My husband and I stopped briefly at the Battle Creek Cypress Swamp
this morning. I have never heard so many Northern Parulas in one spot!
The place was chock full of them. We also had a great up-close view of
a Prothonotary Warbler, who sang even while foraging on a fallen log.
I heard several Acadian Flycatchers, and there were many other birds
up in the trees, most of which I was unable to see well enough to ID.

This swamp is in Calvert County, and they claim it's the northernmost
cypress swamp on the East Coast. I believe there's a sister swamp
on the Eastern Shore, somewhere near Princess Anne. It's a
beautiful place, with an easy 1/4 mile boardwalk trail (though
there are a few steps to get down to it and back up to the nature center).

Yesterday we went to Point Lookout State Park but didn't see much there
except for a few Great Blue Herons in their heronry and a distant Bald Eagle
on its nest. The best sighting was of a raccoon on top of the chimney
of the lighthouse building. It stood so still at first I thought it was a roof
ornament, but then it lay down for a few minutes before it seemed to go
headfirst down the chimney. It's possible it just climbed down the other
side, but we couldn't tell from where we stood.

Yesterday we also went to Sotterley Plantation, not far from Point Lookout
in St. Mary's County, where we saw an Orchard Oriole singing in the treetops,
and an Eastern Meadowlark, along with many, many Chipping Sparrows.
Also a lovely place for birding, with a welcoming staff. There's a small fee
for touring the grounds, but they need the funds for restoration, so it's for
a good cause.

Vacations are always too short, aren't they?

--Pat

Pat Valdata, Elkton, MD | 
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
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