Hi Everybody: 

I spent the morning birding in (mostly southern) Prince Georges County. I spent the first several hours of the morning on Aquasco Farm Road  and in the Aquasco Farm section of Patuxent River Pk. I then made quick stops at Magruder's Ferry Road, Merkle and the pond at the landfilll on Brown Station Road. I then met Hans Holbrook at the North Beach marsh area in Calvert County. We spent an hour doing a successful hawk and swallow watch and then spent the mid afternoon  birding on Smoky Road.

Below is an abridged list of the day's sightings.

PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY

    PATUXENT RIVER PARK (AQUASCO FARM AREA)

     Ruby-crowned Kinglet     (2)   both singing their intricate song
     Wood Thrush    (5)
     Gray Catbird     (1)     FOY...finally
     White-eyed Vireo     (3)
     Blue-headed Vireo     (1)
     Ovenbird     (5)
     Parula Warbler     (6)
     Common Yellowthroat     (8)
     Savannah Sparrow     (10)
     Vesper Sparrow     (1)     prob. same one found a month ago by Robert Ostrowski
     Swamp sparrow     (2)
     Blue Grosbeak     (1)     FOY
     Orchard Oriole     (2)

     AQUASCO FARM ROAD

     Eastern Kingbird     (1)     FOY
     Red-eyed Vireo     (1)
     Yellow-throated Vireo     (1)
     Pine Warbler      (1)
     Prairie Warbler     (!)
     Parula Warbler     (5)
     Ovenbird     (4)
     Black & White Warbler     (3)
     Worm-eating Warbler     (2)     Closeout #94
     Scarlet Tanager     (1)     FOY
     Blue Grosbeak     (2)

     MAGRUDER'S FERRY ROAD & LANDING

     Eastern Kingbird     (1)
     Royal Tern     (2)     FOY

     MERKLE - a quick scope of the ponds from the visitor's center

     Hooded Warbler     (1)     FOY   heard singing near the entrance road
     Lesser Yellowlegs     (2)
     Least Sandpiper     (3)

     BROWN STATION ROAD LANDFILL POND

     Green-winged Teal     (13)
     Blue-winged Teal     (2)
     Greater Yellowlegs     (2)
     Lesser Yellowlegs     (1)
     Spotted Sandpiper     (3)
     Solitary Sandpiper     (2)
     Orchard Oriole     (1)

CALVERT COUNTY

     North Beach - the tide was in; I saw 1 shorebird only before Hans showed up...a Greater Yellowlegs. We had swallows flying over almost constantly during the hour we were there. The majority of them were Tree and Barn with some Rough-winged and at least three Bank. The Bank Swallow was FOY for me as well as a county bird.

     Bufflehead     (4)
     Red-breasted Merganser  (1)   (a lingering bird I was greatful for...a County Bird)
     Snowy Egret     (7)
     Broad-winged Hawk     (1)      A County bird for both of us
     Sharp-shinned Hawk     (2)     My Closeout #95   

     SMOKY ROAD
     N. Harrier     (1)
     Wild Turkey     (1)      Seen running across one of the fields   (County Bird for me)
     Royal Tern     (1)
     Ruby-crowned Kinglet     (2)
     Yellow-throated Vireo     (1)
     Parula Warbler     (12)
     Black & White Warbler     (7)
     Ovenbird     (1)
     Yellow-throated Warbler     (1)
     Palm Warbler     (2)
     Yellow-rumped Warbler     (35)     20-25 were in a group that moved off all at once
     Pine Warbler     (2)

It was a great day to be out. Looking forward to tomorrow...another day off of work!

Jim Green
Gaithersburg, MD

Work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!