This morning I visited my Atlas block that straddles the 
Montgomery/Frederick county line, covering the 3.5 mile stretch 
between the Dickerson power plant and Noland's Ferry by bicycle.

Highlights:  N.PARULA (only 2) and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS (3) in 
both counties; LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (4) only in Montgomery.  What 
was quite striking was the large number of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS 
singing away all along the canal.  As I often do in this stretch, I 
saw a perched BARRED OWL at very close range, but I still haven't 
confirmed breeding for this species.

In overgrown upland in the Monocacy Natural Resources Area I heard 
and saw my first WHITE-EYED VIREO of the year.

On the way back to Bethesda, I stopped off at Violette's Lock in 
Montgomery County.  In the slack water above the rapids were 4 
swimming Grebes representing 3 species:  PIED-BILLED (2), HORNED (1) 
AND EARED (1).  A delightful sight.  Out in the middle of the river, 
perched on rocks with Ring-billed and Great Black-backed Gulls were 
11 CASPIAN TERN.

Mike Bowen
Bethesda

D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike)
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda MD 20817-3845
Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764
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