A spectacular day for a bike ride from Cherry Hill Rd to the
University of Maryland in Paint Branch Stream Valley Park.
I rode from 9:15 am to 10:00 am.

I've been riding virtually every day, but these birds are
firsts for the year for me: a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW along
the fence between the golf course and the agricultural
fields, a GREEN HERON in the marsh (I've been looking for
him every day), a GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER singing from a
high crag in the marsh, and a male YELLOW WARBLER singing in
the low trees near the golf ponds.

Other highlights: 2 male INDIGO BUNTINGS singing, a CHIMNEY
SWIFT overhead, COMMON YELLOWTHROATS and a YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLER, the usual FIELD SPARROW singing in the area cleared
out by the 2001 tornado, CHIPPING SPARROWS along the golf
course north fence line, a BALTIMORE ORIOLE singing in
the distance, and a NORTHERN FLICKER and a PILEATED
WOODPECKER both singing.

Also, the CANADA GOOSE with the nest on a stump in the marsh
finally has some babies (I counted two, and it looked like
there was still an egg under there).  And the KILLDEER are
still singing from the ponds (I didn't stop to see if the 6
babies I saw there last week are still around).

Oh yes, I also saw two CAROLINA WRENS chasing each other.
It looked like the chaser was begging.  Is it too early for
their to be baby wrens around?

Finally, two BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS are building a nest
along the path between the marsh and the golf course.

I think that's it! :)

Cheers,

D

--
Derek C. Richardson, Ph.D. (CANTAB) ________
Astronomy, U Maryland, College Park MD 20742
Tel: Office 301-405-8786 Fax 301-314-9067 __
Home page: http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/ __

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