Hi all --

Rock Creek Park DC continues to attract good birds although things are still
slow and numbers are low. It takes a lot of digging to find those migrants!
Today was no exception but redeemed by a brilliant male GOLDEN-WINGED
WARBLER in the Maintenance Yard. It was, in fact, about the first bird we
saw ­ foraging in the dead vine tangle. Fortunately it stuck around and Jeff
Shenot and an Aussie friend also enjoyed it. At one point it flew into a
young ash tree, foraging among the seed clusters, and vigorously defended
the tree against all comers ­ chasing off titmice and house finches with
determination!

Other species recorded, both by those of us in the Yard, Wallace Kornack and
Jim Lemert (who started at the Ridge), and Stephanie (cell tower area)
included:

WARBLERS:
Blue-winged  2
Black-and-White  4
Blackburnian  1
Chestnut-sided  2-3
GOLDEN-WINGED  1, male
Ovenbird  1
Worm-eating ­ 2
Yellowthroat  1

OTHER:
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  6
Great Crested Flycatcher  3
Empid sp. (probably adult Acadian)  1
Eastern Phoebe  1
Eastern Wood-pewee  8
Scarlet Tanager  4
Gray Catbird  8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   ~10
Yellow-throated Vireo  1
Red-eyed Vireo  1-2 (heard only)
Baltimore Oriole  3
Indigo Bunting  2
Chipping Sparrow  4

Herps: juvenile Ring-necked Snake ­ 5" cutie!

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD