Yesterday and today I started my first spring explorations of my new patch, Ft. Bayard Park on River Road, NW.  While it's not exactly a major hotspot, I had a few nice birds here during the fall and am hoping for more this spring.  Yesterday was slow with the only birds of note being 2 JUNCOS (including one doing a very odd complex vocalization), and a flyover BARN SWALLOW as I got back to the house.

Today was a bit more lively.  No juncos or swallows, but the following were of note:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1 bright male)
Eastern Phoebe (heard my first of the year, at long last)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1 male)
White-breasted Nuthatch (collecting a ball of fluff; didn't see where it went)
Brown Creeper
Chipping Sparrow (2)
Field Sparrow (1, the biggest surprise of the morning)

No warblers yet--hopefully a few will come this way!

Jason Waanders
NW DC
jwaanders AT starpower.net