Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2003 11:29:04 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Orange-crowned Warbler (and others) at Rock Creek today (4/20) Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi all -- Lovely weather although still not the warm southerlies to bring in the "big push" of migrants, but still a nice selection at Rock Creek Park, DC, today. The best bird for us was an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, around the little pond near the Nature Center. It came in with some Myrtles to check out two Gnatcatchers which were noisily beating up on a female Cowbird. Rather a dull yellow one, grayish head -- since this species is not at all common in spring, this may be a bird which has wintered in the area. We always have a few around, in fact, one stayed at the National Arboretum all winter. Other species seen (starting at picnic areas 17/18, then maintenance yard and then nature center): Worm-eating Warbler (1), Black-and-White (1), Louisiana Waterthrush (1), Parula (1), Palm (5), Myrtle (25), Blue-headed Vireo (singing) one seen, another heard far off, Gnatcatcher (25-30), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (12), Hermit Thrush (5), Field Sparrow (1). Tons of Goldfinches about. Met Bill Dobbins who had started at the maintenance yard and he had seen a nice Hooded, Pine, plus Ovenbird (plus duplicates of some of our species) so all in all 10 species of warbler, good for this early. Bill had also seen two Common Loons overhead. The bluebirds are back at their box near the Nature Center, certainly one of the most unlikely spots for a bluebird to nest! Cheers, Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper Colesville, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================