Date: 04/02/2004 ....    Place: Loch Raven ( #1 bridge and Pine Ridge)
Time: 3-6pm ....Total Species: 28 ....Total Birds seen:  212

Great rainy day of birding. I have never seen so many common Loons ( 54, all in breeding plumage).
Also, I have also never seen a tightly packed groups of 22 loons.

Other Highlights: loon swallowing  with difficulty  a 2-3 pound yellow fish. A female pine warbler at 15 feet, making a soft musical chip .
red-breasted nuthatch in the white pines. 

... and the shores of Loch Raven ( Pine Ridge) abundantly adorned with the rich red of maple tree flowers - 
magically offset by clear waters pattered with soft raindrops and surrounded by 
 a still grey sky.    

54 ..... Common Loon -- 1 group of 22; 2 groups of 11-12 etc
6 ..... Pied-billed Grebe
2 ..... Horned Grebe - winter plumage
7 ..... Double-crested Cormorant
45 ..... Canada Goose
6 ..... Mallard
1 ..... Hooded Merganser
26 ..... Common Merganser
1 ..... Osprey
5 ..... Bonaparte's Gull - winter plummage
4 ..... Ring-billed Gull
2 ..... Downy Woodpecker
1 ..... N. Flicker
1 ..... Pileated Woodpecker
4 ..... American Crow
2 ..... Fish Crow
9 ..... Carolina Chickadee
1 ..... Red-breasted Nuthatch - still hanging around - to my delight
1 ..... White-breasted Nuthatch
2 ..... Carolina Wren
4 ..... Eastern Bluebird
8 ..... American Robin
2 ..... N. Mockingbird
7 ..... Yellow-rumped Warbler -- ( all fall plumage)
2 ..... Pine Warbler --  ( female and male in proximity)
2 ..... Song Sparrow
5 ..... Dark-eyed Junco
2 ..... American Goldfinch

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