Dear All

Having not been able to get out yesterday and having seen Gail and Barry's 
post I was keen to get into Rock Creek Park today.  I did my usual round of 
the stables and the maintenece yard starting there at about 7.30am. It was 
fairly quiet but there were a few birds around.  

I was caught up by the crowd from the ridge as I got into the yard at about 
8am.  Gail, Barry, Wallace and others had fared better than I, but it was good 
to see everyone, having last seen the Rock Creek folk in May.

I then trekked back to the car via the car park in front of the yard where I 
just caught the tail end of what was probably a good warbler group, best 
amongst them a very nice Wilson's Warbler.  The final tally was not too bad 
therefore, although not up to snuff with yesterday.

Warblers: Black-and-White (1), Canada (1), Chestnut-sided (1), Redstart (2), 
Wilson's (1), Parula (1).

Other migrants: Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1), Wood-pewee (8), Baltimore Oriole 
(6), Red-eyed Vireo (8 incl one feeding large and noisy cowbird chick), Scarlet 
Tanager (1), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (4), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (6), 
Veery (1). 

Also a nice percehd Red-shouldered Hawk.

One comment on the habitat; it strikes me that the effect of deer grazing is 
more evident than I previously recall, especially around the entrance to 
the 'yard. Whither the park's deer management plan? There seems to be no 
update on the Rock Creek park website since the public consultation 
documents in Dec '06 - does anyone know if there is control talking place?

Cheers

Gary