There were some hearty souls out on the ridge today, but not near the crowd out yesterday.  Birding seemed slow except for a the glut of Yellow-Rumps, a Scarlet Tanager, Great Crested Flycatcher, Gnatcatchers, Red-Eyed Vireos, Northern Parula and Catbirds.  I'm sure others saw more.
 
I headed down to Broad Branch /Soapstone to look for Louisiana Waterthrush and found none - but had three there yesterday.  3 male Wood Ducks and two female Wood Ducks.  One female had 6 ducklings.  They were swimming along the creek about as fast as I could walk.  
 
One calling Common Yellowthroat in some tangles on the closed portion of Beach Dr. along with Catbirds and two Scarlet Tanagers, Northern Parula and a Black Throated Blue Wabler.
 
Down around Pierce Mill there is a Northern Flicker nesting in a dead snag right outside the restrooms.  Barn Swallows were working high above the trees and one fly-over Hawk - probably a Red-Tailed based on size.  
 
Back around the Nature Center and behind the stables:
Ovenbird, lots of Wood Thrush (carrying nesting material), Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Carolina Chickadee, Red-Eyed Vireos, Norther Flickers, 2 Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, White Breasted Nuthatches, Mourning Doves, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, American Goldfinch, Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher and a single Fish Crow.
 
Later it warmed up and the sun came out.  Around 11:30 a.m. I was about ready to call it a day and rolled down the car window for one last listen before taking off from the Nature Center.  Good thing I checked.  There was a *Blackburnian Warbler* at eye level.  Yea!  Life bird and I got it all on my own.  It feels good.  It can pour buckets the rest of the day for all I care now.
 
Something in that sun must have sparked some of the others as there were two Red-starts seen and singing, lots of Yellow-Rumps, a Yellow-Billed Cuckoo heard, Downy Woodpecker and two Chipping Sparrows.
 
Denise Ryan
Washington, DC
 

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