Hi Everybody:

 I  left the house with little sleep in the wee hours of the morning and headed for Cecil County, specifically Elk Neck State Forest. For the second week in a row I should have stayed in bed. Mother Nature's raindrops once again kept me from seeing or hearing any Whip-poor-wills. I was also optimistic about hearing a Great Horned Owl but it was not meant to be. Both remain on the wish list of County Birds.

My first stop was the waterfront in Charlestown at first daylight. High tide prevented me from finding any shorebirds. I did see Purple Martins, Barn Swallows and 3 Bank Swallows.

My next stop was the back edges of the Cecil County Public Works property at the end  of Chesapeake Blvd. in Elkton.  My best birds here were 5 Cedar Waxwings, a male Blue Grosbeak and a very active Common Yellowthroat. I also saw 4 CATTLE EGRETS in a dirt field.

My next stop was Fair Hill NRMA. I entered at Parking Lot #3 (off of Appleton Rd.). There were some construction vehicles making noise so I opted out of birding the fields and drove slowly down Black Bridge Road towards the covered bridge.  On the road down I heard several VEERIES calling along with 2 A. Redstarts and several Ovenbirds. After parking  I headed over towards the small pond. 

Before I even got close an immature BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON (a County Bird) flew up from the water's edge, disappeared behind some trees and then gave me several good looks as it circled above me. It disappeared, came back a second time, circled one more time and gave me a bark-like "QUARK" before disappearing for good. Other birds seen or heard in the vicinity of the pond and/ or walking downriver from the covered bridge included:
     Green Heron   1
     House Wren   2
     Wood Pewee   2
     Great-crested Flycatcher   1
     Acadian Flycatcher   4 (possibly more)
     Wood Thrush   2
     Veery   1
     White- eyed Vireo   1
     Warbling Vireo   2
     A. Redstart   2
     Parula Warbler   1
     Yellow Warbler    1
     Ovenbird   2
     Kentucky Warbler   1   (a County  Bird)
     Louisiana Waterthrush   1
     Baltimore Oriole   2
     Cedar Waxwing   4

I then headed south towards the well- reported Dickcissel spot. Last year when the MOS State Conferenc was held in Harford County I went on a Cecil county  lister's trip which was expertly led by Sean McCandless. He told us that shorebirds are hard to come by in Cecil County and showed the group two storm management ponds in a new development off of Williams Road. He said they are worth checking if you are in the vicinity for possible shorebirds and wading birds. 

I have diligently checked these every time I have birded in Cecil County but had nothing to show for it up until today. The road off of  Williams Road is Manor Circle. The wet area to the right near the intersection had a Great Egret and a Green Heron.  The second storm management pond is in the back of the development at the end of a cul-de-sac (a short 2 minute walk through a field). There was 1 GLOSSY IBIS feeding in the pond. Within 5 minutes after first seeing it, it flew off in a northeastern direction. This was a County Bird for me. Thanks to Sean for sharing this spot).

There were 3 Dickcissels (a County Bird) at the previously reported location off of New Cut Road. At one point they were all sitting in the top of an Arbor Vitae on the right side of the driveway. Directly across from them in an opposite tree were 2 E. Meadowlarks competing for my attention.  I heard or saw at least 5 Grasshopper Sparrows and several Horned Larks.

I retraced my steps and headed to areas north of Port Depot off of  Route 222. All of these were new birding places for me.  There is a pullover with a trail along Octararo Creek which leads down to the Susquehanna River. It was midday so I was not overly optimistic. The following species were heard here (and some were seen):

     Rough-winged Swallow   1
     Acadian Flycatcher   3
     Warbling Vireo   1
     Yellow-throated Warbler   1   swooped down at nearly eye level and devoured a dragonfly
     CERULEAN WARBLER   2         both singing and one was seen   (a County Bird)
     Parula Warbler   1

I stopped at a power line cut along Rt. 222  and had a singing Yellow- Breasted Chat. 

My last stop was driving along Stafford Road in Harford County's Susquehanna State Park. I waited out a 30 minute thunderstorm in the parking area of Deer Creek Picnic Area. When the rain ceased I walked one of the trails and was rewarded with a singing Kentucky Warbler (a County Bird for Harford).

One of these days (I guess I mean nights) I would like to hear the Whip-Poor-Wills, but I guess when I am getting good birds in the daylight I can't complain.


Jim Green
Gaithersburg MD

WORK IN MODERATION, BIRD IN EXCESS!