Did some birding along the canal and vicinity this morning.  List from 
Pennyfield Lock is below. Things were fairly slow warbler-wise, with 
only four species. At Violette's Lock, lots of migrating swallows, 
including one Bank, as well as swifts, going up river. At Riley's Lock I 
met up with Linda Friedland and Lydia Schindler and we had good looks at 
a near breeding plumage Common Loon working its way up river, as well as 
first of the year Green Heron.  No sign of Surf Scoters, however.

Away from the canal, I followed up on an eBird report of a Vesper 
Sparrow last week along W. Offutt Rd. and was rewarded by nice looks at 
a singing bird.

Location:     C&O Canal--Pennyfield
Observation date:     4/17/10

Canada Goose     4
Wood Duck     1
Mallard     1
Common Merganser     4
Double-crested Cormorant     10
Great Blue Heron     4
Black Vulture     2
Turkey Vulture     3
Bald Eagle     2
Chimney Swift     5
Red-bellied Woodpecker     3
Downy Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker     3
Pileated Woodpecker     4
Blue Jay     2
Fish Crow     6
Tree Swallow     8
Carolina Chickadee     10
Tufted Titmouse     4
Red-breasted Nuthatch     1
Carolina Wren     3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     2
American Robin     2
Northern Parula     2
Yellow-rumped Warbler     2
Palm Warbler     1
Louisiana Waterthrush     1
Eastern Towhee     1
Song Sparrow     1
White-throated Sparrow     5
Northern Cardinal     8
Red-winged Blackbird     1
Common Grackle     3
Brown-headed Cowbird     3
American Goldfinch     4

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Good birding!
Jim Moore
Rockville, Maryland
PLEASE REPORT YOUR BIRD SIGHTINGS to http://ebird.org/