Yesterday, my husband and I decided to celebrate the first day of Spring, with, what else, birding!  We had our FOY LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH at Sligo Creek near Silver Spring.  It was bobbing it's tail furiously in the creek near the intersection of Brunett and Sligo Creek Parkway.  This is the earliest I've had this bird.  We have a creek at the bottom of our property in Cecil County, and don't usually hear it singing until early April.  We also had the YELLOW CROWNED NIGHT HERON sitting next to it's previous nest just north of Piney Branch Rd. and Sligo Creek Parkway, near the tennis courts. 
After  lunch, we drove to Hughes Hollow to try our luck at some of the great birds seen there.  The impoundments had a pair of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS along with the multiple RED WINGED BLACKBIRDS and GRACKLES.  Lots of RING-NECKED DUCKS, a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS, a pair of drake WOOD DUCKS with a single female and a few CANADA GEESE rounded out the waterfowl.  We could hear a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER in the distance, but never did see it.  A BARRED OWL calling in the distance ended our early evening at this spot.
Next, it was off to Sycamore Landing Rd. to try our luck with the Timberdoodles.  The number of WOOD DUCKS filling the crevices in the wet woods was amazing!  Their silouhettes filling the sky at dusk was a beautiful sight.  We then stood out in the cold near the dog training area, but never did have any luck with the WOODCOCKS.  A calling BARRED OWL and a pair of dueling BARRED OWLS ended the day.  Not a bad day for the first of Spring! 

Lin Just

Colora, Md