Hi All,

The migratory dam burst over the last week and this weekend migration 
was in full flood it seemed. On Saturday 28 April we held our walk at 
Heron Point which we posted to the list yesterday. We did not report on 
the warblers in the yard here at Chesapeake Landing on Saturday before 
we got to town. These included a singing BLUE-WINGED, Black-throated 
Blue, and Black-and-white warblers, and our first Red-eyed Vireo of the 
year.

On Sunday (29 April) I took two walks here at Chesapeake Landing and 
managed a list of 55 species. New for the spring for us were a male Blue 
Grosbeak who briefly visited the feeder, two Blue-headed Vireos, and 3 
Great Crested Flycatchers. I also watched a low-flying Common Loon pass 
north over the woods as I watched a Blue Jay harassing one of the local 
Barred Owls in the treetops.

In the afternoon on Sunday we ventured down to Talbot County. The flood 
pond on Covey's Landing Road southeast of Cordova had a nice selection 
of seven shorebird species and three gull species (including 3 
Bonaparte's), but the Ruff was not present. We counted 36 Greater 
Yellowlegs, 32 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper (we also had 3 of 
these at the Rte. 309 ponds in Queen Anne's County), 2 Semipalmated 
Plovers, 2 Killdeer, 4 Least Sandpipers, and 1 Wilson's Snipe. Down the 
road toward the landing we had or first Orchard Oriole of the year 
singing in a yard, noticed an active Opsrey nest in a living oak tree 
(rare to see such nest sites), and two Forster's Terns at Tuckahoe 
Creek. A brief visit to Claiborne produced 2 Spotted Sandpipers, a 
Western Palm Warbler, and four Least Terns at the landing; and, on 
Miracle House Circle, there was a gorgeous adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER 
in the open woods and lawn at the NW corner of the road.

This morning's (30 April) short walk here at Chesapeake Landing produced 
52 species including eight warbler species highlighted by a female 
BLUE-WINGED, American Redstart (our first this year),  and 
Yellow-breasted Chat on Elbon Rd (first of spring), our first 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak of the season (in song), the Acadian Flycatcher 
is back (our earliest in five-years; prev. best 7 May), a MARSH WREN 
calling in the reeds at Elbon Rd was our first ever for Chesapeake 
Landing, and there were two BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS heard calling, then 
seen, at Elbon Meadow attracted by the abundance of tent caterpillars. 
Things are jumping.

Good Birding,

Walter Ellison & Nancy Martin

23460 Clarissa Rd
Chestertown, MD 21620
410-778-9568

Observing Nature is like unwrapping a big pile of presents every time 
you take a walk.