Yesterday when I came home (6 pm), the entire yard was in motion. I could
hardly get out of the car fast enough! An unusual number (16-18) of
sparrows were feeding around the lawn margins, but all I could find were
song and chippers. The shrubs and trees were swarming with movement, due to
a high number of r-eyed vireos. They were very vocal and chasing each other
all over.  They can really zoom around when they're having an argument! I
think there were at least 10 individuals.  They were constantly displacing
other birds and it was frustrating but fun trying to find other species.
Although I could not find any warblers (bummer!), the other birds included
one t. titmouse, one w-eyed vireo, three C. chickadees, two C. wrens, three
sc. tanagers (1 male and 2 females), a pair of adult Balt. orioles, two
empid flycatchers that would not sit still long enough for me (I'm slow),
one each of hairy and downy woodpeckers, two red-b. woodpeckers, one
flicker, seven e. bluebirds, six Am. goldfinches, one w-b. nuthatch, and
four blue grosbeaks. After about 5 minutes I went in to change out of work
clothes, but when I came back out many of the birds had dispersed. Since
all these species breed locally, I don't know how many were migrants vs.
local post-breeding dispersal birds, but the activity sure woke me up!

Best of all, at about 7:30 pm I had a screech owl calling for a few minutes
from the woods nearby, for the first time this year.  The last time we had
one here was October 2003.  I did not see it, but it was great to hear one.

Wish I was out now, but I have to work!  Maybe, when I'm not working this
weekend, the red-footed falcon will show up...

Jeff Shenot
Croom, MD