Both Jay Sheppard and I visited the Little Patuxent Oxbow Lake Nature 
Preserve this morning, but at different times. Here's what we both saw.

I was there early from about 6:45-7:45 a.m. When I arrived I counted at least 
25 Great Blue Herons on the part of the lake that I could see. I'm sure there 
were many more.

Ol' Grandad: That's what I've named a gigantic snapping turtle I observed this 
morning. I estimate it had an 18" diameter and was about 3' long from the tip 
of its nose to the tip of its tail. It's legs looked like little tree stumps. I 
described him to Jay on the phone and he checked him out, too. He was so 
huge that I thought he was first a log floating in the water. I didn't see very 
many baby Wood Ducks this year, so I guess maybe the turtles lurking under 
the water got lots of them. Jay noted a great many turtle nests that were dug 
up probably by raccoons along the trail around the lake. What goes around, 
comes around.)

Great Blue Heron (~40-50 total)
Great Egret (4)
Green Heron (3)
Canada Goose
Trumpter Swan #960
Wood Duck
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Eastern Screech Owl (well, I think I heard one anyway)
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Great Creasted Flycather (2 pairs, one feeding young)
Eastern Kingbird
Red-eyed Vireo
Purple Martin (m,f) - observed flying, but not at house erected for their use
Bank Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Turfted Titmouse
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle

Also, at home in Russett:
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Carolina Chickadee
Turfted Titmouse
Blue Jay
House Finch

Marcy Stutzman
Russett, MD