After visiting the Key School, I snuck over to the often security car
patrolled beach within the Hillsmere community to see if I could find
my FOY Forsters Tern.  Found 28 of them.  And in situated all over the
pilings, and in two large rafts, there was well over 100 Bonapartes
Gulls (no Little Gull, despite an intensive search).  Also had two
Royal Terns, both banded with silver on their right legs.  An adult
Northern Gannett nearly flew over (land) the beach area... something I
rarely get to enjoy.  I suppose all the good fish were being pushed
against the shoreline?

Good Birding,

Dan Haas
West Annapolis, MD


Lastly, in a bird-related post:

The City of Annapolis will be holding a Backyard Compost Bin and Rain
Barrel Truckload Sale tomorrow, Saturday April the 10th, 2010 from 9
am till 3 pm at the Truxtun Park pool parking lot at 200 Truxtun Park
Road.

At the same time the City of Annapolis will give away 102 trees.  The
trees are bare root, 10' to 15' tall, and free.  The trees were
donated to the City by Angelica Nurseries, Inc. on the Eastern Shore.
The donation was finalized today, hence the late notice.  The trees
will be distributed on a first come first served basis and the trees
are available to everyone that wants one (not restricted to Annapolis
residents only).   One will need to plant the trees (since they are
bare root) as soon as possible and keep the roots moist and as cool as
possible at all times prior to planting.

Planting instructions: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/treeptg.html

The following trees will given away:

QTY 35 London Plane Trees    Platanus x acerifolia 'Columbus'
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/platnus_xacerifolia.html

QTY 30 Pin Oaks                     Quercus palustris
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/quercus_palustris.html

QTY 10 Yoshino Cherries        Prunus x yedoensis
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/prunus_xyedoensis.html

QTY 15 Okame Cherry            Prunus 'Okame'
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/prunus_okame.html

QTY 12 Akebono Cherry         Prunus x yedoensis 'Akebono'
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/cultivars/pruns_xyedoneis-table.html

Best,

Dan Haas