Hi Folks,
I'm trying to make the most of my last few days of freedom before teachers
return to work one week from tomorrow. Yesterday Elaine and I kayaked
Piscataway Creek in Prince Georges Co. and today I joined Matt Grey for a
survey of the Swan Creek Dredged Material Facility in Anne Arundel Co. Here
is a rundown.
PISCATAWAY CREEK, PG Co., 9 Aug
In an effort to visit as many of Maryland's water ways as possible before
the end of summer, Elaine and I launched our kayak at the end of Wharf Rd.
near the National Colonial Farm early yesterday morning, and spent over
three hours exploring historic Piscataway Creek, where Elaine's ancestors
maneuvered their barques nearly 350 years ago. While we didn't find any of
the waders or shorebirds that we had hoped for, we did enjoy some quite
spectacular weather, and nice scenery while out on the water. After putting
in at Wharf Rd., we paddled west out to the Potomac River, stopping at Fort
Washington where we stretched our legs, and then paddled back up Piscatawy
Creek until it became a fairly small channel. We were there at low tide,
and there was an awful lot of vegetation in the water that we either had to
go around, or else plow through. Nevertheless, it was a marvelous day to be
out there, and these are the highlights of our findings:
Am. Black Duck--1
Great Egret--3
Red-shouldered Hawk--2
Spotted Sandpiper--2
Forster's Tern--34 (more than half on pilings at the marina on the n. side
of creek)
Barred Owl--4 (I was able to get a pair going on each side of the creek)
Warbling Vireo--1 singing! at Ft. Washington; excellent look as well
Rough-winged Swallow--1
Bank Swallow--1
Prothonotary Warbler--3 gorgeous individuals, like golden orbs on the
driftwood at the n. edge of creek
SWAN CREEK, AA Co., 10 Aug
This morning Matt Grey and I had an excellent visit to the Swan Creek
facility at the end of Kembo Rd. in northern AA Co. (limited access). Being
a Sunday, we didn't have workers to contend with, and were able to get down
near water's edge and identify the peeps that eluded identification during
our last visit. Here are the highlights of our two-hour survey (6:30 - 8:30
a.m.):
Mute Swan--2
Ruddy Duck--1
Snowy Egret--3
Little Blue Heron--9 (2 adults, 4 calico, 3 white imms)
Black-crowned Night Heron--2 adults
Glossy Ibis--1 flyover
Semi Plover--12
Spotted Sandpiper--2
Lesser Legs--3
Semi Sandpiper--46
Least Sandpiper--2
Caspian Tern--9
Red-eyed Vireo--4 together in a set of dead snags
Bank Swallow--1
Marsh Wren--1 singing
Yellow Warbler--2 seen
Prairie Warbler--1 (Matt only)
Scarlet Tanager--1 juv
Blue Grosbeak--family of four
YARD HAPPENINGS
Migration has just begun in our yard during the past few days. On Friday, 8
Aug we had an OSPREY wafting over the neighborhood, our first in many weeks.
That same morning Elaine found our first migrant warbler of the season when
she viewed a yellow and gray female or imm AMERICAN REDSTART. On Sat., 9
Aug I was able to scope a very high flying raptor from the front yard, and
it turned out to be our first RED-TAILED HAWK since May. While watching the
hawk in the scope, an equally distant PURPLE MARTIN flitted around the hawk
in the same view. This afternoon (10 Aug), we saw our first adult COOPER'S
HAWK of the season, on the ground in the back yard, then watched it carry
away one of our Mourning Doves.
Hopefully no one was caught in the Bay Bridge traffic following this
morning's tragic accident when a truck plunged into the bay. Those of us
who are going to Poplar Island tomorrow are hoping that all the travel lanes
will be re-opened by early morning.
Best to all,
Stan Arnold
Ferndale (AA Co.)
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