I joined Volunteer Rod Burley who led a walk at the National Wildlife Visitor Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge. What a glorious day to be out. Highlights included an Eastern Phoebe at Goose Pond, a singing Pine Warbler (not seen until later when Rod and I went back out), a couple of Red-breasted Nuthatches and Golden-crowned Kinglets at the beginning of Cash Lake Trail. Across the lake we saw a couple of Wood Ducks, Prior to the walk I had found a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in the woods approaching Goose Pond. Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds were checking out the nest boxes.
   
  With early migrants arriving and the budding maples and witch hazel, it makes me feel like there's a "rebirth" underway.
   
  Reminder: Next Saturday is the Refuge Systems "Birthday Bash" at the Visitor Center. The tram tours begin for the season and "birding" can be good from the tram, especially when you visit more remote areas of the refuge that the "walking" public can't visit.
  Visit our website....   http://patuxent.fws.gov  for details.


            Steve Noyes, Volunteer Naturalist
  Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel MD
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