Date: 9/17/12 9:13 am
From: Gail B. Mackiernan %<3Ckatahdinss...>%3E <katahdinss...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Wheaton Regional Park & Brookside Gardens today



Hi all,

Diane Ford already posted that, although there were Chipping Sparrows around, including the lingering (and lucky) white individual, no one up until we left had managed a sure connection with yesterday's Clay-colored Sparrow. However the flock was more scattered and less confiding than yesterday. Some seed has been scattered near the mini-train tunnel and near the mulch pile in the gravel parking lot (a favorite spot for the chippers) so here's hoping it is still around.

Today started out rather slowly for us, and not much evidence of a large influx of migrants. However birds were around and eventually we and other birders connected. For us the best was a brilliant YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, first for us in the park. In my bins it appeared to have white lores, I know a couple of folks tried for photos which might help sort that out. The same Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (or its twin) was in the same chokecherry tree. Perhaps 12-13 species of warbler were seen in all (we had 11), none in large numbers. Besides the Y-T, the most interesting for us were Pine and Yellow. I think Bay-breasted was also seen. Red-breasted Nuthatch was heard, and we had good views of Rose-breasted Grosbeak. No tanagers. After leaving the park proper Barry and I went over to Brookside Gardens where Catbirds were everywhere and we managed to add a few more species including our only hummingbirds of the day.

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD

Highlights:

Green Heron 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 3 one very high (migrating), other 2 local birds
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Chimney Swift 30 estimate; large number early at Pine Lake
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 @ Brookside Gardens
Eastern Wood-Pewee 4
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1 probably same bird as yesterday in same chokecherry tree, HY, very yellow underparts, throat, eye ring; small bill
Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher) 1
Empid sp. 2
Eastern Phoebe 2
Red-eyed Vireo 10
Blue Jay 25 estimate; most were fly-overs
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 heard only
House Wren 6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 @ Brookside Gardens
Eastern Bluebird 2
Swainson's Thrush 1 @ Brookside Gardens
American Robin 25 estimate: a few in WRP; most in Brookside Gardens
Gray Catbird 30 conservative estimate; only about 8 in WRP, rest in Gardens, feeding on abundant sweet gum, beautybush and other berries
Brown Thrasher 2
Cedar Waxwing 2
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Tennessee Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 4
American Redstart 4
Magnolia Warbler 6
Yellow Warbler 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 2
Blackpoll Warbler 2
Pine Warbler 1
Yellow-throated Warbler 1 First for us @ WRP.
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Chipping Sparrow 25 estimate, included leucistic individual
Swamp Sparrow 1 FOS
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3

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