With the favorable fronts this week, I went out to look for BC chickadee
or saw-whet owl in a nice evergreen stand (Va pine and cedars) near the
Patuxent river. I thought I heard a BCCH call twice when I first got
there but it did not continue calling and I only turned up Carolinas
(CACH). Does anyone know if they typically call less than Carolinas?
No luck with the saw-whets (visual searching only, in potential roost
trees). I was rewarded though by a gang of red-breasted nuthatches that
mobbed me when I was in the middle of the pine stand. There were 5 or 6
within about 15 feet that were all calling simultaneously; it was very
exciting! Three were within 5-6 feet of my head. They also attracted a
flock of juncos (about 20-22) that came to see what all the fuss was
about. No other bird species came by that I could see.
At home (Friday) morning, I had the season's first purple finch in the
back, and a female bufflehead on the river (Patuxent, at Jug Bay). Very
few birds around teh feeders except for finches (AMGO and HOFI). I will
continue looking for BCCH around the house this week and post if I do find
one.
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD |