This morning I did some birding at the Beauvue Ponds. Highlights were four Tundra Swans, large numbers of Coots, Ruddy Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, and Gadwall, as well as several Eastern Meadowlarks. There was also quite a bit of sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler activity in the surrounding fields, although I was a bit too lazy to try for precise counts. On the way back from Beauvue I decided to drop by St. Mary's River SP. I was rewarded with an extremely cooperative female Merlin perched on a snag in the lake, as well as lots of woodpecker activity. The highlight of the day was surpassing the 100 species mark for St. Mary's county in 2011, which is not bad since my birding is balanced with a full course load at the college, and since I have only been actively birding in the county since the school year started (so about 2 months and some change.) Oddly enough, my 100th bird ended up being a White-breasted Nuthatch. Finally, to top off a great day of birding, I was surprised when a Barred Owl flew in and perched in a tree right outside the window of my classroom this afternoon. I couldn't resist pointing it out, and it caused a fairly substantial, although not altogether unwelcome, interruption to class.

Beauvue Pond, 11/15/11 9:00am-10:45am

Canada Goose
Mute Swan - 2
Tundra Swan - 4
Gadwall - 18
Mallard - 16
Ring-necked Duck - 94
Ruddy Duck - 61
Pied-billed Grebe - 7
Great Blue Heron - 1
Black Vulture - 1
Turkey Vulture - 2
Bald Eagle - 1
American Coot - 24
American Crow - 10
Eastern Bluebird - 4
Northern Mockingbird - 1
European Starling - 7
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark - 6
American Goldfinch - 1

St. Mary's River State Park, 11/15/11 11:00-12:00

Canada Goose - 52
Pied-billed Grebe - 4
Turkey Vulture - 1, which I startled from his roost and got to view quite close-up
Merlin - 1
Belted Kingfisher - 1, heard
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 2, heard
Carolina Chickadee - 1
Tufted Titmouse - 3
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 1
Hermit Thrush - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1
White-throated Sparrow - 6
Northern Cardinal - 1

--Matt Anthony
St. Mary's College

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