My day off is currently Fridays (yes I work Saturdays) and with the library
closed for a holiday I was stuck with birding. So it was off to Hashawa,
that birding Mecca of northern Carroll County.

From the upper trail above Pipe Creek, I could hear my first LOUISIANA
WATERTHRUSH. By the time I got down to the lower trail nearer the creek he
had shut up. Nothing else of note other than a pair of WOOD DUCKS that I
spooked off the creek. And I have yet to see any Piping Plovers on Pipe
Creek. Must be the creek was misnamed.

Duck migration must be about done - the only species on the Cranberry
Reservoir was DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. I was surprised there weren't any
geese.

Good time for sparrows - I'm sure Bonnie will concur - now is the time to
get your binocs onto the WHITE-THROATS. They color up nice in April before
they head north. Last year's thrill was listening to them sing on territory
in the Adirondacks. It's nice that they serenade us on their way out of
here, but we know they're just faking it until they get up there. I also
heard my first local CHIPPING SPARROW this AM. That buzz is back in the yard
where it belongs. Plenty of FIELD SPARROWS are at it, too.

- Just a thought. In a normal year, this would be about the time that
GREAT-HORNED chicks start fledging. However I can imagine that the storms of
Feb raised havoc with their nesting. Can't imagine that any sane owl would
tolerate four feet of snow on her back while she's trying to brood.
Insulation is nice but it has its limits. Does anybody out there know of any
successful nests this year? PLEASE DON'T GIVE LOCATIONS! Other than maybe
the county. I can usually locate a couple nests every year, but this year
I'm skunked.

Jerry Tarbell
Getting ready to wash the truck in Carroll County