Hi Everyone,

I met up with Jim Stasz and Matt Hafner yesterday afternoon to bird points along the Patuxent River in Prince George's Co. Numbers of many migrant species are certainly on the rise, including Laughing Gull, White-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, and Common Yellowthroat. Some of the other highlights included Solitary Sandpiper, American Woodcock, Virginia Rail, Eastern Kingbird, Horned Lark, Marsh Wrens, Wood Thrush, and Scarlet Tanager. We also had our first two flocks of migrant Blue Jays pass overhead. 

My personal highlight was photographing two downy BLACK VULTURE young in an abandoned house near the Patuxent River. Two adults flushed from a window, and I peaked in to see two strangely adorable downy chicks. 

That settles it once and for all--all babies are cute. Proof available at http://www.billhubick.com/new_set.html.

Here are abridged lists from the full eBird entries:

Governor Bridge Park

Hairy Woodpecker--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--5
Northern Parula--4
Prothonotary Warbler--3
Common Yellowthroat--2
Eastern Towhee--2
White-throated Sparrow--1

Schoolhouse Pond, Upper Marlboro

Mute Swan--1
Trumpeter Swan--#962 continues
Double-crested Cormorant--1
Osprey--1
Solitary Sandpiper--1
Laughing Gull--12; soaring high
Hairy Woodpecker--1
White-eyed Vireo--2
Tree Swallow--1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--1
Barn Swallow--3
House Wren--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--7
Northern Parula--2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1
Common Yellowthroat--3
Chipping Sparrow--1
White-throated Sparrow--7

Patuxent River Park--Mt. Calvert

Wood Duck--2
Osprey--9
Greater Yellowlegs--2
Laughing Gull--280
Ring-billed Gull--8
White-eyed Vireo--1
Barn Swallow--2; pair has claimed the small floating pier (photos)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--1
Cedar Waxwing--8
Common Yellowthroat--1
Chipping Sparrow--1
Swamp Sparrow--1
White-throated Sparrow--2

Patuxent River--Selby's Landing and Vicinity

Double-crested Cormorant--2
Barred Owl--1
Eastern Phoebe--1
White-eyed Vireo--2
Yellow-throated Vireo--1
Blue Jay--14; first flyover flock of migrants for the year
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--14
Northern Parula--11
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--4
Pine Warbler--1
Ovenbird--9
White-throated Sparrow--6

Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary

Greater Yellowlegs--1
Lesser Yellowlegs--2
Red-headed Woodpecker--1 flyby adult
White-eyed Vireo--1
Purple Martin--15
Tree Swallow--2
Barn Swallow--2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--2
Hermit Thrush--1; singing; Matt only
WOOD THRUSH--1
Northern Parula--2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1
Ovenbird--1
Common Yellowthroat--1
SCARLET TANAGER--1; Stasz and Matt only
Grasshopper Sparrow--1
Eastern Meadowlark--1

Milltown Landing

Wood Duck--3
Bald Eagle--1
Wilson's Snipe--21
Ring-billed Gull--1 imm.
Forster's Tern--1
Eastern Phoebe--1; on nest
White-eyed Vireo--1
Blue Jay--7; Matt spotted a second flock of migrants
Horned Lark--1 singing
Barn Swallow--2; on nest
Marsh Wren--1 on Calvert side
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--2
Brown Thrasher--2
Northern Parula--4
Prairie Warbler--1
Ovenbird--1
Common Yellowthroat--3
Savannah Sparrow--24+
White-throated Sparrow--2
White-crowned Sparrow (Eastern)--2

Patuxent River Park--Aquasco Farm

Virginia Rail--1
Greater Yellowlegs--1
American Woodcock--1
Eastern Kingbird--1
Marsh Wren--3
Common Yellowthroat--2

Herps: Red-bellied Turtles, E. Painted Turtles; calling Bullfrogs, Green Frogs, Southern Leopard Frogs, Cope's Gray Treefrogs, Spring Peepers, NORTHERN CRICKET FROGs (my first of season), Fowler's Toads

Butterflies: Black Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Eastern Tailed Blue, Cabbage White, Juvenal's Duskywing

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com