Hi Everyone,

I did about a 3-hour watch from Fort Smallwood this afternoon, joined for a while by Matt Grey. Many Laughing Gulls have arrived over the last few days and their activity was constant. Some of them were relentless in their harrying of Forster's Terns for minnows. I have yet to see a juvenile Laughing Gull this year, but I guess they shouldn't be far behind. Let's see, last year I had my first juveniles on 7/27. 

The number of Forster's Terns was impressive and several of them were already in (near-?) basic plumage. I also had good looks at a single adult Royal Tern. A Spotted Sandpiper has been present since at least 7/11. My non-avian highlight was scope views of a Cow-nosed Ray. 

Here's the full list:

Canada Goose--31
Mallard--11; one hen with 8 nearly full-grown juveniles; another pair
Double-crested Cormorant--36; mostly flybys in small groups
Great Blue Heron--1
Snowy Egret--1
Osprey--4
Killdeer--5
Spotted Sandpiper--1; flew in and foraged on south jetty
Laughing Gull--17; highest count in a single scan, but there were probably many more moving through
Herring Gull--14
Great Black-backed Gull--5
gull sp.--60; many distant
Least Tern--3
Common Tern--2
Forster's Tern--19; highest count in a single scan
Royal Tern--1; well-seen adult
Mourning Dove--2
Red-bellied Woodpecker--1
Downy Woodpecker--1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--2
Great Crested Flycatcher--1
Eastern Kingbird--3
Blue Jay--1
Purple Martin--34; at one point, 31 were roosting in a tree beside the hawk watch
Tree Swallow--3
Barn Swallow--12
Tufted Titmouse--1
Carolina Wren--2
Eastern Bluebird--1
American Robin--15
Northern Mockingbird--2
European Starling--190
Common Yellowthroat--2
Eastern Towhee--2
Chipping Sparrow--1
Northern Cardinal--3
Blue Grosbeak--1
Red-winged Blackbird--8
Common Grackle (Purple)--6
Brown-headed Cowbird--2
Orchard Oriole--2
American Goldfinch--7

Good birding,

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com