Sonnie Sussillo wrote:

"I only had binocs today, but couldn't even discern very many 'distant 
black dots' on the water."

Sonnie,

I stopped by the 121 bridge about 1 PM.  Some of your distant black dots 
may have been Horned or Pied-billed Grebes.  Some of the Horned Grebes 
are starting to show breeding plumage.  Also had a Common Loon out near 
the dam.

Off Slidell Rd about 1/4 mi. N of Old Baltimore Rd, I found 17 Eastern 
Meadowlarks in short grass field either side of road.

Andy Martin
Gaithersburg, Mont Co