April 1, I was slowly driving around the Minor Clark Fish Hatchery checking empty fish pools when I suddenly noticed a Killdeer staring at me through the passenger side window.

I stopped the car and looked around for nests or chicks but didn't see anything. After a few minutes I tried to turn left, but the Killdeer immediately threw itself onto the ground in a feigned injury display.

I still didn't see a nest, but proceeded cautiously in another direction (I also back up for determined snakes). None of the fish pools had migrants and I was starting to leave when a flock of Blue-winged Teals landed in a pool by the chain link fence

I wasn't very close, but didn't want to spook the flock by approaching them

4-1-10, Minor Clark Fish Hatchery, male Blue-winged Teals

House Sparrows had been taking over the Tree Swallow nests hung along the fence and male swallows fought fiercely over the ones still left
{{gwi:1360684}}From April birds

4-1-10, Minor Clark Fish Hatchery, male Tree Swallow resting between fights

I drove around Cave Run Lake to check out Shallow Flats, then followed Forest Service Road 16 over the mountains to Lockegee Rock. By then it was 85 degrees and when I reached the bottom of the rock

I sat down to remove my shoes. I kept hearing a Pine Warbler singing nearby, then noticed that birds were flying up the side of the cliff and over the top. When I reached the top of Lockegee Rock a male Pine Warbler was singing in the Yellow Pines. I was wearing camouflage, including the camera lens, and he didn't seem to notice me.
{{gwi:1360691}}From April birds

In fact, he even tried to land on my hat a couple of times, was startled when I moved, and landed nearby, seeming puzzled

but decided to preen a bit
{{gwi:1360696}}From April birds

Meanwhile, Golden-crowned Kinglets kept flowing up the cliff face from below, surrounding me, but mostly too close for my lens
{{gwi:1360701}}From April birds

some too far away

A basking female Fence Lizard didn't seem to notice me either

The next day a male Louisiana Waterthrush began singing along our creek bank

Two days later I visited the fish hatchery again..this time there there were shore birds

4-4-10, Minor Clark Fish Hatchery, migrating Lesser Yellowlegs in empty fish pool

I drove on and saw a Turkey Vulture having lunch

Back at the farm I had a few birds to watch

4-6-10, Louisiana Waterthrush glimpsed through brush by our creek

4-6-10, I got a blurred pic of a male Yellow-throated Warbler streaking past
{{gwi:1360722}}From April birds

When I looked up from taking the photo, a Tufted Titmouse zipped close over my head, straight into the old nestbox by the creek. After a pause it zoomed straight out again and the other one did the same. They were so fast I aimed at the nest box and did photo bursts the instant I glimpsed one flashing over my head, then looked at the photos to find out they were carrying moss into the box

4-6-10, Tufted Titmouse streaking back out of nest box

A Purple Finch has come by several times

4-8-10, male Purple Finch on my feeder this afternoon