We had a nice walk on the C&O Canal towpath this morning from Pennyfield Lock to Blockhouse Point.  No small migrants other than Tree Swallows, but we had nice close-up views of a group of Black Vulture on the ground in the first impoundment poking around in the mud and displaying to each other, and an Osprey entertained us overhead. As others had reported, hardly any Carolina Wrens.  Lots of frogs and toads singing (at least four different calls) and snapping turtles in evidence in the Canal and in the impoundments.  Saw our first Zebra Swallowtail and Tiger Swallowtail butterflies.

Complete bird list from my eBird report follows.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD

Location:     C&O Canal, Pennyfield Lock
Observation date:     4/4/10
Number of species:     27

Canada Goose     4
Mallard     2
Double-crested Cormorant     15
Great Blue Heron     5
Black Vulture     11
Turkey Vulture     3
Osprey     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     2
Red-tailed Hawk     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     4
Downy Woodpecker     2
Pileated Woodpecker     2
Blue Jay     5
American Crow     3
Tree Swallow     5
Carolina Chickadee     14
Tufted Titmouse     7
White-breasted Nuthatch     2
Carolina Wren     1
Golden-crowned Kinglet     1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     1
American Robin     1
Eastern Towhee     1
Song Sparrow     2
Northern Cardinal     9
Brown-headed Cowbird     5
American Goldfinch     5