This morning I have Dad duty, but saw several new birds for the year at 
Jug Bay and had an exciting morning whenever I peeked around for birds.

There is a group of 12 Snowy egrets in beautiful breeding plumage, with 4 
Great egrets also in breeding plumage.  With the breeze blowing their 
plumes around they were all regal, wish I had my camcorder.  The greats 
are common, but I do not see snowys here every year.  Though they probably 
pass through annually, and were more common here 10 or more years ago, now 
it is hit or miss to see one here, and a group of 12 was an exciting find!

I also saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet gleaning insects in a beech tree that 
was flowering.  I only find this species occasionally here in winter, but 
it's common in fall and spring migration.  The Golden-crowneds seem to be 
much more prevalent here in winter.  I don't know if the RCKI was a bird 
that over-wintered or not - are they moving north now?

I saw three Forster's terns feeding both in the main channel and in the 
shallows.  I found a Barn swallow in the same area as the terns, among the 
many tree swallows feeding over the water, but it seemed to be the only 
one that was not a tree swallow.  And along a path I found a yellow Palm 
warbler hunting insects on the ground.

I saw a few Laughing, Ring-billed and Herring gulls resting, but no one 
else among them (~ 20).  There was one each of a fly-by Bonaparte's and 
Great-black backed gull.

I saw a lone purple finch at our sunflower tube feeder; it has been a week 
since the last time I saw one - the PUFIs that were visiting here daily 
over the winter seem to have dispersed.  Time to get out the hummer stuff!

Cheers-
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD