Hi all --

Probably our last day at Rock Creek Park DC for the year -- despite the good
frontal passage, migrants were relatively few although (as usual) we had
some good ones! Highlights were LINCOLN'S SPARROW, MEADOWLARK (a good bird
in D.C.)  and RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (fly-over). Warblers are almost gone but
the expected Yellow-rumps have not yet arrived in number. Last week's
Juncoes were also missing today, but lots of Towhees and White-throated
Sparrows.

Warblers: Black-throated Blue (1), Nashville (1), Ovenbird (1, late), Palm
(1), Yellowthroat (1), seen by others: Black-throated Green (2), Myrtle (2).

Other Migrants: Blue-headed Vireo (2), Gray-cheeked Thrush (1), Winter Wren
(1), House Wren (5), Brown Thrasher (2), Gray Catbird (3), Ruby-crowned
Kinglet (4), Golden-crowned Kinglet (12), Lincoln's Sparrow (1-2 -- may have
been same bird but in quite different areas of the Maintenance Yard),
Chipping Sparrow (6), White-throated Sparrow (~50), Eastern Towhee (12),
Eastern Phoebe (4), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (3), Red-headed Woodpecker (1),
Eastern Meadowlark (1, Military Field).

In general, it was a rather disappointing autumn number-wise for migrants
although on some days diversity was good and some nice birds were tallied
(e.g. multiple Olive-sided Flycatchers, Connecticut Warbler, several
Golden-wings after a drought in the past several years, Summer Tanager). The
September weather was poor for migration at Rock Creek, but even on the few
good weather days numbers were low -- I think we saw maybe 1 Bay-breast and
2-3 Blackpolls all autumn and very few Swainson's Thrushes, and never had
any double-digit figures for commoner species such as Magnolia and
Black-and-White as is usual in fall. I don't think our experience was unique
-- many posts to this list have mentioned the low numbers of many
neotropicals -- perhaps for these it was a poor breeding season up north (?)
How have some of the rest of you fared this autumn?

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD