It was a very quiet morning on the towpath this morning. In the years I
have been doing this stretch of the canal in Washington County this is the
lowest species total and fewest individuals (exclusive of waterfowl) that I
have tallied. Here is the combined list for the three miles:

Canada Goose  108
Black Duck  1
Mallard  33
Common Merganser  51
Great Blue Heron  2
Unidentified Buteo  1
Kingfisher  3
Red-bellied Woodpecker  5
Sapsucker  2
Downy Woodpecker  7
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Flicker  2
Pileated Woodpecker  3
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  7
Carolina Chickadee  5
Titmouse  4
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  10
Bluebird  16
Cedar Waxwing  12
Myrtle Warbler  2
Song Sparrow  3
Cardinal  3
Goldfinch  1

Large portions of the Potomac were open though more of it was frozen. Two
duck hunters were active. Significant misses were Brown Creeper, Winter
Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Robin, and White-throated Sparrow. I completed
the six-mile round-trip in three and a half hours, the shortest time I have
ever used. There were just so few birds about; no mixed species flocks that
I expect to encounter.

-- 
Bob Ringler
Eldersburg MD