Blue Mash Nature Trail, Zion Road Section, Montgomery County, 25 May 08,
0700-0945
 
Sorry for this delayed post.  Birding at Blue Mash on Sunday was on the
slow side.  Birds of note included: 1-Hairy Woodpecker; 6-Willow
Flycatcher; 1-well-seen Lincoln's Sparrow & 1-lingering White-throated
Sparrow.

My wife and I had a couple of unusual bird encounters on the home front
this holiday weekend.  On Sunday afternoon, my wife observed what
appears to be a local resident Monk Parakeet while out walking the dog.
We observed a Monk Parakeet in our backyard on May 4 & 5 and our
homeowners association website reported a "green parrot" in the
neighborhood last week.  My wife was able to get within a few feet of
the bird, which had a band on its leg, leading me to believe it might be
an escaped pet.  And yesterday, I added a new bird to my house list.  A
Barn Swallow flew in through an open back door and out again a short
while later.  I suppose it was scouting a potential nest site in the
family room.

Tom Marko
Olney, MD
Montgomery Bird Club