My wife and I went to the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (formerly Horsehead) this afternoon.  It was really pleasant walking the various trails and there was a nice assortment of birds present.  The highlight for me was no less than seven Brown-headed Nuthatches.  I guess that I do not bird Queen Anne County enough and had not realized that they had moved that far north.  But, we had one at the feeder at the Visitor Center (along with a Red-breasted Nuthatch), five along the Lake Trail, and one more along the Piney Point Path.  I got good views at the birds at all three locations.  I spoke with the lady at the visitor center who said that they first started noticing Brown-headed Nuthatches in the park two or three years ago.  With Brown-headed Nuthatches within sight of US 50 (albeit on the Eastern Shore), I'll have to redouble my efforts to locate the birds in the pine woods of Southern Prince George's County....

Other highlights included American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Mallards, Bufflehead, and Tundra Swan on Lake Knapp.  The surrounding bays held 500+ Canvasback, over 100 Ruddy Ducks, and smaller numbers of Bufflehead and Scaup.  I also found one Horned Grebe.  Also of note was one Wilson's Snipe that flushed from near the marsh boardwalk.  Few raptors seemed to be up, but we did see two Northern Harriers hunting over the marsh.  

Fred Shaffer

Crofton, Anne Arundel

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