I took off from work today and joined the Howard County Earth Day nature walk at Alpha ridge park, then I went over to Schooley Mill park for an hour,and finally birded my yard for a while. Highlights (for me) were several new yard arrivals including Chimney Swift, Purple Martin and Wood Thrush. Plus I added Merlin and Osprey as yard birds #110 and #111. Alpha Ridge Park: Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Canada Goose Mallard Red-shouldered Hawk Killdeer Mourning Dove Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Kingbird White-eyed Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Barn Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Carolina Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird American Robin Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher European Starling Yellow-rumped Warbler Palm Warbler Common Yellowthroat Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Song Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Northern Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird House Finch American Goldfinch Schooley Mill Park: Green Heron Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Killdeer Mourning Dove Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker White-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Carolina Wren Winter Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird American Robin Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird House Finch American Goldfinch House Sparrow My House: Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Osprey Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Merlin Ring-billed Gull Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker White-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Purple Martin Tree Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Carolina Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird Wood Thrush American Robin Northern Mockingbird Northern Parula Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Palm Warbler Ovenbird Eastern Towhee White-throated Sparrow Northern Cardinal Common Grackle House Finch American Goldfinch House Sparrow Daryl Olson Ashton, Md. darylo@erols.com