It was a fine morning at Milford Mill Park in Randallstown, with some good  
birds showing themselves exceptionally well. Right at the start of the  
streamside trail, a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was singing from a perch 20 feet over  my 
head, showing off its yellow and black-streaked underparts. Looking  down the 
trail I could see a small sparrow foraging on the pavement.  The compact, 
Swampy-like gizz and streaking said Lincoln's but it was too far to  judge. When it 
flew into the brush with a "zeet" call I hustled down to the spot  and began 
spishing and squeaking. A gorgeous LINCOLN'S SPARROW popped up onto a  branch 
not 15 feet away and stayed in view for at least half a minute, one of  the 
best and closest looks I've had of this classy species.
 
Farther along the trail I had equally stunning views of conspicuously  
singing MAGNOLIA, HOODED and CANADA WARBLERS, among others seen not so well, and  a 
heard only BLACKBURNIAN. Near the end of the loop, just before the parking  
lot, 2 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES appeared together in a small tree. Another thrush was 
 poking around a logjam just a few yards off the trail -- GRAY-CHEEKED 
THRUSH!  This one allowed careful study of the uniformly olive-gray upperparts and 
weak  eye ring.
 
After leaving Milford Mill I went to Halethorpe Ponds to try and tick my  FOY 
Willow Flycatcher. Here are some of the highlights for both places; 16 total  
warblers.
 
Milford Mill Park:
White-eyed Vireo - 1
Yellow-throated Vireo - 1
Veery - 4
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH - 1
Swainson's Thrush - 2
Wood Thrush - 8
NORTHERN PARULA - 2
MAGNOLIA WARBLER - 3
BLACK-THROATED BLUE - 3
BLACK-THROATED GREEN - 1
BLACKBURNIAN - 1
BLACKPOLL - 2
AMERICAN REDSTART - 4
OVENBIRD - 2
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH - 1
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH - 1
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT - 2
HOODED WARBLER - 1
CANADA WARBLER - 2
Scarlet Tanager - 3
LINCOLN'S SPARROW - 1
 
Halethorpe Ponds:
Great Egret - 2
BC Night-Heron - 1
Willow Flycatcher - 1
Warbling Vireo - 4
YELLOW WARBLER - 6
BLACK-THROATED BLUE - 1
BLACK-THROATED GREEN - 1 (in trees around the Food Bank parking lot)
BLACKPOLL - 3
REDSTART - 3
PROTHONOTARY - 1
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH - 1
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT - 5
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT - 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1
Blue Grosbeak - 1
 
Joel Martin
Catonsville, MD



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