Hi all --

Yesterday our neighborhood had an invasion -- of Robins. Hundreds of them. In all the trees, singing, "chuck"ing, flying, running on the grass...they are still here, it is hard to hear anything else outside due to the robinish decibel levels. So far they have not discovered the berry-laden holly trees but that will come...

Oher signs of spring, Grackles have been at the feeder -- in ones and twos-- since the big snow and for the first time we had some Starlings on the grass. There have been large flocks at the nearby shopping center all winter but now they seem more scattered. The House Finches are singing and a few come to the feeder, in the past few years they have been uncommon but now seen more often in the garden. More Goldfinches every day. We have not recently seen the two Red-breasted Nuthatches which enlivened our winter months, but they are probably still around. Cardinals, Song Sparrows and Juncoes are also singing.

Yesterday two Red-shouldered Hawks were sitting together in our locust tree, the male calling and flying about the female. They nested nearby last year (we suspect a neighbor's thick clump of trees) and seem to be at it again.

A walk in upper NW Branch Park -- singing Bluebirds and the local Kestrel, have to check soon to see if the Savannah Sparrows are still around -- we had good numbers all winter.

Our snowdrops are well out and the Easter hellebore about to bloom, guess it must be spring (despite the calendar)!

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD