Catching up on the past two weekends of birding highlights from Little Bennett Regional Park (two mornings) and Lilypons (one morning) -- in particular, Cape May Warblers at Little Bennett and White-crowned and Lincoln's Sparrows at Lilypons. Here are the highlights from most recent to oldest sightings, with a few nice yard birds (including a warbler with an atypical song) tucked in at the end:

Little Bennett Regional Park, Sunday, October 12:

Cape May Warbler (3+)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (1)
Black-throated Green Warbler (1)
Pine Warbler (1)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (numerous)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (3+)
Dark-eyed Junco (several)
White-throated Sparrow (numerous)

Lilypons Water Gardens, Saturday, October 11:

Lincoln's Sparrow (2+)
White-crowned Sparrow (1+ adult, 1+ juvenile)
White-throated Sparrow (numerous)
Swamp Sparrow (1)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (numerous)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (several)
Tree Swallow (numerous)
Green Heron (1)
Belted Kingfisher (1)
Cedar Waxwing (several)
Red-shouldered Hawk (perched in a tree)

NOTE: I briefly met a group of birders who were kind enough to mention the Lincoln's Sparrows they had found, and I subsequently relocated them. That's a species I usually miss on migration, so thank you!)

Little Bennett Regional Park, Sunday, October 5:

Yellow-rumped Warbler (1)
Black-throated Blue Warbler (1)
Common Yellowthroat (several)
Pileated Woodpecker (3, foraging in fairly close proximity to each other)
Common Raven (2, with good looks as they flew overhead; previously reported by another birder)

And a few yard birds during the past two weeks, including a warbler with an atypical song...

Common Grackle (300+ flew overhead, heading south-southeast, on Sunday morning, October 12, at around 8:00 AM)
Chipping Sparrow (25+)
Scarlet Tanager
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Yellow-rumped Warbler
American Redstart
Black-throated Green Warbler (who sang a very atypical song from a powerline three times, but the field marks suggested nothing other than a Black-throated Green. I assume he was a young male practicing for next year; earlier in the fall, I heard a Black-and-White Warbler singing an atypical song as he foraged.)


Jessica Bruland
Monrovia, MD
aderynyreira --at-- yahoo.com