Hi Everyone,

I decided to spend Saturday afternoon (3/14) looking for waterfowl along the Patuxent River. After a quick scan of Rock Creek across from my house, I headed to Jug Bay and worked the river between Mt. Calvert and Broome's Island. Highlights were primarily the many newly returned species. Among these were Ospreys (every stop; it could have been June), small numbers of Laughing Gulls, Greater Yellowlegs, Tree Swallows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Brown Thrashers at nearly every stop, Gray Catbird, a singing Pine Warbler, and Fox Sparrows. 

I ended the day with a long hike in the drizzling rain at Smoky Road. My reward there was a couple Wild Turkeys feeding in an open field far in the back. I've spent a lot of time looking for turkeys in Calvert, and I had a feeling yesterday would be the day to finally make contact. At dusk, many woodcock were peeanting and displaying despite the drizzle. Among the abundant sparrow chip notes were a vocal Fox Sparrow and five Brown Thrashers doing their dusk/dawn calls. Below are highlights extracted from the full eBird lists.

Rock Creek, south of Fort Smallwood, AA Co.

Canvasback--2
Bufflehead--43
Common Goldeneye--1
Horned Grebe--5
Double-crested Cormorant--1
Osprey--1
Cooper's Hawk--1 imm.
Killdeer--2; hanging out at the point
Ring-billed Gull--2
Great Black-backed Gull--3

Patuxent River Park--Mt. Calvert, PG/AA Counties

Pied-billed Grebe--1
Osprey--1
Ring-billed Gull--15
Eastern Phoebe--1
Tree Swallow--21
Gray Catbird--1
Eastern Towhee--1
Song Sparrow--6
Swamp Sparrow--4
Pine Siskin--1; flyover, calling

Jackson Landing--Prince George's side

Wood Duck--2
Northern Pintail--3
Green-winged Teal (American)--8
Common Merganser--5
Red-breasted Merganser--1
Osprey--4
Bald Eagle--1
Greater Yellowlegs--1
Laughing Gull--1
Ring-billed Gull--53
Herring Gull (American)--51
Lesser Black-backed Gull--1 adult
Great Black-backed Gull--2
Eastern Phoebe--1
Tree Swallow--10
Brown Thrasher--1
Eastern Towhee--3

Jackson Landing--Anne Arundel side

Wood Duck--2
Northern Pintail--2
Common Merganser--11
Red-breasted Merganser--1
Osprey--2
Bald Eagle--1
Ring-billed Gull--53
Herring Gull (American)--51
Lesser Black-backed Gull--1 adult
Barred Owl--1
Pileated Woodpecker--1
Tree Swallow--10

Patuxent River--Selby's Landing (all noteworthy species in PG)

Canada Goose--160
Wood Duck--3
American Black Duck--75
Mallard--140
Osprey--3
Killdeer--1
Wilson's Snipe--3
Ring-billed Gull--15
Herring Gull--5
Great Black-backed Gull--1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Hermit Thrush--2
Brown Thrasher--1
Pine Warbler--1; singing
Eastern Towhee--6
White-throated Sparrow--12
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--25

Milltown Landing (hedgerow on the far west end of the road), P.G. Co.

Eastern Bluebird--3
Hermit Thrush--1
Gray Catbird--1
Brown Thrasher--1; calling
Eastern Towhee--2
Field Sparrow--1
Fox Sparrow (Red)--2; one singing

Eagle Harbor, Prince George's Co.

Mallard--1
Greater Scaup--7
Ruddy Duck--139
Double-crested Cormorant--6
Bald Eagle--1
Herring Gull (American)--3

Benedict--Rte. 231 bridge, Charles Co.
(Fields, marina, and north of the bridge)

Canada Goose--44
Northern Shoveler--3; seemingly unusual location
Canvasback--1
Greater Scaup--3
Lesser Scaup--5
Greater/Lesser Scaup--17
Ruddy Duck--485; Calvert flock was different group
Double-crested Cormorant--4
Osprey--2
American Kestrel--1; fields
American Coot--16; as always, along the shore of the marina
Ring-billed Gull--12
Herring Gull (American)--4
Great Black-backed Gull--8
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1

Burch--Rte. 231 bridge, Calvert Co.
(House beside the parking lot has a feeding area for waterfowl)

Mallard--62
Canvasback--1; feeding at feeding station at house beside parking lot
Greater Scaup--2
Greater/Lesser Scaup--12
Common Goldeneye--3
Ruddy Duck--190
Double-crested Cormorant--3
Osprey--1
American Coot--37; exact count; many using feeding station
Ring-billed Gull--43

Broomes Island, Calvert Co.

Tundra Swan--19
Canvasback--18
Long-tailed Duck--14
Bufflehead--61
Common Goldeneye--7
Common Loon--3
Horned Grebe--3
Ring-billed Gull--5
Herring Gull (American)--2

Kings Landing Park, Calvert Co.

American Black Duck--7
Hairy Woodpecker--1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--2
Hermit Thrush--1
Brown Thrasher--2
Cedar Waxwing--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--3
Field Sparrow--1; obvious migrant in a mostly wooded area with a DEJU/WTSP flock
Swamp Sparrow--6
White-throated Sparrow--35
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--37

Patuxent River--Smoky Road, Calvert Co.

Canada Goose--415
Wood Duck--5; looking down at a wetland area along the river
American Black Duck--2
Mallard--14
Wild Turkey--2
American Woodcock--8; lots of peeanting and displaying at dusk; could certainly get a much higher count with a concerted effort
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--5
Eastern Phoebe--1
Brown Thrasher--8
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--2
Eastern Towhee--21
Fox Sparrow (Red)--1
Song Sparrow--14
White-throated Sparrow--45
Common Grackle--160

A few random photos: http://www.billhubick.com/new_set.html

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com