I had planned to a take a route that avoided turkey hunters, but when 
I discovered that there weren't many of them here I changed plans.  Started 
at the impoundments as usual, then went west to Sycamore Landing Rd, south 
to the towpath, east to the Horsepen Hiker-Biker, and then back to the 
impoundments.
      This is the time of general birding doldrums-ducks are mostly gone and 
warblers haven't really started moving through, but I still had a decent day 
with 45 species.  Only real migrants were a Blue-headed Vireo, 4 
Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 10 Myrtle Warblers, one Swamp Sparrow, 24 
White-throated Sparrows, and 4 Rusty Blackbirds.  Someone else saw an 
American Bittern and a Solitary Sandpiper.
     I added the following species for the year: White-eyed Vireo (3), Barn 
Swallow (3), House Wren (4), WOOD THRUSH (one singing near Sycamore 
Landing), Prairie Warbler (3), Prothonotary Warbler (1), and Common 
Yellowthroat (3).
     Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (34) and Northern Parulas (8 singing their 
normal song) were back in force.
    Evidence of nesting were 2 broods of Canada Geese, a brood of Wood Ducks 
(at least 5 young), a White-breasted Nuthatch building a nest (always hard 
to find), and an Eastern Phoebe nest with one egg.  The geese were 
interesting.  When I was here on April 16 there were two pairs- one with 3 
young and the other with 8 young.  Now the two broods have merged and there 
are 11 young and two adults.

Paul Woodward
Fairfax City, VA