Hi Everbody:

      Monday after work I drove up to Morgan Run NEA (off of Rt.. 97 in Carroll County). I was there from 6:30 to 8:15 PM and had some nice sightings. Highlights included:


     Black-billed Cuckoo         1         briefly seen and then it called constantly for almost 15 minutes (a county bird)
     Barred Owl                      2         calling back and forth from two different locations
     Wood Thrush                  6-8      based on direction of songs, 2 were seen
     Veery                              2         one was seen (a county bird)  
     Blue-winged Warbler      2         two different birds singing (a county bird)
     Prairie Warbler               1
     Yellow Warbler               1
     Blackpoll Warbler           1

It was also interesting  to see how many Catbirds and Common Yellowthroats. They seemed to already be on territory everywhere. I counted conservatively but had 14 Catbirds and 15 Yellowthroats (they certainly are Common).

From here I drove NE and spent the night in Cecil County. I tried for Whips in Elk Neck State Forest unsuccessfully; I was not really expecting them to call. The weather was more like February in the early morning. 

I spent the early morning in Elk Neck State Park and walked out to Turkey Point. I was overall disappointed with the numbers of migrants and warblers, especially after later talking to some others that had a productive day on Tuesday (warblerwise). Highlights included BLUE-WINGED WARBLER (1 - a county bird), N. PARULA (5), BLACK-THROATED GREEN (1), BLACKPOLLS (3) and both ORIOLES (3 Balt. & 1 Orchard).

I decided to spend most of the rest of the day looking for shorebirds in Cecil County which for the most part seem to be everywhere else but rarely in Cecil County when I am there. I visited several of the County MHA's (Managed Hunting Areas). These sites are managed mostly for hunting and have some restrictions. You need an annual permit to enter them legally but the permit is free. If you are interested in any further info or obtaining a permit about these please contact me directly. 

ELK FOREST MHA: The one large pond here had no shorebird habitat. It had a significant amount of water and was bordered mostly with marsh-like vegetation with forest edges. I did see/hear OVENBIRD, PRAIRIE WARBLER, SCARLET TANAGER & ORCHARD ORIOLE.

BETHEL MHA: I hiked out to the northern end of the large impoundment and saw the following shorebirds: LESSER (3) and GREATER (1) YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER (1) AND SOLITARY SANDPIPER (1 - a county bird). There were also Barn and Bank Swallows flying overhead. I counted 24 Barn initially and 30 minutes later after when ready to leave the number had increased to 60+. I also saw 2 Bank Swallows and one Great Egret.

COURTHOUSE POINT MHA: The only shorebirds here were Solitary Sandpiper (4),  Lesser & Greater Yellowlegs (1 each). Other birds of note were Great Egret (1),  Yellow-breasted Chat and Orchard Oriole. On the road into here I saw one Wild Turkey in a newly planted field (a county bird).

I headed south into KENT COUNTY and spent an hour in MILLINGTON WMA. It was now raining and there was little singing of birds. At the one bridge on Walnut Tree Road I had some great looks for 15 minutes at a cooperative PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. No singing but chip notes as he moved among the trees at eye level just in front of me.

I finished the day in Queen ANNE County at the flooded field on RT. 313 north of Sudlersville Road. I was there from 4:30 to 5 PM. The Wilson's Phalarope was seen along with all of the other shorebirds most recently reported with the exception of the Spotted Sandpiper.

Jim Green
Gaithersburg, MD

Work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!