A quick ride around Lake Artemesia this afternoon was 
rewarded with an OSPREY, my first of the year.  Also lots of 
WOOD DUCKs about.  No Tree Swallows today (I saw my first of 
the year at the lake Mar 13 at dusk).

On the connecting Paint Branch Stream Valley Park trail I 
had a single WINTER WREN in the rocks under the MD-193 
bridge earlier in the day (and 2 AMERICAN KESTRELS over the 
agricultural fields), and after the lake I found 6 CEDAR 
WAXWINGS close to Cherry Hill Rd.  Also---I kid you 
not---while watching a Red Fox through my binoculars, I 
heard a FOX SPARROW.  Also saw a Woodchuck.

Complete report for Artemesia follows, with a day summary 
for the trail below that:

Report Details
Location name: Lake Artemesia
Observation date: 3/25/06
Duration: 0 hour(s) 20 minute(s)
# of people in birding party: 1
Are you reporting all the species you identified? Yes
Total # of species: 16
Observation type: Traveling Count
Start time: 4:00 PM
Distance covered: 4.0 mile(s)
Area covered: N/A
Weather had a negative effect on my ability to collect 
birding information: No

Checklist diary notes:
A short ride around the lake was rewarded with a glimpse of 
an Osprey (flying away). The grebes were in striking 
breeding plumage. Mostly cloudy, breezy, slight drizzle at 
times.

Species Details
Species Name Number Reported
Canada Goose 70
Wood Duck 6
Mallard 4
Ruddy Duck 10
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Osprey 1
Ring-billed Gull 6
Northern Flicker 1
Fish Crow 1
crow sp. 10
American Robin 5
Northern Mockingbird 1
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 5

Trail birds (high count):

Canada Goose 12
Mallard 5
Great Blue Heron 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 2
Killdeer 2
Mourning Dove 5
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 10
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 1
Carolina Wren 8
Winter Wren 1
American Robin 20
Northern Mockingbird 4
European Starling 10
Cedar Waxwing 6
Eastern Towhee 1
Field Sparrow 1
Fox Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 15
White-throated Sparrow 6
Northern Cardinal 6
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 20
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 2

D

-- 
Derek C. Richardson, College Park, PG County, MD
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/Archives/Photos/birds.html