I'm taking Fridays off for the rest of the year to go birding. Yesterday I went 
to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. What a beautiful day to bird in such a 
special place. 

My goals for the day were to bird the new Tubman Road Trail and to see/hear 
Brown-headed Nuthatches (found them both on Tubman Road Trail and on the 
Marsh Edge Trail).  Highlights at Tubman: 2 woodcocks, 2 Wood Duck pairs, 
Fox Sparrow (and lots of other sparrows,too), Wild Turkey, Palm Warbler.  If 
you haven't discovered the new Tubman Trail on Hip Roof Road, you should 
check it out. If you want to go around the whold trail, be sure to bring boots 
with you. You'll probably need them to walk the section from markers 5-8. I 
walked from the parking lot to sections 10-9, doubled back and walked from 
section 1-5.

On Wildlife Drive, starting at Pool 1 in the morning. The birding gods were with 
me. There were hundreds of ducks in the back part of the pond. Since I don't 
have a scope yet, I was going to have to be satisfied with the ducks closer in. 
Then a Bald Eagle dived low over the pool, and instantly hundreds of ducks 
were in the air. Just before sunset, on obliging Northern Harrier filled that role 
again.

The American White Pelicans have returned. I saw 3, but in late October when 
they were first observed there were 4.

Marcy Stutzman
Russett, MD