At Shelter Cove Marina this morning (Hance's Point, North East River)
we saw many Common Grackles nesting on the girders that support
a large covered shed. They were stealing nesting materials from one another,
with many squabbles and much posturing. Although there is no shortage
of nest sites under that shed, it seems that one pair had the *best* site,
and all the other pairs wanted it. There sure was a lot of grackle guano
on those big, expensive boats.

I do hope any boating birders out there look carefully for nests before
taking your boat out this season. We saw a pair of House Sparrows
going in and out of the engine room vents on one boat.

Also at the marina was a mixed group of swallows, about 60 Tree Swallows,
and most of the rest were Barn Swallows, but then I saw a few that 
were noticeably
smaller than either of those, and a closer look showed them to be 
Bank Swallows.
The Barn Swallows were busily gleaning mud for their nests.

I heard and then saw a Yellow Warbler in one of the trees outside 
Woody Jackson's house,
my first of the season. Ospreys are of course nesting on marker #10.

Back home, the Phoebe has been singing for several days now. I hope the female
gets her nest built quickly. Bob swears he'll knock down any nests-in-progress,
if they build on our garage light like they did last year, but he 
won't take down a
completed nest, especially if it's occupied. Our Bluebird box
is empty, which is sad, because we have Bluebirds in the area, and a male was
perched on it a few weeks ago. I wish I knew why they don't like it.

--Pat

Pat Valdata, Elkton, MD | 
"The natural function of the wing is to soar upwards
and carry that which is heavy up to the place where dwells the race of gods.
More than any other thing that pertains to the body
it partakes of the nature of the divine." --Plato