The highlight of my morning walk around Schoolhouse Pond was a 1st winter 
Mourning Warbler.  The bird was foraging in the vegetation between the 
boardwalk and the townhouses behind the pond.  I got several good, if 
fleeting views of the bird, and noted the narrow, mostly complete (but broken) 
eye ring, yellow underparts, olive above, and brownish hood with some yellow 
in the throat.  At first, I jumped to the conclusion that this was a Connecticut 
Warbler due to the narrow eye ring.  The bird foraged alone, but was in the 
vicinity of some young Indigo Buntings, Common Yellowthroats, and Catbirds.

 Other migrants included an American Redstart and male Scarlet Tanager.  The 
tanager even sang three times.  The Trumpeter Swan continues, and there 
was a small group of Canada Geese present.  Over the last month, only one 
Canada Goose had been on the pond.   There had been building numbers of 
Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos over the last week, but I heard none this 
morning. 

Also of note recently have been two Black-crowned Night Herons.  The 1st 
summer night heron that has been present all summer has been joined by a 
juvenile night heron.  I've seen the two birds together on several different 
mornings, most recently yesterday (9/11).  But, I did not see them this AM.  

Fred Shaffer
Patuxent MOS