Hi all,
 I stopped by Layhill Park on my way to work on Friday AM, and decided to
head to the north trail. Almost before I got to the trailhead, a large raptor
soared across the woods. My first thought was Red-shouldered Hawk. I tried to
locate it, since it hadn't flown completely through the woods, but had landed
somewhere in the trees. Then my eyes spotted a vertical "lump" where there
shouldn't have been one, in a sycamore tree. Focusing my binoculars on it, it turned
into a pair of young birds perched out on a large limb. Again, my first
thought was "Red-shouldered Hawk, but these birds had "horns". 2 baby Great Horned
Owls, branching from the nest, which was the very tree they perched in! And no
camera! The adult (presumably the female) was finally located, perched in
another sycamore, very high. I watched for a while, then left, calling Rob Gibbs
on my way to work.

After work, I called my daughter and wife, asked them to meet me over at the
park with scopes, cameras, etc. We shot a lot of digi-pics, of both the young
and adult, in late afternoon light, while soccer practice took place not more
than 50 yards from the babies! A small kettle of 6 Broad-winged Hawks flew
over and an equal number of Turkey Vultures too.

 Saturday, we had an ANS youth birders trip to Jug Bay , AA County.
Highlights were the many, many Ospreys, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, snipe, Solitary
Sandpipers, 6 warbler species (a very loud singing male Black&White Warbler
well seen, Ovenbird heard only, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Yellow-throated Warbler
singing and seen well, Louisiania Waterthrush seen and heard, many Palm
Warblers seen, all yellows). Lots of Gnatcatchers around, Brown Thrasher, and towhee
too.  Also we had at least 4 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS while hiking along a
trail, where beavers had dammed the stream in at least 3 places, creating great
habitat for the woodpeckers and perhaps Prothonotary Warblers later in the
month. Many hawks were passing over, with at least 2 Cooper's, 1 Sharp-shinned,
Red-tailed, A. Kestrel, but no BW. An immature Bald Eagle harrased the many
gulls(Laughing)  and terns( Caspian and Forsters), ducks (Green-winged and
Blue-winged Teal) and shorebirds in the "bay".

We tallied 56 species on this very fine sunny morning, on one of our more
"extended" forays.


Back here at home later, 3 imm/female PURPLE FINCHES in the willows by the
pond, 1st yr Chimney Swifts.

Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD


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