Hi Everyone,

I went into work this morning, walked downstairs for coffee, and then walked back out the door to go birding. Yes, the infamous turnaround, when you realize that birding is way more fun than work (a well-known fact) AND you have the vacation time to do something about it. I told my birding compatriots that I'd decide between P.G. and Carroll on the way out to my car, and soon I was on I-70 heading west. I spent nearly five hours walking around Morgan Run in the drizzling rain, but the weird weather kept the birds active until after noon. I usually get turned around a bit at Morgan Run each visit, but this time I managed to get seriously lost. Fortunately the flocks of migrants kept me going, and I spotted my car in the distance before I started chewing on my backpack. 

Western Regional Park, Howard Co.
* Quick stop in the early morning. With the light rain, I decided to check the stormwater pond for shorebirds and the fields for Buff-breasted Sandpiper. The pond is very high and the fields held nothing of interest. 

Canada Goose--170
Graylag Goose (Domestic type)--1
Great Blue Heron--1
Eastern Bluebird--3
Gray Catbird--1
Indigo Bunting--1
Bobolink--2; flyovers, calling; overdue county bird for me; just Washington Co. left for my county closeout.

Morgan Run, Benrose Lane, Carroll Co.
* A great morning! Overcast with steady drizzle for nearly the duration, but that kept the birds active throughout the hike. The number of catbirds was especially impressive. Some other species' numbers were also noteworthy. I'll include the full list for this hike, which was from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and covered about four miles.

Turkey Vulture--6
Sharp-shinned Hawk--2 immature
Mourning Dove--3
Eastern Screech-Owl--1
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER--1; adult, high-flying migrant
Red-bellied Woodpecker--7
Downy Woodpecker--7
Hairy Woodpecker--3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--7
Eastern Wood-Pewee--4
LEAST FLYCATCHER--1 adult
Eastern Phoebe--1
White-eyed Vireo--3
PHILADELPHIA VIREO--1
Red-eyed Vireo--8
Blue Jay--26
American Crow--16
Carolina Chickadee--17
Tufted Titmouse--21
White-breasted Nuthatch--8
Carolina Wren--9
House Wren--14
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--3
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH--1; heard calling 'veer' calls and then singing a whisper song; my first of the season
Swainson's Thrush--6; most of them seen, but also doing quite a bit of calling
Wood Thrush--2; seen and heard
American Robin--18
Gray Catbird--81; effort made for an exact count; a noteworthy concentration - never a moment where one couldn't hear multiple birds
Northern Mockingbird--2
Brown Thrasher--6
Cedar Waxwing--6
BLUE-WINGED WARBLER--1
NASHVILLE WARBLER--1; I don't see nearly enough of these guys.
Northern Parula--12
Chestnut-sided Warbler--2; one was a nice adult adult male with strong chestnut markings on sides
Magnolia Warbler--16
Black-throated Blue Warbler--1
Black-throated Green Warbler--8
PRAIRIE WARBLER--1; getting late; strongly marked adult male; my county closeout (#113), which I wasn't expecting to get so late in the season.
Black-and-white Warbler--7
American Redstart--8
Ovenbird--4
Common Yellowthroat--27; impressive numbers! 
Scarlet Tanager--2
Eastern Towhee--12
Field Sparrow--5
Song Sparrow--2
Northern Cardinal--19
Rose-breasted Grosbeak--5
Indigo Bunting--7
House Finch--2
American Goldfinch--18
Non-avian: Pickerel Frog, two worm Great Spangled Fritillaries.

Milford Mill Park, Baltimore Co.
* Walked a loop and half around the main trail. 

Chimney Swift--1
Belted Kingfisher--1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)--4
Eastern Wood-Pewee--2
PHILADELPHIA VIREO--2; two strongly marked individuals found in separate flocks; clearly two different birds; one bird relocated a second time with the same flock
Red-eyed Vireo--5
House Wren--1
Swainson's Thrush--3
Wood Thrush--1
American Robin--23
Gray Catbird--5
Cedar Waxwing--2
Northern Parula--1
Magnolia Warbler--1
Black-throated Blue Warbler--2
WESTERN PALM WARBLER--1; first of the season for me and my first Western Palm in Baltimore Co.
Black-and-white Warbler--2
American Redstart--2
Northern Waterthrush--1
Common Yellowthroat--2
Scarlet Tanager--2
Eastern Towhee--1

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com