Date:         Thu, 27 Mar 2003 14:59:58 -0500
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Gail Mackiernan <gail@MDSG.UMD.EDU>
Subject:      A nice day out
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Hi --

Barry and I went out this morning into Northwest Branch Park, upstream of
Rt. 29, in Montgomery Co. We were hoping to get a jump on this year's
Breeding Bird Atlas and find the suspected nesting Yellow-crowned Night
Herons (which were a possible last year but we weren't able to confirm as we
got started late). Well, no Night Herons but we did have a nice selection of
birds for a beautiful late March day:

30 species including a pair of Wood Ducks, 1 Brown Creeper, 3 Golden-crowned
Kinglets, 4 Phoebes, 6 species of woodpecker including a lovely male
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, as well as a Pileated excavating a nest hole (only
"probable" for woodpeckers, however), 3 Fox Sparrows, 5-6 male Towhees,
adult Red-tailed Hawk, a few Yellow-rumped Warblers, and also, a very good
number of Goldfinches, Chickadees and Titmice which are rather thin on the
ground around our house this spring. Didn't see any Hermit Thrushes or
Winter Wrens, both expected.

Also, no Mourning Cloak butterflies which should have been out in this
weather (it's a traditionally good area for them) -- I wonder if the severe
snow this winter has caused a die-off of overwintering adults. Has anyone
else seen Mourning Cloaks this spring?

Cheers,
Gail Mackiernan
Colesville, MD

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