Hi Everyone,

I spent most of the weekend birding around P.G., Calvert, and Charles
Counties. On Saturday morning I met up with Dan Haas and Jim Brighton to
conduct a waterfowl survey along the Patuxent River. Our survey points
took us from Broomes Island to the end of Williams Wharf Road. We had a
productive and enjoyable time despite finding many of our points
obstructed by private property. Two of our best survey birds were
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER and RED-THROATED LOON, my first on the Patuxent River.
We then spent the remainder of the day working points throughout Calvert
Co., primarily along the Patuxent River. Here are some highlights:

SATURDAY, 2/16/2008

BROOMES ISLAND, CALVERT CO.

Canvasback--7
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER--1
Long-tailed Duck--26
Bufflehead--42
Common Goldeneye--32
Hooded Merganser--4
Ruddy Duck--32
RED-THROATED LOON--1; St. Mary's Co.
Horned Grebe--5
American Coot--12
Swamp Sparrow--2

SHERIDAN POINT ROAD, CALVERT CO.

White-crowned Sparrow--7 immatures; rare and local in Calvert in winter

PARKERS WHARF, CALVERT CO.

Canvasback--165
Bufflehead--14
Ruddy Duck--315

WILLIAMS WHARF, CALVERT CO.

Lesser Scaup--3; only scaup we found on this section of the Patuxent
Long-tailed Duck--9
Bufflehead--16

LLOYD BOWEN ROAD, CALVERT CO.

Brown-headed Nuthatch--2
Brown Thrasher--1
Cedar Waxwing--38

BATTLE CREEK CYPRESS SWAMP, CALVERT CO.

* Last sighting of the female Evening Grosbeak seems to be early on
Saturday morning. 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--1
Red-breasted Nuthatch--1
Purple Finch--7

CHESAPEAKE BEACH MARINA, CALVERT CO.

Tundra Swan--4
REDHEAD--3 drakes
Greater Scaup--2
Lesser Scaup--5
Surf Scoter--6
Long-tailed Duck--4
Bufflehead--45
Common Goldeneye--16
Common Loon--1
Horned Grebe--1
Northern Gannet--2

NORTH BEACH, CALVERT CO.

Greater Scaup--80
Surf Scoter--6
Black Scoter--1
Bufflehead--130
Common Goldeneye--2
Red-breasted Merganser--8
Horned Grebe--1

HERRINGTON HARBOR, AA CO.

SNOW GOOSE--1 blue goose
Canada Goose--950
Tundra Swan--8
Canvasback--850
Greater Scaup--500
Greater/Lesser Scaup--2000
Bufflehead--180
Common Goldeneye--200
Red-breasted Merganser--1
Horned Grebe--40
Killdeer--1

PATUXENT RIVER SOUTH OF RTE. 4, PG/AA COUNTIES.

Great looks at four different American Beavers along the river. 

Canada Goose--335; mostly commuting flocks at dusk
WOOD DUCK--8; flybys at dusk
Northern Harrier--1 immature; cruising south along the river
Wilson's Snipe--5; flushed from AA into PG
Herring Gull--18; Commuting
Barred Owl--1
Swamp Sparrow--5

SUNDAY, 2/17/2008

Met up with Matt Hafner, Mike Parr, and Dan Lebbin to try again for the
Evening Grosbeak and then work around southern Maryland. We birded from
Schoolhouse Pond to Battle Creek, then down to Cobb Island via Allens
Fresh. We ended the day looking for Short-eared Owls in Calvert Co. from
the P.G. side of the Patuxent River. I love watching the dusk commute
along nearly any river or marsh. My personal favorite moment at dusk on a
river was when 20 Black Skimmers materialized and silently flew past me
along the Rio Grande at Salinen~o, Texas.

SCHOOLHOUSE POND, PG CO.

Trumpeter Swan--#962
American Coot--2
Few gulls on the pond; plenty commuting

BATTLE CREEK CYPRESS SWAMP, CALVERT CO.
(Sherman Suter also keeping vigil)

Sharp-shinned Hawk--1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--1
Red-breasted Nuthatch--2
Rusty Blackbird--15; seen by Matt Hafner and Sherman Suter
Purple Finch--7

BENEDICT, west of the Rte. 231 bridge, CHARLES CO.

Tundra Swan--66; field west of Rte. 231 bridge
Canvasback--5
Lesser Scaup--215
Bufflehead--6
Common Goldeneye--15
Double-crested Cormorant--95
American Coot--15
HORNED LARK--3; field west of Rte. 231 bridge

COBB ISLAND, CHARLES CO.

Greater Scaup--4
Surf Scoter--40
Long-tailed Duck--6
Bufflehead--29
Common Goldeneye--22
Red-breasted Merganser--2
Red-throated Loon--1
NORTHERN GANNET--1
Double-crested Cormorant--24

MORGANTOWN ROAD, CHARLES CO.

Greater/Lesser Scaup--1250
Long-tailed Duck--1
Bufflehead--50
Common Goldeneye--15
Northern Bobwhite--1; calling from wooded edge along Morgantown Road
Horned Grebe--1
Double-crested Cormorant--40
Red-headed Woodpecker--1 adult; first identified by "growl" call; watched
it do a bit of flycatching from an old snag
Field Sparrow--4

GOVERNOR NICE BRIDGE, CHARLES CO.

Canvasback--100+; very distant and in the shimmer
Greater/Lesser Scaup--X; very distant and in the shimmer
PEREGRINE FALCON--1 perched under the bridge

ROUTE 301 JUST SOUTH OF THEODORE GREEN BLVD., CHARLES CO.

Two ROCK PIGEONs on a telephone wire. Rare and local in the county.

GEORGE JETT'S HOUSE, CHARLES CO.

Red-shouldered Hawk--2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Common Grackle (Purple)--750
COMMON GRACKLE (BRONZED)--1; though expected at this time of year, this
was the first individual I've felt 100% confident identifying in the state
despite a bit of trying.

BRYANTOWN ROAD, CHARLES CO.

Canada Goose--450, including one interesting small, dark individual;
unfortunately distance and poor conditions didn't permit closer study.
American Pipit--2

DUSK ALONG THE PATUXENT RIVER at MAGRUDERS FERRY

Very enjoyable dusk spot; great watching gulls, ducks, and cormorants on
their evening commutes. No Short-eared Owls tonight, but the number of
harriers present was promising. A highlight was watching two male harriers
in an apparent territorial dispute and hearing one begin loudly
vocalizing. (For the fellow county-obsessed, all species in both counties
except where noted.)

Cackling Goose--1; flew up river with two Canadas
Canada Goose--180
American Black Duck--16
Mallard--4
Northern Pintail--1 drake flying up river
Green-winged Teal--2; Calvert
Canvasback--2 drakes; first flying down the river and then back up.
COMMON MERGANSER--2; male and female flying up river
Double-crested Cormorant--3 flying down river
Great Blue Heron--1; hunting Calvert side
Bald Eagle--1
Northern Harrier--5; all hunting over the marsh on the Calvert side
Sharp-shinned Hawk--1; PG
Killdeer--1; PG
Wilson's Snipe--1; Calvert
Ring-billed Gull--67; all flying down river
Herring Gull--8 flying down river
Great Horned Owl--1 calling from the Calvert side

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com/