I birded a few spots in southern Prince George's County this afternoon.  I started at Cedar Haven Park along the Patuxent.  I kayaked south from the park towards Eagle Harbor.  Several Bald Eagles were present, and at one point three eagles (2 adults and 1 immature) were perched on the beach at Trueman Point.  A few Great Black-backed, Herring, and Ring-billed Gulls were present as well as 40 plus Ruddy Ducks (south of Chalk Point).  A Red-tailed Hawk also flew over at one point.  A few Double-crested Cormorants were also on the river.   Cedar Haven Park included a Flicker, several Titmice, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jays, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a White-breasted Nuthatch.

I went to Milltown Landing next.  The wind had picked up by this point and landbirds were hard to find.  There were almost no sparrows around, but I did flushed up 4 Wilson's Snipe from one of the fields.  Several Bald Eagles flew over and there were two Wood Ducks in the marsh.  The small pond near the river held 4 Green-winged Teal.  A Common Merganser was on the river and I heard several Killdeer.  At the end of the day I scanned the marsh for owls and other birds.  I did not see any owls, but I did see four Northern Harriers hunting over the marsh.  And, just as I was about to give up on the owls, I began hearing the "peent!" call of several American Woodcock.  The birds were calling and displaying in one of the fields.  I got very close to several of the calling birds and at times could hear the twittering wing noise, but I never did spot them.

I also swung by Schoolhouse Pond, but didn't stop.  Most of the ice was gone and there were only a few dozen Ring-billed Gulls present (at least as far as gulls go).

Fred Shaffer
Crofton, Anne Arundel