The Patuxent Bird Club/PG Audubon Society held a joint field trip with the
Southern MD Audubon Society to various sites along the Patuxent River in
Prince George's County on Saturday, May 3. We had a small group - just Bob
Elvander, George Harrington (sp?) and myself. It ended up being a very
productive day as we visited Mount Calvert, Jug Bay, Merkle, and Schoolhouse
Pond. Highlights included 17 species of warblers, 7 species of shorebirds, and
other returning migrants such as Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Orioles, Eastern
Kingbird, Acadian Flycatchers, plus two Cattle Egrets at Merkle.
The highlight of the warblers was probably the adult male Cape May Warbler
seen low in a tree near the Jug Bay Visitor's Center. Other warblers seen or
heard included Parula, Black-throated Blue, Blackpoll, Prairie, Pine, Ovenbird,
Hooded, Redstarts, Common Yellowthroats, many Yellow Warblers, both
Waterthrush, a singing Worm-eating Warbler, many Yellow-rumped Warblers,
and a Prothonatary Warbler. I later found a Magnolia Warbler on a solo stop
at Overbrook Park/former Bowie Landfill after the trip.
Shorebirds continued at Schoolhouse Pond in big numbers. Solitary Sandpipers
were especially numerous, as were both species of yellowlegs. Least
Sandpipers and Spotted Sandpipers were present in small numbers. We also
heard 1 Killdeer at Merkle, and I had one Wilson's Snipe on the stop at the
former landfill site. Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpipers were also seen and
heard at Mount Calvert.
As noted above, we had two Cattle Egrets in the field behind the visitor's
center at Merkle. Other highlights at this stop included a close singing
Grasshopper Sparrow, a singing Orchard Oriole, and numerous Purple Martins.
The Grasshopper Sparrow sang from atop one of the park signs in the middle
of one of the grassy fields near the visitor's center, and allowed great,
prolonged views. The Cattle Egrets had flown off before we left.
So, we ended up with 89 species on the field trip, and I was able to track
down another 11 afterwards at Overbrook Park. As usual, the former landfill
was productive for Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, and Wilson's
Snipe, as well as a few other migrants and returning breeders that we had
missed elsewhere.
Fred Shaffer
Patuxent MOS
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