Hi Everybody: 

I left Gaithersburg about 4 AM this morning (June 24th) and headed to Calvert County with the intent of working on finding some county birds I needed.  My first stop was the American Chestnut Land Trust in Calvert County off of  Scientists Cliffs Road. I parked the car and then signed in. I had never spent much time here previously other than taking a 15 minute round trip walk on some of the trails. There was a House Wren and an Orchard Oriole trying to outduel each other with their nonstop songs as I left the car. As I started down the path I heard a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO calling across the field on my left. Within seconds I heard and then saw a COOPER'S HAWK coming from the same direction. The Cooper's Hawk was being harassed by two crows (American), two Blue Jays and a Common Grackle. I looked at my watch and thought to myself that this is indeed going to be a great day. I needed the Y-B. Cuckoo for a County Bird and the Cooper's Hawk was my 79th closeout. The time was 5 :50 AM.

I continued on and decideD to take the SWAMP TRAIL with the intent of walking it to the end which I found out to be in a swampy area with a narrow boardwalk extending across the wetland area. The walk down to this point (I am guessing 1 to 1 1/4 miles) was very interesting. It was a very densely wooded area with a small stream that was at times within close proximity to the stream. The tall deciduous trees allowed very little light through and since the sun was just rising it was like walking in twilight. I though to myself that it may not be very birdy until the sunlight was at least hitting the tops of the trees but I was completely wrong. I had a very nice assortment of woodland species. 

The highlight for me was KENTUCKY WARBLER. I heard at least 4 of them along the trail. All seemed to be on territory and very close to me; two of them were singing and the other 2 were giving their chip note, which is quite distinctive and very loud. I remember being with Dave Powell and Karen Harris on a trail at Adkins Arboretum (Caroline County) about a month ago and tracking down this same chip note and being pleasantly surprised that its origin was none other than a Kentucky Warbler.The ironic thing was that as soon as I heard each one I froze in my tracks and in know time at all I was able to see each one. To me this is one of the most difficult MD nesters to get good looks at and to have seen everyone that I heard was a real treat. Each one never seemed to get more than 6 feet off of the ground and except for some occasional perches they stayed about 2-3 feet from the ground. I walked to the end of this trail and retraced my steps back to the car.

My abridged list for the Swamp Trail:
 
     Acadian Flycatcher     5
     Wood Thrush     5
     White-eyed Vireo    1
     Ovenbird     3
     Hooded Warbler     5
     Parula Warbler     3
     Worm-eating Warbler    5
     Kentucky Warbler     4
     Common Yellowthroat     3
     Louisiana Waterthrush     1
     Scarlet Tanager     3

My next stop was in St. Mary's County at Elms WMA:

     On the drive into the park I saw/heard Pine Warblers (4), Ovenbirds (2), Worm-eating Warbler (2), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1) and Acadian Flycatcher (2).  The pond had 2 adult Mute Swans with 3 young (YUK) and a single Great Egret. I counted 16 Brown Pelicans and 1 Royal Tern after a quick scan of the Chesapeake Bay.

     I then headed for St. Mary's River Watershed Park. I birded mostly the perimeter edges of the parking lot and the boat ramp area. My highlights here were Ovenbird, Indigo Bunting and Summer Tanager (my FOY). 

     My next stop was Abell's Wharf Road which is adjacent to the Beauvue Ponds and is accessed off of Breton Beach Road. I heard and saw quite a few Grasshopper Sparrows and Eastern Meadowlarks along both roads. Approx. 1/10th of a mile down Abell's Wharf Road (before the road bends sharply to the left) I heard a DICKCISSEL singing from the fields on the left side of the road. I quickly jumped out of the car and scanned the area and found a male Dickcissel singing from the top of a small clump of trees with shiny dark leaves (in comparison to the willow trees behind them). The time was about 11:45 AM and for the next ten minutes I watched the bird singing through my spotting scope before it flew down into the tall grass in the field. I called Kyle Rambo so that he could alert some local people and then Ron Gutberlet who posted on the MDOSPEY. When I got off of the phone the Dickcissel had resumed its exact same perch and was heartily singing again. I think it is amazing how far their song seems to carry when the bird was perched more than the length of a football field away from me.

I drove to the end of Abell's Wharf Road and scanned Breton Bay and then returned to the Dickcissel. Other birds observed besides more E. Meadowlarks and Grasshopper Sparrows included: 

     Dbl.-Crested Cormorant   2
     Laughing Gull   2
     Fish Crow     2
     Prairie Warbler    1
     Blue Grosbeak     2...Male singing from a telephone wire with a female also on the wire 3 feet away.
     Field Sparrow    2

When I returned towards the Dickcissel I noticed an EASIER VANTAGE POINT: From the original above location described continue around the sharp left hand bend in the road. As you are slowly driving look over towards BRETON BEACH ROAD on your left (again only about 1/10th of a mile after you came around the sharp bend in the road) and STOP when a telephone pole with a successful OSPREY nest is directly across from you (12 O'clock). Look in the top of the smaller tree clump with the dark green leaves (15-20 feet in heighth) in the lower part of the field ( you are closer here than the original location described). The Willows will be further down the road on your right. This seems to be the favorite perch for the male when singing at least when I was there. The Dickcissel was a County Bird for me.

The Beauvue ponds had nothing but 2 Adult and 1 young Mute Swans (YUK) and numerous Canada Geese. All of the ponds had very high water levels. 

My next stop was Chaptico Park (still in St. Mary's County). It was now early afternoon and the midday heat was becoming unbearable. There was little bird activity up to this point when I saw a perched bird in the top of a tree. Right after IDing it the bird began to sing. It was an Orchard Oriole; this was a County Bird for me and my 80th Closeout. I would end up hearing 3 more Orchard Orioles as I slowly drove towards the back end of the park. So if anybody needs Orchard Oriole in St. Mary's County this is the place to go.

My last stop in St. Mary's County was Davis Road: Species here included Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Kentucky Warbler (a County Bird for me), Worm-eating warbler and Scarlet Tanager.

On the way home I went through Charles County and checked out several places along the waterfront on Cobb's Island but all in all it was disappointing. Does George Jett lock up all the good Charles County birds when he is not in the field?

Jim Green
Gaithersburg, MD

WORK IN MODERATION, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!