I paid a pleasant visit this morning to the Carderock Recreation Area
in Montgomery County, to check on the state of the trails for the
forthcoming May Count. A most unusual sighting was of a WILD TURKEY
in the woods near the river, barely a mile upriver from the
Beltway. In over 30 years of birding at Carderock, this is the first
turkey I have ever found there. Apart from the gobbler, things were
pretty quiet - lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers, of course, 5 Palm
Warblers (one of them Western), one singing La. Waterthrush and 3 Parulas.
I then went downstream and visited Fletcher's Boathouse in D.C.,
primarily to see if I could hear or see any Yellow-throated Warblers
there, but no luck on that score. I don't know if they haven't
returned or just were not singing. Most years they return close to
the beginning of April.
However in the big trees right by the concession building a BALTIMORE
ORIOLE was fluting away, and right next to him was a very active,
singing WARBLING VIREO.
The Oriole is a week to 10 days earlier than I have ever had one
round here. The Vireo is several days earlier than usual.
Mike Bowen
Bethesda
D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike)
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda MD 20817-3845
Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764
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