Hi all,
 Walking the dog (actually standing by the bench while the dog lays in the
grass) this morning, I noticed a female Baltimore Oriole singing from within her
nest, which she is still working on. It is about 6 inches from last years
nest, in a large old cherry tree overhanging a stock nursery, way out on the
outermost tip. The male was flying around singing from the tops of the trees
 A male E. Bluebird has taken up in my one remaining bluebird box, the last
vacancy. My other bluebird box was being used by chickadees, but since the
House Wrens came back, they evicted the chickadees (but they themselves are
nesting in another box).
 Orchard Orioles seem to be coming and going from a certain small tree in the
nursery, so they are likley nesting there, and Grackles are everywhere, a
male chasing off a Blue Jay this morning.
 A pair of Chipping Sparrows were bonding this morning, the male singing and
staying very close to the female, hanging out along the trunk of a dead,
poison ivy covered tree trunk. American Robins are nesting in my back yard spruce.

Last weekend, at the Blue Mash trail, I watched a Wood Thrush up high in a
tree, only to discover it was "harassing" a sitting (on nest) Blue Jay. Odd
behaviors can sometimes lead to discoveries of other birds nesting.

Yesterday AM I went over to Pine Lake in Wheaton, home of the snake-head
fish, to see what shorebirds were around. Mostly Solitary's, a few Spotties,a nd a
lone Least. Lots of thrushes were in though. Many Wood Thrushes, one or two
singing Veeries and a Swainson's.

Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD


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