Hi --

Barry and I decided to go look at the Townsend's Warbler again, hopefully this time in the sunlight -- or at least, not in drizzle! Guess we got there after 10 a.m. -- quite a few birders, but no warbler at the time. We walked up the towpath and found the kinglet flock, but no warbler with it -- then it was seen by some folks by the stone house and we all converged. The sun obligingly came out and shown on the lovely bright colors as it flitted about, today sometimes lower down than on Tuesday when we first saw it.

Today the bird was doing less gleaning and more feeding from Sapsucker wells on the upper branches of the numerous red maple along the towpath (on the canal side). I have seen this species visting sapsucker wells in Colorado (on migration) so it must be one of their feeding strategies. Anyway, it is worth searching the maples for evidence of sapsucker activity.

The Townsend's didn't seem to be hanging with the kinglet flock especially, although they often ended up in the same tree. At one point a Yellow-rump came over and chased the TOWA.

Afterwards we visited Lilypons in hopes of Tree Sparrows but none were found, alas.

Gail Mackiernan and Brry Cooper
Colesville, MD