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Subject:

Weekend in Southern St Mary's County

From:

Matt Tillett

Reply-To:

Matt Tillett

Date:

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:44:57 -0400

Weekend summary-

Awwww, MAN! I had a great weekend trouncing around southern St Mary's County
this weekend. Right out of the front door in Dameron, Pine Warblers sang me
to the ol' Volvo in syncopated time to the tapping of a Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker. 

South of Dameron, on St Jerome's Neck, I watched an American Kestrel hover
over an unseen varmint, while several Meadowlarks zipped from field to field
under the watchful eye of a Red-tailed Hawk. My keen spare pair of eyes
spotted a pile of grey feathers about 80 yards into another field on a pile
of mud- Mr. Northern Harrier.

After a quick visit to an osprey aerie on Smith Creek, and lunch with a pair
of Barn Swallows at Courney's, I headed down to Point Lookout (the toll
booth is dedicated to a guy named "Booth"), to see what was afowl. Horned
Grebes, grebes, spam, and grebes were in the inlet next to the boat launch,
and at least four Great Blue Herons have chosen the point adjacent to the
dock as a rookery. RAAAWNK!

Heading north along the beach, I spotted several Black-backed and Laughing
Gulls over the water, and a Common Loon. The loon and grebes all had their
"awkward period" plumage- not unlike a dishrags that should really be tossed
in the hamper. 

Farther north, past the barracks of the historic fort, I spotted several
several Yellow-rumped Warblers, Pine Warblers, an Eastern Phoebe, Carolina
Wren, and a life bird for me: Brown-headed Nuthatch.

Saturday, during a quick 45 minute lap around Pax River Naval Air Station,
Anne Bishop and I spotted several more Osprey, a Kingfisher, Black, Surf and
four White Winged Scoters; Long-tailed Ducks, Bufflehead and yet another
rag-tag grebe.  

Highlights here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattyfioner/
...and as usual, I welcome corrections- your feedback has helped me learn alot.

Spring has sprung! Happy Birding- Matty