Hi all,
 Due to health issues I have not been out field birding since the  Sugarloaf 
CBC, but today I got out and took a walk around Blue Mash in  Montgomery 
County. I would have thought there would have been a bigger crowd,  but I ran into 
only 4 other birders, one being my friend Mike Moffatt, who  caugght up with 
me almost halfway around.
 
The big pond was ice-free and held only C Geese, Mallards, a few  
Buffleheads, some Ring-necked Ducks and a few Hooded Mergansers. Just as I came  out to 
the main road and trailhead, I heard a Killdeer, and searching along the  
inside fenceline I found a lone bird excavating a nest scrape in the gravel  along 
the edge of the road inside the landfill. Fun to watch! Then my eye caught  
movement along a swale in the grassy area left of the road inside the fence, and 
 I watched a pair of Wilson's Snipe settle in.
 
Further along I spied a single Tree Swallow flying over the settlement  pond, 
then off it went; it was the only one I saw. Bluebirds were plentiful and  
pairing up, and singing all over, sitting on boxes, wing-waving, etc.  I  
watched 5 Northern Flickers in one small tree, as they displayed with head  bobbing 
and waves. Just before Mike caught up with me I saw a beautiful American  Tree 
Sparrow, and then a flock of 25 Tundra Swans came over, calling their  
haunting sound. Mike didn't miss these. Shortly after this we watched a flock of  
juncos, Song Sparrows and 2 A. Tree Sparrows feeding on the ground in a  
gravelly area.
 
Just as we stepped into the woods through the opening in the fence, Mike  
spotted a bird flush up, and I caught just a glimpse before it dropped back  down 
about 20 feet away, in a brush pile in the woods. An American Woodcock! We  
quietly walked around to a better vantage point, where we finally were able to  
get great looks at the bird as it ran along the fenceline, trying at various  
points to get through the fence, but its chubby little body wouldn't fit. It  
tried 2 or 3 times before we left it so it wouldn't injure itself, but not  
before we got the best looks we've ever had of this bizarre bird, backlit by 
the  sun. After we walked back around towards the main trail the bird flushed 
again,  takaing off though the woods then landing about 50 feet away. We watched 
it  again then off it went once more, not to be seen again. 
 
These were just the highlights, but most of the regulars were seen as well.  
Mike saw a Phoebe which I missed. The small pond had a huge flock of 
Ring-necked  Ducks, lone male N. Harrier over the landfill, Red-tailed Hawk, etc.
 
A very pleasant walk after so long away!
 
Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD

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