We stopped at Gov Bridge this AM. While we did kinda like the place (the
traffic noise from Rt 50 is troublesome, but as I have pointed out in the
past you can hear Rt 68 from Carey Run) we didn't get a whole lot of birds -
a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, a BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER and a couple
non-descript unidentified warblers. Someone else had a Yellow-throated
Vireo, but we couldn't find it.

So we pressed on to Jug Bay. Not much happening at the nature center and
environs other than some real nice butterflies at their garden. There are
several Monarch chrysalises in the gazebo. Laura wanted to stay and watch
one caterpillar spin his but he didn't cooperate and just hung there.

So we ate lunch and did the drive over to Merkle. This is where we made our
day. I heard a Red-eyed Vireo that sounded funny. I stopped. After some
searching in the canopy I found a vireo with a distinctly yellowish throat
and no wingbars. Yep. PHILADELPHIA VIREO. Definitely a good enough look for
proper ID and if I've seen one before it was a poor look at Morgan Run a
couple years ago.

On to the lookout tower. We were watching some ducks off in the distance
when Laura noticed another bird fly behind them. With her 10X bins she is
very confident that it was a LEAST BITTERN. This was a better look than the
one that George Jett got her a few years back. She could make out all the
right colors. Made her day.

It was a great day to be out there and both of us needed a nap when we got
home. And more bird news - the Orioles took 2 out of 3 from Tampa Bay. Go
figure.

Jerry Tarbell
Wanting more days like this in Carroll County