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Subject:

Upper Watts Branch Park for 5/2/06

From:

Paul O'Brien

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Tue, 2 May 2006 16:01:51 EDT

After having nothing to report, and expecting more of the same this morning, 
I was startled to find several migrants, including two of the rarest warblers 
found in the park.   A Prothonotary Warbler popped up for a few seconds at 
point blank range, and disappeared just as abruptly.   It was either the second 
or third ever for me in 36 years birding this park.   The next surprise was a 
singing Orange-crowned Warbler that was buried in the thick foliage and flowers 
of a Black Cherry for a good 10 minutes before moving out in the open.   That 
was #5 that I know of in the same 36 years.

In the face of northeast winds, it seems unlikely that these birds migrated 
here last night, but I guess it's possible.   Another scenario that I have 
suspected for a long time is that these birds dropped into the Potomac Valley some 
time ago and worked their way northward up Watts Branch.   This being the end 
of the line, they accumulate here, as Watts Branch arises on the King Farm, 
now a mass of condos a few hundred yards north.

Other birds not here yesterday:

Veery
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart 2
Ovenbird
Baltimore Oriole

Paul O'Brien
Rockville, Mont. Co., MD