Hello everyone,
                I will start with the highlights in reverse order:
4th best bird:  singing American Pipit.  I had never heard that before.  A flock of 68 on Kinder Rd (MD).

3rd best bird: singing Worm-eating Warbler (MD) in appropriate habitat.  Their best local habitat was logged in two phases 8-10 years ago.  Some years I would find a singing male early in the season, but it would not stay.  Since 2006, even that disappeared and I only came across the occasional migrant.  But I checked this one out and the habitat looks promising once again.  The re-growth pines are now 12-15' tall with holly and a couple laurel bushes in the understory.  Hopefully he stays.

2nd best bird:  And this would have easily been #1 most days.  It was a pair of Blue-winged Teal in the little Carolina Bay type pond in the cutoff woods (MD).  Only my 2nd record of BW Teal, the previous in 2003.

Best bird:  Last fall, you may remember that my wife Shelly found a wandering Red-headed Woodpecker right in our yard.  Of course, it was long gone by the time I got home from work.  So she had a home list bird on me.  Until yesterday, that is.  I stopped in the middle of the farm to check bird boxes.  I stepped out of the car and immediately heard it calling.  I thought that is either a RHWO or....and before I could complete the thought, here it came flying right over my head and out of sight to the NE.  I had recognized the call (I am always pleased when I remember the call or song of something I see so infrequently), but thought that it had to be something else like maybe WP young calling from inside the nest hole.   Nope, much better.  Bird #208 for the Oak Grove list.  Three new birds in a month could spoil me.

                I had headed out at 5:15 AM with the notion of listening for nightjars while the moon was out and then sampling the dawn chorus.  Both ideas met with cloudy and breezy conditions and occasional sprinkles.  But despite that setback, I did find 9 new arrivals.  The Wormie, teal and RHWO along with Indigo Bunting, Blue Grosbeak (in force with 12 of 'em), Baltimore Oriole, a Parula (1st migrant warbler), 2 Prairies (but no Chat yet), Scarlet Tanager and Great Crested Fly (on 5/1).  Shorebirds on the farm were 6 Greater Legs, 1 Lesser, 13 Solitaries (topped out at 18 on 4/27) and 1 Spotted.  Year Oak Grove list stands at 116.

                All of the puddles visible from the roads in the area have dried up.  But my pond still has plenty of water.  Anyone that wants to visit for Caroline shorebirds, please contact me off list.

Good Birding,
Glen Lovelace III
Seaford, DE