Hi Folks,

Yesterday afternoon at Patuxent Ponds Park, near Odenton, I had a
COMMON RAVEN flyover, vocalizing.  Also had my first Black-throated
Green Warbler of the season, among a few other warblers.

Today, Ed Carlson and I did one of our routine surveys of the Swan
Creek property near the Key Bridge and had a TRICOLORED HERON and two
SORAs (calling spontaneously at 3:45 p.m.) at the mitigated wetland,
and five AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERs and a PECTORAL SANDPIPER in the north
dredge cell.  Warblers are getting scarce, but a male BLACK-THROATED
BLUE was my first of the fall.

For anyone interested in the plovers, it takes a lot of patience.
Like the Mountain Plovers of the west, these birds hang out among, and
look just like the myriad of mud clumps in the area.  Today they were
found on the main dyke towards the left side (west side) of the north
cell.  This dyke separates the water area from a muddy/grassy area
with several small pools.  The plovers were very difficult to see
against the mud.  Unless you carry a rabbit's foot or four-leafed
clover, plan on spending a lot of time searching for these highly
camouflaged birds.

Today, in the yard, Elaine found a BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, checking out
our oak, maple and pear trees.

Stan Arnold
Ferndale