Beautiful day at the park, with plenty of new migrants, 
including YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, and 
DARK-EYED JUNCO.  I started at the horse field down the hill 
from the ridge and was rewarded with BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER 
and---yes, it's hard to believe I know (but Jim saw it too, 
and hopefully others!)---CONNECTICUT WARBLER, both at the 
picnic table.  The Connecticut was a first-winter bird that 
provided good looks as it carefully climbed down a thin 
branch, putting one foot in front of the other.  Amazing.

The Yellow-rumped Warblers appeared together as a group of 3 
at the horse field.  A WINTER WREN also made an appearance 
and scolded me.

There was a surprising lack of birders both at the field and 
at the ridge (at least initially), apart from Jim. 
Definitely needed more eyes!  The ridge had a nice mixed 
flock of warblers down low, patiently working the sunlit 
trees and affording excellent looks: BLACK-THROATED GREEN, 
CHESTNUT-SIDED, and MAGNOLIA.  Also had a male 
BLACK-THROATED BLUE there, and the first of the 
White-throated Sparrows.  RED-EYED VIREO too.

Most birders started at the maintenance yard today it seemed 
and had a great burst of warblers (one birder said 10 
species, maybe 30 individuals), including NASHVILLE WARBLER. 
I believe BLUE-HEADED VIREO was also seen.  I arrived after 
8:30 am to see NORTHERN PARULA, more Chestnut-sideds and 
Magnolias, another Winter Wren, a flyover COMMON NIGHTHAWK, 
several INDIGO BUNTINGS (including 2 juveniles with faint 
streaking and a surprising amount of yellow wash below, but 
the sun was behind), the Dark-eyed Juncos, a male SCARLET 
TANAGER, LINCOLN'S SPARROW (2), and FIELD SPARROW.

Full report below, submitted to eBird:

Report Details
Location name: Rock Creek Park
Observation date: 10/2/06
Duration: 3 hour(s) 20 minute(s)
# of people in birding party: 1
Are you reporting all the species you identified? Yes
Total # of species: 47
Observation type: Stationary Count
Start time: 6:55 AM
Distance covered: N/A
Area covered: N/A

Checklist diary notes:
Another fine day at the park: clear, cool, calm. New 
migrants included Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-throated 
Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco. Amazingly saw another 
Connecticut (at the horse field this time, near the picnic 
bench; also seen by at least one other observer). Other 
notables included Winter Wren (horse field and maintenance 
yard), Field and Lincoln's Sparrows (yard), and a pair of 
juvenile Indigo Buntings (yard). Others saw Blue-headed 
Vireo and Nashville Warbler (and probably other warblers -- 
the yard was good early on apparently; I started in the 
field then went to the ridge before visiting the yard). May 
have heard Red-shouldered Hawk at the yard.

Species Details
Species Name/Number Reported
Mourning Dove 2
COMMON NIGHTHAWK 1
Chimney Swift 7
Red-bellied Woodpecker 6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Downy/Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 15
American Crow 10
crow sp. 1
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 8
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
Carolina Wren 7
House Wren 4
WINTER WREN 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 15
Gray Catbird 5
Brown Thrasher 4
Northern Parula 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 5
Magnolia Warbler 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler 3
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER 3
Black-throated Green Warbler 	5
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER 2
CONNECTICUT WARBLER 1
Common Yellowthroat 5
Scarlet Tanager 1
Eastern Towhee 5
FIELD SPARROW 1
Song Sparrow 2
LINCOLN'S SPARROW 2
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW 10
DARK-EYED JUNCO 2
Northern Cardinal 7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 3
Common Grackle 20
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 10

D

-- 
Derek C. Richardson, College Park, PG County, MD
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/Archives/Photos/birds.html