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.)