Hi Folks,

I did some early morning birding in PG County today, before the heat set in.
Stopped at School House Pond in Upper Marlboro, then visited Mt. Calvert,
and finished at Merkle Sanctuary.  Some of the birds:

    School House Pond--(did not find the BCN Heron or Least Tern that were
hoped for):

Trumpeter Swan
Killdeer
Acadian Flycatcther
White-eyed Vireo
Wood Thrush
Common Yellowthroat

    Mt. Calvert:

E. Kingbird
Bank Swallow--4 counted among the 100s of Trees and dozens of Barns on the
utility wires
Marsh Wren--1 singing along the river
Brown Thrasher--1 at entry
Grasshopper Sparrow--a couple singing in the fields along the entry road
Orchard Oriole--pair

    Merkle Sanctuary:

Yellow-billed Cuckoo--1 heard, Mounds Trail
Barred Owl--1 flew across road and landed in tree nearby, outside sanctuary
at swampy bottomland getting there
Pileated Woodpecker--1 heard same place as Barred Owl
Warbling Vireo--1 heard at swamp off Mounds Trail
Purple Martin--swarming around the visitor center
Brown Thrasher--1 vocal and visible at visitor center
N. Parula--a couple heard along Mouds Trail
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER??--Mounds Trail; I didn't see it, but the
"beer-beer-beer-beeeeee" was heard very clearly several times; I thought
maybe it was an abherent Cerulean, but checking the 1980s atlas data I see
that Ceruleans are virtually non-existent as nesters along this stretch of
the Patuxent.  I find this interesting based on other reports of
out-of-season Black-throated Blues that have appeared on this listserve this
summer.
Prothonotary Warbler--1 heard at swamp, Mounds Trail
Common Yellowthroat--2 or 3 heard, Mounds Trail
Grasshopper Sparrow--several singing and hopping along the gravel roads near
the red barn

    Many thanks to Fred Shaffer who provided volumes of detailed info on
finding some of the birds I was looking for.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie