Peter Frechtel and I spent a few hours this morning at the Blue Mash Nature 
Trail, a first visit for both of us.  We found a nice assortment of birds 
with a good showing by raptors and a decent showing by the sparrows.  As we 
were leaving, a single SNOW GOOSE flew by together with 4 or 5 Canadas.  2 
AMERICAN COOTS were in the pond.

As for raptors--we had a NORTHERN HARRIER and several SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS 
(somewhere between 2 and 6, depending on how many were repeat sightings--my 
best estimate is 4 individuals).  Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks also 
made appearances.

Our best sparrow was a single immature WHITE-CROWNED.  We couldn't find 
anything more rare, but there were plenty of birds around, with nice numbers 
of SWAMP and FIELD, plus plenty of Songs, singing White-throateds, Towhees, 
and one Junco.

Moving to other passerines, Peter gets the credit for spotting a BLUE-HEADED 
VIREO (getting late?), which gave us nice looks as it devoured a katydid or 
grasshopper of some sort.  There were tons of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and a 
few GOLDEN-CROWNED.  We also saw and heard several Phoebes.

Another birder reported that he saw a Palm Warbler, which we missed (no 
shortage of Yellow-rumps, though!).

Jason Waanders
NW DC
jwaandersATstarpower.net