My neighbor and I arrived at the Nature Center parking lot at around 
10 a.m. this morning and headed for the maintenance yard. Just before 
heading into the yard--at the point where the second access path 
leads you out of the woods and to the cattail pond--we saw an 
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER on a dead tree. The tree, which has at least 
one prominent Y-shaped branch, is on the left side of the path as you 
head toward the maintenance yard--in other words on the other side 
from the yard. The bird sat on the Y-shaped branch for five to ten 
minutes but was gone once we returned from birding the yard. At one 
point, a downy woodpecker approached it. The chunky flycatcher was 
about the same size as the woodpecker and fully exposed its white 
rumpside tufts. At very first glimpse, the bird reminded me of a 
house sparrow, with its short tail (just shorter than the primary 
projection) and thick body, "bullish" neck, and somewhat blocky head.

Also seen or heard between nature center parking lot, stables, and 
maintenance yard: blackburnian warbler (1), chestnut-sided warbler 
(1), palm warbler (2), black-and-white warbler (2), black-throated 
green warbler (1), ovenbird (1), yellow warbler (1), northern parula 
(3), common yellowthroat (1). Heard along Beach Drive after heading 
north from the Nature Center: Louisiana waterthrush.

Also:  Yellow-billed cuckoo (2), Great Crested Flycatcher (1), 
Red-eyed Vireo (2), Scarlet Tanager (1), Baltimore oriole (3).

Howard Youth

Bethesda, MD