All: I stopped off at Schoolhouse Pond, Upper Marlboro, PG County, en route to work this morning, hoping to find that the Osprey had returned. No luck there, but lots of other signs of spring, beginning with a pair of mating Red-Shouldered Hawks. The male, flying above the female and calling, scared all the nearby passerines. Privacy assured, they did their business.... Also, a handful of Tree Swallows flying over the pond.


   Full report:

    Red-Shouldered Hawk, 2
    Turkey Vulture
    Northern Shoveler - 13
    Mallard
    American Coot - 4
    Pied-Billed Grebe - 1
    Wilson's Snipe - 3
    Killdeer - 2
    Downy Woodpecker (heard)
    Northern Flicker
    Yellow-Rumped Warbler - 1
    Cedar Waxwing - 12, approx.
    American Golfinch - 3
    White-Throated Sparrow, flock
    Swamp Sparrow
    House Sparrow, flock
    Eastern Pheobe, heard
    Fish Crow
    Tree Swallow - 3
    Great Blue Heron, flyover
    Red-Winged Blackbird, several males, looking very bright.
    Ring-Billed Gull, 20, approx.
  
    Plus the usual Cardinals, Chickadees and Titmice.

   Good Birding!
   Warren

   Warren & Lisa Strobel 
    Annapolis, MD
    
    www.birdcouple.com