Greetings,

After spending most of March in the Florida Keys, my family and I returned to 
reality on Wednesday. This morning, in my yard (North East, Cecil County), I 
heard my first of the season singing Chipping Sparrow!  Of course the usual 
feeder birds are singing there hearts out as well... Also of delight was my first 
of the season (in Maryland) Osprey pair over the usual nesting sights adjacent 
to my yard. They are displaying nicely. I do not think this is the pair that 
nests in my yard, however. They seem to arrive, annually, about a month from 
now. Furthermore, I have had two Pied-billed Grebes, and six Wood Ducks (2 
F, 4 M) in and out of the tidal basin in front of the house!

Sorry, I know this is Way Off Topic... but, I had to tell someone:
While we were in the Keys, I read in the Miami Herald of a new species for 
North America found at Fort Zachary Taylor SP in Key West. It seems that the 
first confirmed North American Record for Loggerhead Kingbird was found there 
on 3/7/07 by Carl Goodrich. I spent the morning of March 15 with Carl, among 
others, looking for the bird. We were successful! Incidentally Paul O'Brien was 
quoted in the Miami Herald article. I know he got the bird as well!

Good Birding,
Chris Starling
North East, MD