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Subject:

birding trip to Smith Island today

From:

Patricia Rose

Reply-To:

Patricia Rose

Date:

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:15:01 -0400

Hi Chris and List family:

I went on the Smith Island boat trip today and enjoyed myself very much.  It
was HOT but had a nice breeze also.  Tide was high and had 2 1/2 feet above
normal waves which made for a rough but fun trip.  Left from Point Lookout
at 10am and returned at 3:20pm just minutes before the lightning and
slashing rain hit.  Had a wonderful crab cake and slice of Smith Island cake
which was so nice after not eating for nearly 24 hours.  I get motion
sickness.  Road around in a golf cart with a friend and enjoyed the birds
and scenery a lot.  Met a wonderful lady birder while there that is from
Davidsonville, MD and we chatted several times.  She does bird
rehabilitation.  I would love to spend more time with her as she is a really
a nice person and knows lots about birds and had wonderful things to say
about several great birders. 

Below are some of the birds I saw today:

Tree swallows
Great egret
Snowy egret
Boat tailed grackles
Canada goose
Brown pelicans - 40 plus
Laughing gulls
Herring gulls
Forester terns
Common terns
Royal terns
Yellow crowned night heron and this year juv.
Great blue heron and this year juv.
Little blue heron and this year juv.
Double crested cormorants
Clapper rails (heard - several)
Fish crows
Great black back gulls
Mallard ducks
European starlings
Bald eagles - 2
Ospreys

Also seen at my home in Callaway (St Mary's County) Md before I left for
Point Lookout:

Chipping sparrows
Song sparrows
Mourning doves 30 plus
Cardinals 20 plus - lots of female young this year
Am goldfinches
House finches
House sparrow - only 1 male
Blue jays - 7
Crows - 5 (they like the cracked corn I put out)
Ruby throated hummingbirds
Carolina wrens
Carolina chickadees
Tufted titmouse

Squirrels 20 plus, groundhog - 1, tame bunny broke loose - 1 and 6 wild
bunnies....
Also this week the National Wildlife Federation has certified this humble
place as a Wildlife Habitat property.  I just love feeding everything and
photographing them also.

Happy Birding to all,
Patricia Viola Rose
p.s. making a quick trip to Bombay Hook and other locations on Monday and
Tuesday....Yeah!!!!!! Will report my findings Wednesday.

Got some pics which I haven't downloaded yet Chris but will pass some on
tomorrow.