closer than I 
had expected. Upon closer look, the swan didn't have a yellow tag. So I 
scanned for TS960 and verified there were two swans. It didn't take long for 
TS960 to notice the Tundra Swan. They both swam towards each other, 
taking their time. When TS960 got close enough for them both to be in my 
binoculars at the same time, he decided he didn't want to share his lake. He 
started beating his wings, and the Tundra Swan turned to swim away. TS960 
took flight and flew over the Tundra Swan, landing on the other side. Tundra 
Swan then began swimming south into the cove, trying to give TS960 his 
space. TS960 followed and at one point they were side by side swimming. 
They headed back out towards the middle of the lake. When TS960 started to 
take flight, so did the Tundra Swan. So they flew around the lake twice. 
TS960 flew back with his buddies, the Canada Geese, who he doesn't seem to 
care if they share his lake with him. I was backtracking along the trail to get 
to a point to see where Tundra Swan flew to, but they were too fast for me. I 
didn't see the Tundra Swan on the lake when I left.

TS960 was bigger and had a deeper voice than the Tundra Swan. They both 
made the same sound while swimming. Tundra Swan kept repeating it 
frequently. TS960 only made it occasionally. It was quite beautiful watching 
them fly together. Tundra Swan in front of and slightly above TS960, until 
TS960 maneuvered above of Tundra Swan.

Earlier in the day, I had visited Centennial Lake in Howard County. There was 
an Arthritis Foudation run ongoing with a lot of people and a lot of noise at the 
ampitheater (which is near the restricted area where the Cackling Goose had 
been reported). I didn't see the Cackling Goose. I talked to two other 
birders/photographers and they hadn't seen it either. One of the 
photographers got a picture of a Canada Goose with a numbered-neckband. 
He thought he would be able to blow up the picture to read the number.

Then I visited Meadowbrook Park in Howard County. The best bird was the 
first bird I saw, a gorgeous FOX SPARROW. From the commuter parking lot and 
just after you cross the bridge, it was on the immediate left. When I was 
leaving and as I was walking back over the bridge, I observed a Great Blue 
Heron catch a frog in the little stream and eat it.

Marcy Stutzman
Russett, MD