You’d have to be an optimist to go out on a morning like today. Cloudy and threatening, with a 60% chance of rain.
I figured I’d be able to get a couple of hours in before the rain started, and it was a chance to try out my new flash, so off I went.
The Prothonotary showed up early, which was good, because not much else was going on, and the rain started after about an hour.
I found a nice warbler at Truxtun in the early afternoon, along with a couple of other birds, so it was a good day overall.
Good Birds and Good Light at Governor’s Bridge Natural Area
I’m spending a lot of time at Governor’s Bridge because it’s nearby and very productive. I have to watch the cost of gas lately, so it’s nice to have several excellent sites nearby.
Although hot and humid was promised, I set out early in hopes of good light and was rewarded. Many birds were active early on, with Hummingbirds being prominent. I spent too much time chasing them, as usual.


The Ruby Throated Hummingbird is the only East Coast species. I’d probably go nuts on the West Coast.

Although I’ve seen this many times, now, it still seems weird to see a Red Bellied Woodpecker eating fruit.
Carolina Satyr at Wooton Wetlands Preserve
Another cloudy day, which disallowed perfect photos, but Graeme and I found a few decent birds, as well as a Butterfly with a great name.
We walked the entire loop, but the vast majority of decent photos were taken on the lower trail.

I spent a lot of time experimenting in Photoshop to improve this Belted Kingfisher, but I’m not completely happy with the results.

Black and White Warbler at Governor Bridge Natural Area
Scarlet Tanager at Jug Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
I had planned a trip to Jug Bay last week, but my roommate insisted on paying the rent and utilities, so I had to postpone ’til today (They open at 7:00 AM only on Fridays).
It was nasty hot and humid, but the light was decent despite predictions, so it wasn’t a bad day. I had hoped for more variety, but that will come soon enough.

Eastern Towhee at Governor Bridge Natural Area
I wasn’t happy about the cloud cover this morning, but the temps were OK, even with the promised high humidity.
I saw a nice female Redstart, and a (maybe) Blue Winged Warbler, which is promising for a decent migration.
I spent too much time chasing Hummingbirds in low light, but it was a decent outing overall.
Red Eyed Vireo at Governor Bridge Natural Area
Another day in Paradise, as they say. Temps were in the high 60s, with clear skies and a slight breeze as I set out for Governor Bridge this morning. I didn’t want to repeat yesterday’s experience, so I found another promising area nearby, and set up to wait. Gnatcatchers, Vireos and Hummingbirds soon appeared, and I stayed in place for over an hour. As I headed back to the “Magic” tree, my friend Graeme showed up in response to an email I sent last night, and we spent some time exploring the lake. He and I will meet at a new place in Beltsville tomorrow.

Magic Tree at Governor Bridge Natural Area
Today was as close to perfect weather as I’ve seen in a long time. Temps in the low 70s, clear skies and just a slight breeze. I left the house around 6:OO AM, and was at Governor Bridge by 6:30. It would have been sooner, but the off-ramp to 301 S. was closed for repairs.
After looping through the canoe launch area, I settled down in front of my favorite group of trees, and it really paid off. This area has plenty of berries, as well as insects, and a number of birds were feeding rapidly. I stood in one place for nearly two hours, and took some ungodly number of photos.




MD Biodiversity at Wooton’s Landing.
Even though the weather was a bit gloomy and cloudy, I left early for Wooton in hopes of seeing some early migraters. The clouds and some sprinkles kept me from getting anything really good, but I ran into Bill Hubick and Jim Brighton of the MD Biodiversity Project, who agreed to let me tag along as they explained the project to a newspaper reporter (“Jay”).
You can learn about this ambitious project here:

I called this White Eyed Vireo with IBird, but thr low light kept me from getting a really sharp image.

Sandy Point Seagulls
While it wasn’t as good as the last few days, the morning looked promising despite a few clouds. I decided to head back to Sandy Point and see if my luck would change. Sandy Point just hasn’t been that good for me.
Today wasn’t much different, so I watched a few gulls, who aren’t a favorite of mine for some reason.































































































































