Busy Busy Busy

I've been too busy to keep up with the old blog lately. Busy with work. Busy with music. Busy with the family. Busy with the yard. Oh, yes and that little thing called Spring Migration has been a tad distracting too.

But before I get too involved in the hunt for this season's songbird arrivals, here are some memories from the past few months.
A Black and White Warbler, seen this weekend at the Scenic Rivers Land Trust's, "Walk for the Woods." This was the third year for this fantastic adventure through the South River Greenway, an IBA (Important Bird Area). This year's walk yielded 69 species... and a Warren Strobel Subspecies of the Barred Owl. ALMOST countable!A Blue-Winged Teal couple, enjoyed at Jug Bay North, a very cool little park off of Sands Road in Southwestern Anne Arundel County.I recently enjoyed watching this Caspian Tern juggle a fish that it had just caught. It would throw the thing in the air, probably some attempt to impress a lady tern, and then catch it again. Repeat. My Mom always told me to not play with my food. Ho hum.I can't forget about that Dunlin that showed up at Fort Smallwood Park. Thank you Stan Arnold for the phone call alerting me about the presence of this great bird.An overexposed Glossy Ibis is never a good thing. But here is one I recently saw in Northern Anne Arundel County.This Little Blue Heron was there as well. To be more precise, there were six of them foraging around the Swan Creek Wetlands.One evening (a week or so ago), this Pine Warbler paid a visit to my maple tree in the back yard. By simply looking at this photo, it would appear that I've just given up trying to become a better photographer. Not true, I have only regressed a little... a smidgen. Ok, a lot. Did I mention that I've been busy?How nice was it to see Royal Terns in Weems Creek before April? I love my little neck of the woods.Tree Swallows are a sure sign of spring. And their chittering is a welcome sound to cold winter ears.My Screech Owl hasn't been around in a while, so I took out a home equity loan and added on to the owl's house. Perhaps I was shooting too high? The second home is about 15 or so feet off the ground, which is the recommended height.And lastly, an Iceland Gull from this past winter. Significant only in that I am saying good bye to the winter chills and hello to warmer weather, complete with the chorus of spring migrants.

Good Birding,

Dan