Hi Folks,

I talked with Brian Sykes on the phone this afternoon, and he had seen an immature White Ibis at the Halethorpe Farms Ponds (Patapsco Ponds #4 & #5, Balt. Co.) around 10 a.m. this morning.  My nephew Max and I joined him to try to relocate the bird around 5 p.m., but were unsuccessful.  Like last summer, it appears that this bird is hanging around for a while, moving from pond to pond along the Patapsco.  If anyone is in the area, a visit to "Lost Lake" in Patapsco Valley State Park might be productive, as a White Ibis spent quite a bit of time there last summer.

While at the ponds we saw all of the expected waders:  Great Blue, Great, Green, and Black-crowned.  Passerines were pretty quiet during this toasty late afternoon, but a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Am. Redstart serenaded us with a few bars.

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I have had little time for reporting, but my nephew and I have been very busy kayaking ever since returning from Indianapolis over the 4 July weekend.  Here are the highlights of our adventures:

    Wed., 9 July, Kayaking the Patapsco from Southwest Area Park (SWAP) to Hwy 648 (B&A Blvd):

Great Egret--3 (AA & Ba Co)
BCN Heron--1 adult (both counties)
Least Tern--7 (both counties)
Yellow Warbler--1 (Ba Co)
Or. Oriole--1 (Ba Co)

    Fri, 11 July, Patuxent River Park at Jug Bay (PG Co):

N. Parula--2
Ovenbird--1
Hooded Warbler--2
Scarlet Tanager--1

    Fri, 11 July, Kayaking the Patuxent River around Jug Bay (AA & PG Counties):

Spotted Sandpiper--1 (both counties)
Least Bittern--2 (AA Co., unusually vocal, but we were there very early)
Marsh Wren--4 (AA Co.)

    Fri, 11 July, Mt Calvert Historic Site (PG Co, stretching our legs):

Bank Swallow--2, among about 100 barns and trees
N. Parula--1

    Fri, 11 July, Kayaking Western Branch (PG Co.)

Least Bittern--1 (minimally vocal)
Barred Owl--1 (upstream in the riparian habitat)
Hairy Woodpecker--1
Marsh Wren--9
N. Parula--1
Prothonotary Warbler--2
Worm-eater--1
YB Chat--2
Orchard Oriole--1

    Sun., 13 July, Visiting several of the Patapsco Ponds in AA Co. (looking for WHIB):

BCN Heron--1 ad, Pond #10
Killdeer--5, Pond #3
Spotted Sandpiper--1, Pond #3
Least Sandpiper--5, Pond #3
Warbling Vireo--1, Pond #10 (first bird we heard as we drove up)
Bank Swallow--2, Pond #11

    Tue., 15 July, SWAP (Ba Co):

Least Tern--2
Willow Flycatcher--1 vocalizing at 2 p.m.!

    Tue., 15 July, kayaking the Patapsco, SWAP to I-695 (AA and Ba Counties):

Great Egret--12 (both counties)
Spotted Sandpiper--3 (both counties)
Least Tern--6 (both counties)
Warbling Vireo--1 (AA Co.)

    Thur., 17 July, kayaking Summerville Creek, Bowen WMA, PG Co. (thanks to Jim Stasz for directing us to this place):

Marsh Wren--9

    Thur., 17 July, kayaking the Patuxent from Bowen WMA to Kings Landing Park (PG & Calvert Counties):

N. Harrier--1 (PG Co.)
Marsh Wren--11 (PG Co.)

It's time for a rest.

Stan Arnold
Ferndale (AA Co.)