LIKE THE SWALLOWS returning to Capistrano, the ospreys came back to Annapolis right on schedule.

We saw the first ones over the mouth of the Severn River on St. Patrick's Day, as usual, looking a bit slim from their flight up the coast from Central America. Then I saw three more over the South River near historic London Town.

Another St. Patrick's Day tradition was delayed, however. Green Derby Day was postponed because of pending nasty weather, and has been rescheduled for April 18 in Eastport. You can read more about it here as we get closer to the date.

Celebrate 350

London Town will be among the 19 historic sites throughout the county that will be highlighted in the Celebrate 350 Passport to History, which will be distributed to public school pupils on Maryland Day, Thursday.

As the director of the Celebrate 350 committee, I'm looking forward to the presentation ceremony at Annapolis Elementary School, where representatives from all the historic sites will be on hand to get their passports and their official commemorative stamps.

The handles for the stamps were carved by members of the Anne Arundel Wood Turners Association.

When visitors tour a historic site, they'll get the page in their passport for that site stamped. When all their pages have been stamped, they can enter a drawing for historic prizes donated by county businesses.

The passport was funded by donations from Bell Atlantic and Jones Communications.

Superintendent of Schools Carol S. Parham will be on hand, along with Celebrate 350's honorary co-chairs, County Executive Janet S. Owens and Annapolis Mayor Dean L. Johnson. They'll receive personalized passports.

There are plenty more passports available for pupils in private and parochial schools, and for home-schooled children. County residents and visitors can pick up passports at county libraries, at any of the participating historic sites, or the Annapolis Visitors Center at 26 West St.

Joining the festivities on Thursday will be a troop of 17th-century re-enactors from the "St. Marrie's Citty Militia," led by militia muster-master Thomas Callaway.

Dressed in full feathered regalia, the re-enactors will provide a glimpse of what to expect at the Battle of the Severn, which is scheduled at St. John's College on April 10 and 11. The battle took place on Maryland Day in 1655, somewhere near what was to become Annapolis.

Maryland Day commemorates the day in 1634 that English settlers arrived at St. Clement's Island aboard the Ark and the Dove.

Claudia Evans of Annapolis, volunteer coordinator for the battle re-enactment, is recruiting volunteers. If you'd like to become involved, call 410-222-1086, or come to one of the organizational meetings at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St. in Annapolis. The meetings are from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays for the next three weeks.

Evans says she is looking for donations of snow fence, firewood, bales of hay, and other items the re-enactors will need for their living-history encampment on the "battlefield."

Jug Bay sanctuary

If the ospreys have found their way back to their nesting sites in Annapolis, I'm certain they've returned to Jug Bay on the Patuxent River, too.

You can see for yourself if you visit the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Lothian. You can take a leisurely hike along miles of nature trails, or attend one of the delightful "Discovery Programs" or "Lectures in the Field."

The rangers have scheduled a morning bird walk from 9: 30 a.m. to 11 a.m. April 3, and a marsh ecology hike from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. April 11.

Entrance fee to the sanctuary is $2.50 for adults, $1.50 for youngsters under age 18, and $2 for senior citizens. It's free for volunteers and members of the Friends of Jug Bay.

Directions and information: 410-741-9330.

Pub Date: 3/22/99