We saw a wood thrush this evening. That makes 21. Have been hearing various migrants this week but I'm too inexperienced to identify them by their calls.

Can't add these to my count, but we spent Easter with my cousin's family near Annapolis, MD. Saw a couple of chipping sparrows in her yard (saw them last year when we were there, too) but more exciting for me, I saw a pair of ravens perched in a tree by the road. A "life bird" for me.

I wasn't even sure ravens ever showed up in this area, but the Voice of the Naturalist says a pair have been spotted in the past week in Montgomery County, MD where I live. Wood thrushes, too.

Song sparrows seem to be nesting in the yew bush. I was trimming a big snowball bush and discovered a robin's nest (empty thank goodness) just about the time the robin started hollering its head off and trying to drive me off. I felt very sad to ruin all their work but by the time I can see the nest, it's too late -- all the neighborhood crows can see it too, so there's no way the birds are going to raise their young there safely.

Oh, and as usual, the Carolina wrens are raising a crop of babies in an old plastic dish drainer on the back porch. (If I've already mentioned that I apologize....) We would have thrown it away years ago if they didn't like it so much! I just clean and wash it each fall. We tried a wren house but they turn up their nose at it. One year I got to watch three fledglings leave the nest and fly away.