Hello everyone,

I got out of work early on Thursday, so I did a little birding in Charles County, mainly at Myrtle Grove WMA. Best birds at Myrtle Grove were Hooded Warblers, a Great Egret, Blue Grosbeak, and Yellow-breasted Chat. Maybe my best birds in the county were three ROCK PIDGEONS, which flew across Hawthorne Road as I was driving. I understand that this can be a tricky bird in Charles. 

The kayak that I ordered finally arrived earlier this week, so since I had the day off because of the holiday, I decided to take it out on the Patuxent. I was slow getting out of the house this morning, so I didn't launch from Selby's Landing until around 8am. Primarily staying on the PG side of the river, I paddled a little ways south, checking out various nameless streams and then turned around and paddled north until I just about arrived at Jug Bay before turning back and slowly drifting to Selby's Landing. I was hoping for Least Bittern, which are almost common this time of the year on the river, but I didn't have any luck. Best birds while kayaking were: a SPOTTED SANDPIPER making its way along the PG shore just north of Selby's, at least five MARSH WRENS, two AMERICAN REDSTARTS, one PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, one BANK SWALLOW, and five Wood Ducks. I birded along Croom Airport Road on my way out of Selby's, and picked up two PINE WARBLERS in the pines (where they've been without fail since early Spring), a male SUMMER TANAGER, a male Baltimore Oriole, and a singing HOODED WARBLER. 

This afternoon before dinner I met up with my brother Mike and we birded the Bowie Town Center Pond for 45 minutes, passing time until it was time to eat. It was my first visit since late Winter. Nothing unusual, but we were happy to see a nice-sized Purple Martin colony. After dinner, we birded Fran Uhler, where the highlights were a Yellow-throated Vireo, Prairie Warbler, Orchard Orioles, Scarlet Tanager, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and three Eastern Phoebes. 

All-in-all, I had a 10 warbler day in the county. Not bad for early July. 

Full lists:

Location:     Marshall Hall
Observation date:     7/2/09
Number of species:     8

Red-bellied Woodpecker     1
Eastern Wood-Pewee     1
Blue Jay     1
Eastern Bluebird     2
European Starling     10
Chipping Sparrow     3
Orchard Oriole     1
American Goldfinch     4

Location:     Barrys Hill Road
Observation date:     7/2/09
Number of species:     7

Great Blue Heron     1
Acadian Flycatcher     1
Carolina Chickadee     2
Eastern Bluebird     2
Northern Parula     1
Scarlet Tanager     1
Northern Cardinal     1

Location:     Myrtle Grove WMA
Observation date:     7/2/09
Number of species:     34

Canada Goose     9
Great Blue Heron     1
Great Egret     1
Green Heron     1
Osprey     2
Mourning Dove     8
Yellow-billed Cuckoo     2
Downy Woodpecker     1
Eastern Wood-Pewee     1
Acadian Flycatcher     1
White-eyed Vireo     2
Red-eyed Vireo     6
Blue Jay     1
American Crow     1
Barn Swallow     1
Carolina Chickadee     4
Tufted Titmouse     1
White-breasted Nuthatch     3
Carolina Wren     2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     3
Wood Thrush     1
Northern Mockingbird     2
Brown Thrasher     1
Northern Parula     2
Ovenbird     2
Common Yellowthroat     4
Hooded Warbler     2
Yellow-breasted Chat     1
Northern Cardinal     5
Blue Grosbeak     1
Indigo Bunting     2
Red-winged Blackbird     1
Common Grackle     1
American Goldfinch     1

Location:     Hawthorne Road, Charles Co.
Observation date:     7/2/09
Number of species:     1

Rock Pigeon     3

Location:     Kayaking Patuxent in PG
Observation date:     7/3/09
Number of species:     38

Wood Duck     5
Great Blue Heron     7
Turkey Vulture     2
Osprey     5
Spotted Sandpiper     1
Mourning Dove     1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo     1
Chimney Swift     1
Belted Kingfisher     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     2
Northern Flicker     1
Eastern Wood-Pewee     1
Eastern Kingbird     2
White-eyed Vireo     3
Red-eyed Vireo     2
Blue Jay     1
American Crow     1
Tree Swallow     2
Bank Swallow     1
Barn Swallow     5
Carolina Chickadee     2
Carolina Wren     1
Marsh Wren     5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     2
Gray Catbird     1
Brown Thrasher     1
Northern Parula     3
Yellow Warbler     1
American Redstart     2
Prothonotary Warbler     1
Common Yellowthroat     6
Yellow-breasted Chat     1
Scarlet Tanager     1
Eastern Towhee     3
Northern Cardinal     6
Indigo Bunting     2
Red-winged Blackbird     40
Common Grackle     4

Location:     Bowie Town Center Pond
Observation date:     7/3/09
Number of species:     16

Canada Goose     45
Mallard     1
Turkey Vulture     1
Osprey     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker     1
Eastern Kingbird     1
Purple Martin     6
Barn Swallow     2
Tufted Titmouse     1
Carolina Wren     1
Wood Thrush     1
Gray Catbird     1
European Starling     1
Song Sparrow     1
House Sparrow     4

Location:     Fran Uhler Natural Area
Observation date:     7/3/09
Number of species:     28

Great Blue Heron     2
Mourning Dove     1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo     3
Chimney Swift     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     1
Eastern Wood-Pewee     1
Eastern Phoebe     3
Eastern Kingbird     1
Yellow-throated Vireo     1
Red-eyed Vireo     1
Blue Jay     1
Tufted Titmouse     1
Carolina Wren     2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     5
Eastern Bluebird     3
Wood Thrush     1
American Robin     17
Gray Catbird     1
Brown Thrasher     1
Northern Parula     1
Prairie Warbler     1
Scarlet Tanager     1
Northern Cardinal     4
Indigo Bunting     2
Red-winged Blackbird     1
Common Grackle (Purple)     2
Orchard Oriole     2
American Goldfinch     3


Robert Ostrowski
Bowie