May is a particularly good time of the year to look for birds here, as migration reaches its peak in the early to middle part of the month. Many species return to breed in the area, including the wood thrush and scarlet tanager, alongside the full time residents such as northern cardinal, Carolina wren, Blue jay, Carolina chickadee and many species of woodpeckers. In the late afternoon or early evening, you may hear the “Who Cooks for You?” call of the Barred owl. Around Locust Grove Nature Center, look for Bluebirds using some of the boxes set up and monitored by park volunteers.

While the habitat provided by Cabin John Creek Stream Valley Park is extremely important, the proximity of so many homes does present some threats to our birdlife. You can help by making sure your homes are “bird friendly” including by making your windows more “visible” to birds and keeping cats indoors. Check out the Montgomery Bird Club for more information on birds of the area.

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Use the iNaturalist​ app to identify your pics of birds and the Merlin app to identify them by sound!