Hi all,
When we got to Wheaton Regional today at 7:10AM, we initially thought it was going to be a complete dud. There was an excellent flight of diurnal migrants such as jays and robins, but after an hour and a half plus of flogging about (joined by other birders for much of it) we had accumulated the grand total of 5 Yellowthroats, 1 Parula and 1 Magnolia, and a heard Red-breasted Nuthatch. Just as we were about to throw in the towel, so to speak, things started to pick up. The area near the white house and the mini-train tracks was suddenly busy with feeding birds. Barry and I ended up with 8 species of warbler (best being an immature Bay-breasted) plus three empids as well as vireos, tanagers, grosbeaks, a thrush and a couple of hummers. Other birders added Blackpoll and Blue-winged to the warbler total. A late Gnatcatcher was also seen. Several accipiters made things lively. We then stopped at Brookside Nature Center for 15 minutes where the mother lode of feeding robins were joined by a few other migrants.
Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD
Highlights:
Wood Duck 1
Green Heron 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Chimney Swift 20 estimate; most flying at great height
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3 1 @ Brookside Nature Ctr
Belted Kingfisher 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 35 estimate; constant passage as well as bids in trees and feeding on ground
Pileated Woodpecker 3 1 @ Brookside Nature Ctr.
Eastern Wood-Pewee 4
Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher) 2
Empidonax sp. 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Red-eyed Vireo 10
Blue Jay 75 estimate, probably an undercount. Most in groups flying south just above treetop level
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
House Wren 4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 with mixed flock, seems late
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Eastern Bluebird 3
Swainson's Thrush 1
American Robin 100 estimate; many fly-overs as well as very large numbers in fruiting vines at WRP & Nature Ctr
Gray Catbird 15 obvious decline in numbers
Brown Thrasher 1
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 10 3 @ Nature Ctr
American Redstart 3
Northern Parula 2
Magnolia Warbler 2
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
Chipping Sparrow 6
Scarlet Tanager 6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 5
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