Greetings,

First, I have noticed a lack of hummingbirds around my neighborhood this summer; I hope this is not indicative of anything locally of regionally.

I am noticing swallows increasing in numbers. the Barn Swallows under my back porch have successfully fledged their second brood and the cove population in front of my house (Hances Point Area; North East River; Cecil County) seems to be around 50 =/-. There are two marinas within 500 yards of my house thus keeping the population numbers up. I suspect that there are at least 20-50 active nests within each marina. One exceptional observation I made this weekend was an aberrant Barn Swallow which had a VERY long white tail streamer. The tail on this adult bird was about twice the length of the bird itself and gave the bird a very exotic look... almost akin to a bird-of- paradise of tiny tropicbird... -Cool. I tried in vain to get a decent photo of it but those aerobatic suckers are fast! Other swallows include increased numbers of NRW, Martin, Tree, and few Banks which we don't see in the cove very often. Chimney Swifts (10) also made an appearance yesterday; again, not common here.

Gulls and Terns are also on the increase up here in Cecil County. I have noticed the return of good numbers of Ring-billed Gulls on the sheds of the marinas, within the parking lots, and out on the river. The upper bay (North East River is conspicuously void of larus sp. in the early summer. Among the Ring-billeds, I have seen the occasional Great Black-backeds as well as two hatch-year Laughing Gulls (on Sunday). One of the laughers was seen on the Susquehanna Flats. We have a good breeding population of Least Terns up here but over the past few weeks the numbers have increased, I suppose due to fledged birds and post-breeding wanderers. Additionally, I had my season's first Forster's Terns (8) this weekend out on the Susquehanna Flats. 

I added a new yard bird: Kentucky Warbler (imm. hatch-year (?)) unfortunately it succumbed to a window strike :(... Common Yellowthroats and White-eyed Vireos continue to call from the cove with the ubiquitous blackbirds, etc.  Yellow-billed Cuckoos call on and off most days as do Great-creasted Flycatchers; though, like the Parulas, Phoebes, and Pewees, they have become less vocal as of late.  

Black-crowned Night-herons make occasional stop-ins as do Green Herons. I am happy to report that after a one-year absence Wood Ducks are once again breeding in the cove even without the presence of man-made boxes. 

I think that's it...

Good birding,
Chris Starling
North East, MD