Greetings,

Late post from yesterday’s birding in Cecil County. I ended the day with 74 species and only really spent three hours in the AM seriously birding. The afternoon species which I picked up were done so from my boat on the North East River and on the Susquehanna Flats.

From memory, the AM highlights (all at Turkey Point, Elk Neck State Park) included (in no particular order): Cape May Warbler, Canada Warbler (Sean McCandless only), Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black and White Warbler, N. Parula, Chestnut-sided Warbler (Sean McCandless only), Magnolia Warbler, Palm Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Philly Vireo (Sean McCandless only), Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (praises to Sean for calling this ID), Great-crested Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, other empids, Red-breasted Nuthatch (FOS), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (FOS), at least FIVE Red-headed Woodpeckers, accipiters hunting and migrating, a gorgeous adult Peregrin (very Dark), Scarlet Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles, numerous (almost ubiquitous) Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in various stages of plumage, Blue-Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Ruby-throated Hummer, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and the usual residents, of course. 

In the PM on the water, I had three, seemingly late (?), LEAST TERNS, as well as abundant numbers of Forster’s Tern and ten or so Caspians as well… Plus, Osprey (becoming more and more scarce –didn’t see one till almost 6PM), Great Egret (5+ in Furnace Bay), Numerous Laughing Gulls, and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs as well as two unid’ed shore birds walking the Spiro-Gyro mats (distant and backlit). Eagles are everywhere also… 

Break- Today I had three close encounters with Broad-winged Hawks. The first was outside my office in Edgewood which was actively hunting in the trees near my parking spot. The second was a stunning DARK MORPH bird (first for me) which flew at tree level in Harford County as I drove up I95 around 1730 hours. The last was again on I95 in Cecil County. This bird was precariously feeding along the side of the highway… I ended this evening with a nice boat ride and witnessed a so-so sunset followed by a eye-catching Moon-set (almost a sliver-crescent) as Jupiter shown brightly in the southern sky.  Birds included many many a lone Osprey, Laughing Gulls, and Forster’s Terns.

Enjoy the Earth,
Chris Starling
North East, MD