Blue Mash Nature Trail, Zion Road Section, Montogomery County, 10 Sep
07, 1800-1900

Yesterday evening, my wife, dog and I decided to check out the juvenile
Little Blue Heron at Blue Mash and weren't disappointed.  The Little
Blue was in the large inside pond accompanied by two larger cousins, a
Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret.  Numerous peeps were feeding on the
mudflats.  With 90% of the pond bottom exposed, a steady, prolonged rain
is in order to replenish the water.  Overhead, 2 Common Nighthawks and a
handful of Chimney Swifts were hawking insects.

An oddity along the trail was a dove in distress.  At first I thought it
was a grackle because the plumage was completely black but upon closer
inspection it appeared to be a Mourning Dove.  I'm not sure if it the
bird was coated in a chemical (it didn't appear to be oily) or
accidentally doused itself with Grecian Formula.

Tom Marko
Olney, MD
Montgomery Bird Club