Happy holidays to all the birders out there!

I did a little watching yesterday morning, to take a break from all the work of 
getting those new kid's toys out of the theft-proof packaging!

From home on Christmas morning, the list below includes two brief looks at Jug 
Bay with a scope, plus a steady watch of the feeder stations for about two 
hours.  Nothing unusual (for Jug Bay), but I did see three adult bald eagles, 
two nearby perched together on an osprey nest platform about 18 inches 
apart, and another perched ~ 1/4 mile away.  I mention the eagles because 
about an hour ago today, my son and I watched two pairs of eagles interact 
(all adults).   Probably the same birds from Christmas morn.  One of the birds 
from one pair left quickly, while the one that stayed raised havoc with the 
remaining pair.  It made many charges, and chases with much calling ensued. 
The pair defended their turf, and much aerial display was enjoyed by Sam and 
I as we watched for about 5 minutes.  The vocalizations and flight acrobatics 
were impressive.  The lone bird then went away (I think to join its mate) and 
everything settled back down.

Although there are several nests in the vicinity, and we see both adults and 
juvenile eagles regularly, I don't see this territorial behavior very often.  I 
guess the pairs tend not to interact very frequently since there is enough 
elbow room around here.  Perhaps if eagles continue to recruit well, there 
could be an issue with competition for habitat in 5-10 years.  There are 
certainly a very high number of osprey pairs that breed around here (my high 
count viewed from one spot at Mt Calvert this year was 15 nests) and I have 
wondered about their effect on bald eagles in competing for fish to feed 
dependent young.  I see osprey chasing eagles here fairly often during nesting 
season.

Cheers!
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD

Jug Bay birds 12-25-06, 8-10:30 AM

Pied-billed Grebe 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Tundra Swan 4
Canada Goose ~120
Mallard ~25
American Black Duck ~50
Northern Pintail ~30
Common Merganser 7 females, 1 male
Turkey Vulture 2
Black Vulture 4
Bald Eagle 3 (ad.)
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Ring billed Gull ~ 100
Herring Gull ~ 15
Mourning Dove 24
Great Horned Owl 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 4
Fish Crow 1
Tufted Titmouse 2
Carolina Chickadee 2
Brown Creeper 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 2
Eastern Bluebird 2
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling ~25
Song Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow ~25
Dark eyed Junco ~ 20
Northern Cardinal 4
Red winged Blackbird ~ 40
Rusty Blackbird 6
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 4
House Sparrow 1