not sure what happened to the photos I attached--I'll send one at a time

Michel A. Cavigelli
Research Soil Scientist
Sustainable Agriculture Systems Lab
USDA-ARS, BARC
Bldg 001, Rm 140
10300 Baltimore Ave
Beltsville, MD 20705

(301) 504-8327 phone
(301) 504-8370 fax
>>> Michel Cavigelli <> 06/24/06 12:21 PM >>>
This morning there was an orange weaver finch, possibly a red bishop at the Edmonston Pumping Station, which is along the Paint Branch Trail just north of Decatur St where Decatur St, the trail and Taylor St. intersect.  It was in the grass weeds toward the south end of an area enclosed by a fence.  Fuzzy photos attached.  Is this likely to be an escapee?

The bird looked more orange (rather than red) with less extensive black on the belly and more extensive black on the back of the head than the ones I have seen in Botswana and that are illustrated in Birds of Southern Africa by Sinclair, Hockey, and Tarboton.  So, I'm not sure on the identification.

Michel 

Michel A. Cavigelli
Research Soil Scientist
Sustainable Agriculture Systems Lab
USDA-ARS, BARC
Bldg 001, Rm 140
10300 Baltimore Ave
Beltsville, MD 20705

(301) 504-8327 phone
(301) 504-8370 fax