Hello, birders.

I co-led about 15 birders along the C&O Canal at
Riley's Lock late this afternoon.  I lingered after
the walk and went down to Violette's Lock and back. 
There are still some waterfowl in the river and some
of the recent spring arrivals put on a nice show.  I
had a few First of the Spring birds today: GREEN
HERON, CHIMNEY SWIFT, WOOD THRUSH, GRAY CATBIRD,
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER and NORTHERN PARULA.

It was warm and humid at first but more clouds rolled
in and the humidity seemed to lessen so it felt very
comfortable toward the end.  The CANVASBACK, HOODED
MERG and L. SCAUP were keeping close company and were
located roughly in between the two locks.  The HORNED
GREBES were almost in full breeding plumage and were
very close to me and the shore at Riley's Lock.  They
called several times.  The calls were nasal and
downslurred and were gull-like or tern-like.  The
COMMON MERGS flew in from upstream and landed in the
rapids to feed at Violette's Lock.  I wonder if this
pair will stay to breed in the area?  

We had long, excellent scope views of a GREEN HERON
and a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, the latter showing
its beautiful long plumes.  

The complete bird list from the walk plus other
notables from today:

-Canada Goose, 5 (2 pair)
-Wood Duck, 2 (1P)
-Mallard, 4 (2P)
-Canvasback, 1F
-Lesser Scaup, 1M

-Hooded Merganser, 1F
-Common Merganser, 2 (1P)
-Horned Grebe, 4
-Double-crs. Cormorant, 26 (mostly near Va. shore)
-Great Blue Heron, 3

-Green Heron, 1
-Black-crn. Night-heron, 1
-Black Vulture, 3
-Turkey Vulture, 3, maybe many more
-R.b/Herr. Gull, heard 1

-Chimney Swift (saw 1 catching insects over the middle
of Potomac, Md.)
-Red-bellied Woodpecker, 3 (1P, both at nest high in
snag.  Possible excavation.
-Downy Woodpecker, 4
-Hairy Woodpecker, 2
-Pileated Woodpecker, 1M

-Blue Jay, 5 (1P)
-Am. Crow, 3
-Fish Crow, 2
-No. ro.-winged/Bank Swallow, 5 (quick look, not
familiar enough with these sp. calls)
-Barn Swallow, 2

-Car. Wren, 4
-Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 5 conservatively.  Could have
been 2 or 3 times that number as they were everywhere
for the first 2 or 3 hours.
-E. Bluebird, 4 (1P)
-Wood Thrush, 1 (I heard this bird singing about
7:45pm near the corner of Violette's Lock Rd. and
River Rd.
-Am. Robin, 2

-Gray Catbird, 1 (near Violette's Lock)
-Eur. Starling, 2M
-No. Parula, 2M
-Yellow-rumped Warbler, 6+ all M
-Pine Warbler, 1M.  No pines here so it must be a
migrant.

-Palm Warbler, 2M (Yellow)
-Prothonotary Warbler, 2M
-La. Waterthrush, 1M
-Wh.-throated Sparrow, 1
-No. Cardinal, 8 (1P)

-Red-winged Blackbird, 2M
-Com. Grackle, 6
-Brown-hdd. Cowbird, 2M
-Am. Goldfinch, 3M

Scott Baron
Fairfax, Va.

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