Date: 9/21/12 8:38 am
From: Gail B. Mackiernan %<3Ckatahdinss...>%3E <katahdinss...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Wheaton Regional Park today


HI all,

Barry was sick so I went up to WRP alone at about 7 AM -- met Mike Bowen in the parking lot. It was actually too early as no sun on the trees. Some early activity near the parking lot, best bird was first White-eyed Vireo of the autumn -- singing at that! Chris Wood also turned up and we three enjoyed seeing at least 4 Red-breasted Nuthatches in the native pines in the picnic area. The trees around the white house were also active, and we had several warbler species as well as Red-eyes and Scarlet Tanagers. By this time Jared Fisher and Rae and Woody Dubois had turned up. We all more or less birded together for most of the morning. Certainly slower than the last two days but still very good numbers of Blue Jays, Catbirds and Flickers on passage, fewer Robins by a bit. Not as many species (or numbers) of warblers but we were pleased to see a latish BLUE-WINGED in a small mixed flock. Several Sharp-shinned Hawks were about, one almost caught what appeared to be a Red-eye. It slowed down by 9:30 and most everyone left. I stopped at Brookside Nature Ctr for 15 minutes, as it's on my way home, and ran into a little pocket of activity with birds coming in to drink at the stream near the parking lot, these included some more warblers and a small flock of Grosbeaks at eye level.I didn't go into the Gardens this time so who knows what was missed <gr>.

Gail Mackiernan
Colesville, MD

Highlights (my sightings only):

Wood Duck 2
Green Heron 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 25
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift 20 estimate; some drinking at Pine Lake, others passing over very high
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 35 conservative estimate. constant passage in 2s & 3s overhead, others perched in trees or feeding on ground
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 4
Least Flycatcher 1
Empidonax sp. 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
White-eyed Vireo 1 singing at first light
Red-eyed Vireo 12 (2 @ Brookside)
Blue Jay 65 estimate; flocks passing throughout morning and others calling in woods.
Red-breasted Nuthatch 4
House Wren 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Ovenbird 1
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 12 (3 at Brookside)
American Redstart 8
Northern Parula 3
Magnolia Warbler 5
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 10 (2 @ Brookside)
Eastern Towhee 2
Chipping Sparrow 2
Scarlet Tanager 5
Northern Cardinal 10
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 8 (3 @ Brookside)


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