I spent this most gorgeous Saturday down at Blackwater, which I haven't
visited in ages. It was a pretty great day. No incredible rarities, just
beautiful scenery and pretty good looks at some familiar species. The eBird
list is below. I'm sure my count with the Canada Geese is off, and I know I
missed some ducks, too.

Main highlight for me was the number of Bald Eagles (which I expected to be
high). At one point I watched 10 eagles kettling together over my head, when
they started getting acrobatic, swooping and calling actively, and splitting
off in pairs. The Caspian Terns put on an amazing show, too, feeding right
next to the Wildlife Drive and at some points flying no more than five feet
from my head. The number of Forster's Terns (33) seemed pretty high to me,
but eBird didn't flag it. A great ending to the day was a nice flock where
the Wildlife Drive leaves the forest and opens up to the river. The group
was very active with Yellow-Rumps, Bluebirds, Song and Field Sparrows, a
Phoebe, just one R-C Kinglet, Catbirds, and an Indigo Bunting.

I made a run to the Harriet Tubman Trail to do a little hiking in the woods,
but was forced to turn back after probably 0.1 mile b/c the mosquitoes were
outrageous--I counted ten on my right leg at once! In the few minutes I was
out, I spotted a Magnolia Warbler foraging near the ground, a few Bluebirds,
a Flicker, a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, and one R-C Kinglet. No G-Cs, though I was
hoping!


Location:     Blackwater NWR--Wildlife Drive
Observation date:     10/9/10
Number of species:     41
Canada Goose     300
American Wigeon     2
Mallard     15
Northern Pintail     3
Pied-billed Grebe     1
Double-crested Cormorant     5
Great Blue Heron     5
Great Egret     3
Snowy Egret     2
Turkey Vulture     8
Bald Eagle     16
American Kestrel     2
Greater Yellowlegs     1
Lesser Yellowlegs     5
Laughing Gull     X
Ring-billed Gull     X
Caspian Tern     5
Forster's Tern     33
Red-bellied Woodpecker     3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     1
Downy Woodpecker     2
Northern Flicker     1
Pileated Woodpecker     4
Eastern Phoebe     2
Blue Jay     5
Carolina Chickadee     12
Brown-headed Nuthatch     9
Carolina Wren     2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     1
Eastern Bluebird     6
Gray Catbird     3
European Starling     X
Yellow-rumped Warbler     12
Chipping Sparrow     2
Field Sparrow     2
Song Sparrow     2
Northern Cardinal     2
Indigo Bunting     1
Red-winged Blackbird     25
Eastern Meadowlark     1
American Goldfinch     1

-Jake Hall
 College Park, MD