At Shuresville Landing today (Conowingo Dam) I was looked for my 
first Northern Parula
(found two) when I heard a song I've never heard before. It was like 
a Towhee's song,
but the pitch was higher and the notes sweeter, and the third note 
didn't have the Towhee's
vibrato but was short, clear and bell-like. Finally I saw a 
Chickadee--I assume a Carolina--throwing
back its tiny head and belting out this really gorgeous three-note 
song, totally unlike "fee-bee-fee-bay"
or its chattering "dee-dee-dee." This was a first for me--any 
chickadee experts know what was up?

The dam was birdy, but not with warblers. I counted more than 300 
cormorants, and that's just from one
platform. The Bald Eagles were courting like crazy, and two Ospreys 
were soaring along the cliff,
displaying their captured fish. The Peregrine Falcon zoomed along at 
the level of the roadbed
when I went home. Best of all, the big red sign that spells out 
"Warning" (and details how
dangerous it would be to take your boat any closer) had eight Turkey 
Vultures ranged along the top.
Wish I'd had a camera with me.

Trillium is still blooming but I didn't see much else besides violets 
and some white flower I don't
know the name of, but it's all over the place. The vernal pools were 
drier than I've seen in years,
but at least three frogs jumped in them as I walked by.

--Pat

Pat Valdata, Elkton, MD | 
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
--Douglas Adams