Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 13:27:51 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Michael Bowen Subject: Spring coming to DC Comments: cc: Voice of the Naturalist Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed A few more signs of spring today in the District of Columbia, in addition to hordes of tourists ringing the Tidal Basin to see the emerging cherry blossoms: At the National Arboretum, I found a single PINE WARBLER in a beech tree (not too far from pines in the Grove of State Trees), and a CHIPPING SPARROW in with Juncos and White-throated Sparrows not far away. It was good to hear 2 EASTERN BLUEBIRDs calling in one of the open areas, as they have been rather thin on the ground this winter. AMERICAN GOLDFINCH numbers are picking up. Lots of NORTHERN FLICKER in the trees by the old south entrance of the Arboretum that is blocked off. Winter holdovers at the Arb. were a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER and a BROWN CREEPER. The blossoming Magnolia trees at the Arboretum are putting on quite a show, and the number of appreciative visitors is far fewer than at the Tidal Basin, so those who want to see this visual feast should get there in the next couple of days; magnolia blossoms don't seem to last long. In the "Anacostia Wetlands" area of Anacostia Park, I flushed 4 WILSON'S SNIPE and found 2 SWAMP SPARROWs. But no Swallows to be seen, at least in the places I visited -- except for the single "scout" NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW who was still by himself by the footbridge over the C&O Canal at Fletcher's Boathouse at 9:30 a.m. Mike Bowen Bethesda, MD D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike) 8609 Ewing Drive Bethesda MD 20817-3845 Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764 e-mail: dhmbowen@yahoo.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================