Hello all,
 
 I led one of my bi-monthly bird walks for The Backyard Naturalist of  Olney 
to Blue Mash today, finding it still rather quiet. We only managed 39  
species, with very low numbers of most everything except catbirds, flickers and  blue 
jays, who all seem to be present in high numbers. 
 
We did manage 6 sparrow species with 1 or 2 immature WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWs  
seen, one perched on the chain link fence and feeding on mile-a-minute 
berries,  and offering good long extended looks. And right in the same view we had  
off-and-on looks at a LINCOLNs SPARROW as it hopped up into the fence then back 
 down 3 or 4 times, finally giving us adequate looks. Also we saw small 
numbers  of Swamps, Song, Field, White-throated Sparrows and E. Towhees. Only 
warbler was  a few C. Yellowthroats.
 
2 Lesser Yellowlegs were on the small pond with about 6 Least Sandpipers  and 
Killdeer and Mallards and Green-winged Teal. Before we left about 150 Canada  
Geese flew in and scared away the ducks and peeps. Today we also saw one  
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, as well as numerous  
E. Phoebes.
 
On a scouting run here Friday I saw the same sparrows except traded the  
White-crowned for Savannahs, which we didn't see today. And Friday I  also  saw 
Yellow-rumped Warbler and both eastern and western Palm Warblers, as well as  a 
pair of Black and Whites. Had Ruby-crowned Kinglet both days.
 
The weather may say July but the birds still know its  October!
Rick Sussman
Woodbine, MD




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