Good morning!  Today was the second ANS Mid-week Earlybird walk, led by Hugh Mahanes.  This
week we went to Layhill Park in north Silver Spring.  It was a chilly morning, with pockets of frost
on the soccer field grass, but a lot of bird activity.

Highlights for the morning were courting Towhees, with at least two males singing from exposed
tree branches 20 feet high - not where I'm accustomed to look for Towhees. We saw one pair
chasing each other through low shrubs. Also, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers were observed flitting to
and from a nest, although it was hard to tell what they were doing - building, bringing in food, or
what. It seemed that there were more than just one pair involved.  Finally, as we were leaving, a
pair of Tree Swallows were perched in a sapling above a bluebird nest box by the edge of the
soccer field, waiting for us to leave the vicinity...they positively gleamed in the morning sun.  I've
never actually seen one sitting still before!

A rough species list, in no particular order:
lots: Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Goldfinch, White-throated Sparrow
(singing prettily), Towhee, BG Gnatcatcher, Canada Goose

1-3: Common Grackle, Cowbird (boo. hiss.), RW Blackbird, Northern Parula (several heard singing;
I caught a millisecond glimpse of one), Downy Woodpecker, Tree Swallow (pair)

Heard but not seen (at least by me): Carolina Wren, Wood Thrush

The Skunk Cabbage was lush, Spring Beauties were everywhere, and there were lots of tiny Jack-
in-the-pulpits blooming.  There was a small patch of Equisetum just emerging, too. (Oops - sorry,
Norm - am I allowed to botanize on the Bird line?)

Mary LaMarca, Silver Spring