On my walk around Sewells Orchard Ponds in Columbia and the nearby bike path on this rain-threated Mother's Day, I watched a male BALTIMORE ORIOLE patrol the ponds, going from tree to tree, singing and chasing RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. 

Also, saw ORCHARD ORIOLES (a first-year male and female ) and watched a female COMMON YELLOWTHROAT make several trips carrying dried reeds to her nest in the tall grass at the dam end of the lower pond.

I also discovered the "exploded" remains of a MOURNING DOVE on the path (obviously an attack by either our local red-shouldered hawks or the COOPERS HAWK I saw flying over)

My JUNCO is still hanging around.

Jenny McClintock
Columbia, MD


Complete list:

Location:     Sewell's Orchard Pond
Observation date:     5/11/08
Number of species:     39

Canada Goose     7
Mallard     4
Green Heron     1
Turkey Vulture     1
Cooper's Hawk     1
American Coot     1
Spotted Sandpiper     2
Mourning Dove     6
Red-bellied Woodpecker     1
Downy Woodpecker     3
Eastern Kingbird     1
White-eyed Vireo     1
Red-eyed Vireo     1
Blue Jay     2
American Crow     1
Barn Swallow     2
Carolina Chickadee     2
Tufted Titmouse     1
Carolina Wren     2
House Wren     4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     2
American Robin     14
Gray Catbird     2
Northern Mockingbird     1
European Starling     4
Cedar Waxwing     2
Yellow Warbler     1
Common Yellowthroat     1
Song Sparrow     3
Dark-eyed Junco     1
Northern Cardinal     6
Red-winged Blackbird     12
Common Grackle     4
Brown-headed Cowbird     3
Orchard Oriole     2
Baltimore Oriole     1
House Finch     20
American Goldfinch     4
House Sparrow     40