Dear MDOspreyers:

To scout for a trip I'm leading tomorrow morning (November 17), I 
went out to the Blue Mash Nature Trail near Laytonsville, Montgomery 
County, on Friday morning, 11/16 from 9 a.m. until just before 10:30.

It was so windy, with gusts from the WNW that must have hit 40 mph at 
times, that a lot of birds just went to ground.  Even so, it was good 
to find several FOX SPARROW there, and a single female PURPLE 
FINCH.  The most interesting sighting was of two AMERICAN PIPIT on 
the muddy edge of the larger pond at Blue Mash -- that's the one 
closest to Zion Rd.  The pond two miles farther up Zion Rd. from Blue 
Mash had two RUDDY DUCK,  6 HOODED MERGANSER and 2 
BUFFLEHEAD.  Rachel Carson Conservation Park, the parking lot of 
which is right across Zion Rd. from the pond, had lots of Song 
Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and Blue Jays.

Good Birding

Mike Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club

D.H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD  20817
Telephone: (301) 530-5764
e-mail:  dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom