Hi Everyone,

I birded my way from Riley's Lock to Mouth of Monocacy this morning, greatly enjoying the spring weather and the latest wave of migrants. Highlights were two BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONs, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, a late AMERICAN PIPIT, PURPLE FINCHes, and six warbler species: NORTHERN PARULA, MYRTLE, YELLOW-THROATED, PRAIRIE, PROTHONOTARY, and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH. I also got to scratch the 'ole listing itch, closing out SAVANNAH SPARROW in Montgomery Co. (#80).

Here are lists with some common residents edited out:

Riley's Lock, Montgomery Co.

Wood Duck--1
Bufflehead--4
Red-breasted Merganser--3; two flyby males; one female resting on a rock
Double-crested Cormorant--1
Great Blue Heron--1
Black-crowned Night-Heron--2; two adults roosting across the turning pond
Ring-billed Gull--23; flying upriver
Hairy Woodpecker--1
Fish Crow--2
Tree Swallow--2
Carolina Chickadee--6; one carrying nesting material
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Eastern Bluebird--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--3
Yellow-throated Warbler (albilora)--1
Prothonotary Warbler--1
Louisiana Waterthrush--3
White-throated Sparrow--4
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--1
Herps: American Toads trilling, Spring Peepers, Pickerel Frog.

Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co.

Canada Goose--4
Wood Duck--4
Blue-winged Teal--3
Great Blue Heron--1
Green Heron--1; first of the season for me
American Coot--4
Eastern Phoebe--1
Tree Swallow--35; back in numbers
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--2
Eastern Towhee--1
Song Sparrow--4
Swamp Sparrow--1
White-throated Sparrow--5
** Howard Youth & Co. had an American Bittern and a Hooded Merganser.
Herps: two very large Snapping Turtles, calling Pickerel Frogs, Spring Peepers, and American Toads.

Hughes Road including Polo Fields, Montgomery Co.

Rock Pigeon--1
Horned Lark--2
American Pipit--1
Prairie Warbler--1; first of the year
Eastern Towhee--2
Chipping Sparrow--1
Field Sparrow--3
Savannah Sparrow--1; county closeout
Song Sparrow--2
Eastern Meadowlark--1

C&O Canal, Mouth of Monocacy (Montgomery)

Double-crested Cormorant--2
American Kestrel--closest field to canal
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--2
Northern Parula--3; my first of the year
Chipping Sparrow--1
Purple Finch--1
Herps: First Gray Treefrogs of the year calling

C&O Canal, Mouth of Monocacy (Frederick)

Wood Duck--1
Double-crested Cormorant--2
Bald Eagle--1; actually perched on the VA side
Pileated Woodpecker--2
Eastern Phoebe--1
Fish Crow--1
Tree Swallow--2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow--2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet--3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher--3
Northern Parula--4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--7
Yellow-throated Warbler (albilora)--1
Prothonotary Warbler--2
Chipping Sparrow--1
Field Sparrow--1
White-throated Sparrow--3
Purple Finch--2 females
Herps: Gray Treefrogs calling; Dutchman's Breeches in bloom.

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com