Date: 8/15/12 8:40 am
From: Gail B. Mackiernan %<3Ckatahdinss...>%3E <katahdinss...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Wheaton Regional Park today



Hi all,

Thought maybe it was time to cast off the hot summer's inertia and see what, if anything, might be around at Wheaton Regional Park (Mont. Co.) this morning. Well, the habitat looks great, lots of berries and brushy areas. However as might have been expected, it was rather slow. Certain local breeders have left the lake and ponds (both Tree and Barn Swallows, saw no R-W Blackbirds either) and noisy mowing in the picnic area didn't help. We also checked a bit of the lower area of Brookside Gardens (near greenhouse). The most interesting bird was an ALBINO CHIPPING SPARROW in with a large flock of normal adults and juveniles along the mini train tracks, pure white, pink bill, could not make out eye color. All the other sparrows took it in stride and it flew off with them. The only evidence of migration was a large number of Flickers passing through and fair numbers of Ruby-throats, we only had one warbler, a Parula, and one Scarlet Tanager, both of which breed locally.

Oh well, it can only get better!

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD

eBird list below

Wheaton Regional Park and Brookside Gardens, Montgomery, US-MD
Aug 15, 2012 7:45 AM - 9:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments: Sunny, warm, slight NW breeze, little evidence of active migration although some local breeders gone (e.g. swallows) and large number of flickers passing through.
33 species

Mallard 12
Great Blue Heron 1
Green Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Mourning Dove 6
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 5
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Downy Woodpecker 4
Northern Flicker 12 at least
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 4
Acadian Flycatcher 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Red-eyed Vireo 5
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 3
Fish Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 8
Tufted Titmouse 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Carolina Wren 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6
American Robin X
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Parula 1
Eastern Towhee 4
Chipping Sparrow 15 including one apparent albino bird - pure white, pink bill, could not see eye color
Scarlet Tanager 1
Northern Cardinal 8
Common Grackle 12
American Goldfinch 10

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