Rigby's Folly, Armistead property on Ferry Neck, Talbot County, MD, West
Ferry Neck Road near Royal Oak but nearer still to Bellevue.  Sunday,
September 30, 2007.

I haven't been here since September 17.  Son, George, who is now away
leading a bird tour in Argentina, left a list from September 30 that I
picked up at Rigby on October 15.  So ... a combination of circumstances
has led to this late report.

September 30 was a very good flight day.

66 species, including these new property high counts:  15 Red-breasted
Nuthatches, 14 Tufted Titmice, and 26 Carolina Chickadees.  For some reason
titmice and chickadees, resident and non-migratory, are more conspicuous on
flight days than otherwise.  Perhaps they get energized by the influx of
migrants.  

Good warbler day, 12 species:  4 Magnolias, 4 Black-throated Blues, 9
Yellow-rumpeds, 1 Black-throated Green, 3 Pines (2 singing), 2 Prairies, 3
Palms, 1 Blackpoll, and 5 Black-and-whites as well as 3 Northern Parulas, 4
redstarts, and 22 Common Yellowthroats.

Some other passerine migrants:  1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Winter Wren,
7 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 2 phoebes, 7 House Wrens, a Blue-headed & 2
Red-eyed vireos, a Scarlet Tanager, 3 juncos, a Swamp Sparrow, and 2 Indigo
Buntings.

Also:  110 Blue Jays, 2 Bald Eagles, 5 Sharp-shinned Hawks, a Pileated
Woodpecker, 30 flickers, 3 Northern Harriers, 2 Royal Terns, 2 Hairy
Woodpeckers, and 48 Killdeer (feeding along the edge of the cove).  

I have just returned from 14 days at Kiptopeke, Virginia, October 1-14. 
Prior to that Liz and I were on Monhegan Island, Maine, with Will Russell
September 21-27 (Say's Phoebe, Western Kingbird, 103 Gray Seals one day,
Dickcissels, Clay-colored & Lark sparrows, Common Eiders swallowing 3"-4"
crabs whole!).  

Depending on the appropriateness of the forum, my reports from these 2
places will follow in a week or so.

However, for now I can say that at Kiptopeke there were days of 162
Peregrine Falcons, 311 White Ibis, 105 Seaside Sparrows, 597 flickers, an
adult female Magnificent Frigatebird low and right overhead at the
hawkwatch platform, 7 peregrines captured and banded one day, and another
day on which countless thousands of Monarchs flooded through.  There's no
place like it!

Best to all.-Henry ("Harry") T. Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia,
PA 19119-1225.  215-248-4120.  Please, any off-list replies to: 
harryarmistead at hotmail dot com  (never, please, to 74077.3176 ....)