Wildflowers and Birds at Bosely Conservancy

If you like lazy, slow, paddling through winding channels surrounded by wetland wildflowers, you would have loved our kayak trip today. 

There were still a few blooms of Spadderdock.

 

Marsh Hibiscus (or Rose Mallow) in the foreground.

Joe-pye Weed

Fawn (isn't that a great name for a naturalist?), from the Anita Leight Estuary Center, is explaining how beneficial beavers are and how their habits helped shape these beautiful channels.

Monarch Butterfly on Swamp Milkweed

Green-headed Coneflower

In Ha-Ha Cove - Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls, Forster's Terns, and a juvenile Little Blue Heron.

Green-headed Coneflower on each side.

Heading home.  We also spotted Ironweed, Pickerel Weed, Wild Rice, Jewelweed, Cardinal Flower, and Goldenrod.

Bird List:
Canada Goose  12
Wood Duck  1
Great Blue Heron  3
Little Blue Heron  1
Osprey  3
Laughing Gull  1
Ring-billed Gull  8
Forster's Tern  3
Mourning Dove  2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Eastern Wood-Pewee  1
Eastern Phoebe  1
Eastern Kingbird  2
Blue Jay  1
Tree Swallow  15
Barn Swallow  2
Carolina Wren  2
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  2
European Starling  1
Common Yellowthroat  3
Northern Cardinal  2
Indigo Bunting  3
Red-winged Blackbird  15
Common Grackle  2
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
American Goldfinch  3

Thank you to the Anita Leight Estuary Center for helping with this event - and to Fawn for her expertise and knowledge. 

We hope to see you next year on this trip!

North Point State Park

This was a beginner bird walk to especially view herons and egrets.  We weren't disappointed - juvenile and adult Little Blue Herons were on both sides of Black Marsh Trail. 

 

This was also a good day for dragonflies.

 

The jetty was closed for renovation.  To the left is a small public beach.  The visitor's center is open until Labor Day and has information on the history of the park and its role in the War of 1812.

Complete bird list:

Double-crested Cormorant  14
Great Blue Heron  2
Great Egret  1
Little Blue Heron  10    
Black-crowned Night-Heron  2
Osprey  1
Bald Eagle  2
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Herring Gull  8
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  4
Mourning Dove  2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  4
Northern Flicker  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  1
Acadian Flycatcher  1
Eastern Kingbird  1
Red-eyed Vireo  1
Blue Jay  2
Tree Swallow  4
Barn Swallow  6
Carolina Chickadee  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
Eastern Bluebird  4
American Robin  4
Gray Catbird  1
Northern Mockingbird  2
Common Yellowthroat  6
Northern Cardinal  3
Indigo Bunting  4
Brown-headed Cowbird  3
American Goldfinch  2


 

Patterson Park Friday Bird Walk -- July 11

A recently fledged Red-winged Blackbird

Spotting turtles

The Boat Lake

 

One of several recently fledged Mockingbirds


List of birds seen:
Mallard  X
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  X
Mourning Dove  8
Chimney Swift  16
Northern Flicker  5
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Eastern Kingbird  2
American Crow  1
Fish Crow  3
Barn Swallow  2
House Wren  1
Carolina Wren  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
American Robin  8
Northern Mockingbird  3
European Starling  X
Red-winged Blackbird  7
Common Grackle  3
House Finch  2
American Goldfinch  2

Bird Walk at Robert E. Lee Park - July 6, 2014

 

Here is a list of the birds seen or heard on this walk. (H) means it was only heard. 35 species total. Let me know if I missed anything. Thanks to everyone who came along. Hope to see you all on future trips. 

Mallard
Green Heron
Red-shouldered Hawk (H)
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (H)
Pileated Woodpecker (H)
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher (H)
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo (H)
Warbling Vireo (H)
Red-eyed Vireo (H)
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse (H)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat
Chipping Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird (H)
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

 

Hugh Simmons

Birding by Canoe at Marshy Point

Lauren, in the solo kayak, was our naturalist for our field trip.  The weather could not have been more perfect.



Marshy Point Nature Center recently installed an Osprey platform.  No one was interested until they added a stick!



We really enjoyed watching them bring sticks to the platform.

We parked our canoes and took a short hike in the Gunpowder Park

Sorry for the bad picture of a skink and salamder.

Swallowtail "puddling" for moisture and minerals.

Other birds spotted include Least Tern, Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Red-winged Blackbird, Double-crested Cormorant, Indigo Bunting, Red-eyed Vireo, Carolina Wren, and Mourning Dove.

Mother's Day Bird Walk at Harford Glen



Our field trip with the Harford Bird Club began by watching a Green Heron carrying sticks to its nesting area.

A pair of Scarlet Tanagers was building a nest.

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher nest.

Mallard with ducklings

Jack in the Pulpit

                                     

Patterson Park Friday Bird Walk



If you haven't been on a bird walk at Patterson Park - be sure to join us during the upcoming spring or summer walks!  Audubon walks are every 2nd Friday and last Saturday of the month.  Redstarts, Black and White Warblers, and Common Yellowthroats were numerous this morning.





We also spotted Swainson's and Wood Thrush, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-crowned Night Heron, White-throated Sparrow, Ovenbird, House Wren, Chimney Swift, and many others.  There was an archeology dig occurring near the fountain while an outdoor classroom learned about it.  Be sure to visit the wetland and pollinator gardens that are thriving thanks to the hard work of Patterson Park Audubon and their volunteers.