District Patrol 4/6/2006

It's been a long week...and boring work days are only aggravated by listserv emails that taunt you with fresh spring arrivals. Deep breath. OK all this means is that one day this weekend I'm going to have to get out and make a day of it. Not sure when, though. I really want a nice morning of late sleeping, but birders make it their passion to get up at some ungodly hour (although, this has never really paid off for me. Kate and I got to Point Pelee at like 6 am but hardly saw any birds until 10ish...). So I'll probably just get up around 10 and spend the day at the Arboretum (looking for warblers, especially Palms), KAG (looking for: late Fox Sparrows, Marsh Wrens, Snipe and waders) and Anacostia Park looking for LBB Gulls and Peregrines. I'm siked already. See you out there (I'll be the guy with his hair cut too short).

Getting the Worms
Some new birds spotted in the area include an Eastern Wood-Pewee at a gold course in(as far as I can tell) Catonsville, MD (47 minutes from DC). This bird is about a week ahead of schedule.
Yellow Palm Warblers have been turning up just about everywhere, Prarie Warblers and Northern Parula were found at First Landing (a brutal 3 and a half hours from DC) and a black and white warbler was spotted at Rappahannock (1.5 hours).

Grackles: They're GRREEEEAATTT!!
Discussion is being...discussed on the MDOsprey board about a possible Boat-Tailed Grackle that was seen in Towson, MD (1hr from DC). If verified, it would be a county record, as the species doesn't usually travel far inland. Some think the bird is a large Common Grackle or a Great-Tailed Grackle, while the ones who've seen it are holding their ground. I'll keep you posted when some harder information arrives.  ¶ 5:01 PM