I went out to Riley's Lock Sat about 1:30 and Sun about 4:30. Some sightings were the same on both days:  I  saw the same 4 horned grebes near shore, often with a pied billed grebe--or rather it seemed to be hanging out with them.  One of the male horned grebes was in very nice breeding plumage, and another only partially changed.  There were 3 (Sun) or 4 (Sat) red br. mergansers over toward the far side.  There were a lot of very vocal fish crows around, and on Sat at least 1 Am. crow.  There were lots of cormorants down toward Violettes Lock, perched in a long line, and sometimes flying up stream.  The best bird was on Sunday--two long tailed ducks nearer to Violettes when I saw them.  (Complete list from Sunday below.)

I had an interesting conversation as I was leaving Sat--a kayaker asked - seeing the scope - if I knew any birding groups, as he was trying to find people to contact to help the Potomac Conservancy to get the Trump National Golf Course to mend its ways and its shoreline, where it had cut down all the trees.  I told him of groups I knew, and applauded his efforts--and if I should someday hear of a protest from the river during a big golf tournament over there, I think I will know one of its organizers!  I had similar comments on the destruction, and harm to the Potomac, from another kayaker on Sunday.  Evidently this is a group to keep in mind if one needs allies in protecting our rivers, and I wouldn't have thought of them before this.

3	Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
2	Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis
1	Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
3	Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
2	Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
4	Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
20	Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
3	Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
2	Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
2	Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
2	Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
1	Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
4	Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
50	Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus
1	Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
1	Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis
1	Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
1	Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
2	European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
 Copied from eBird 

Patricia Wood
Silver Spring

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