Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 12:48:39 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Rock Creek Park DC 9/30 Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi all -- Really a great day at Rock Creek Park DC although early there was a lot of that quick dashing-about bird activity in which many of the individuals got past us unidentified! After they settled down a bit to feed we did better! The ridge (picnic area 17/18), stable area and the maintenance yard were all active, with Robert Anderson holding down the fort alone in the latter location (see below). Top birds -- an extraordinarily cooperative Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at the ridge which everyone saw well, and which seemed determined to exhibit all his field marks, back and front, to the group. And a very uncooperative CONNECTICUT WARBLER which flew in to Barry's pishing, promptly disappeared into a thicket, and was seen briefly walking along a fallen branch in deep cover before vanishing. And thrushes are finally coming through with multiple Swainson's and Gray-cheeked. Warblers: Black-throated Green (~15 at least), Black-throated Blue (3), Blackpoll (2), Chestnut-sided (1), Connecticut (1), Magnolia (12), Nashville (1), Ovenbird (1), Parula (3), Palm (1, western), Redstart (5), Yellowthroat (~15), Wilson's (1). Others: Red-eyed Vireo (12), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (4), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (16), Scarlet Tanager (12), House Wren (20), Swamp Sparrow (2), Indigo Bunting (3), Brown Thrasher (6), Swainson's Thrush (5), Gray-cheeked Thrush (4), Wood Thrush (3), Catbird (40? 50? they were everywhere), Phoebe (8), Pewee (2), Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (1). Lots of Robins and a few Blue Jays overhead. Robert sent me his maintenance yard tally, observed at same time we were at ridge: nashville (1) B th Green (6) B th Blue (1) B & W (1) blackpoll (2) Magnolia (8) c yellowthroat (3) parula (3) unknown green and Grey backed, yellow bellied and streaked warbler. Thrashers (4) Scarlet Tanagers (4) Flickers (6) kinglets (3) w th sparrow (2) song sparrow (2) swainsons thrush (1) unidentifiable thrush (1) wood thrush (1) Still should be good tomorrow if this weather holds. We haven't seen the bulk of some species such as Blue-headed Vireo, nor any "dreaded" Myrtle Warblers yet! 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================