I took my parents (visitors from MN) out to Seneca Tuesday afternoon for a picnic and bird amble
- gorgeous day, gorgeous birds!

We and the female Tree Swallow in the first nesting box watched as an agitated male Prothonotary
hopped around in the branches, while the male Tree Swallow sat nearby doing the bird equivalent
of "Nyahh, nyahh, nyahh!" The male and female prothonotaries flew back across the canal in a
huff. There were several prothonotaries singing in the trees along the Potomac.

Other birds sighted:
Goldfinch, Northern Parula (female, heard male), Great Blue Heron, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (my
parents asked why they didn't come down and catch the swarms of gnats buzzing around our
heads...), Yellow-rumped, Canada Goose (pair w/6 newly hatched goslings), Catbird (my FOY),
Chickadee, Titmouse

It was also an excellent herp day - we saw several turtle conventions on logs in the canal, a mix of
Painted and Red-bellied; one Northern Water Snake, a couple spectacularly large Bullfrogs, and,
best of all, both Five-lined and Broad-headed Skinks.  The Five-lined were juveniles with electric
blue tails, and one of the Broad-headed skinks was a male in full breeding color, with a brown
body and orange head. They were all sunning themselves in the cracks between the big red stone
blocks that make up the lock and bridge foundations around the inlet to the Potomac.