Highlights of a walk at Little Bennett Regional Park (northern Montgomery County) this morning were as follows:

Brown Thrashers -- 3 singing, including two countersinging
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers -- 10+ singing, calling, and foraging
Eastern Towhees -- 15+ singing and calling
Ruby-crowned Kinglets -- 10+ singing and foraging
Tree Swallows -- a pair perched on a powerline
Pine Siskins -- a small flock
Chipping Sparrows -- 2+
Winter Wren -- 1
Yellow-Rumped Warbler -- 1 in breeding plumage
Pine Warbler -- 1 singing
Louisiana Waterthrush -- a pair foraging in close proximity to each other; they also appeared to be checking out potential nest sites

A pair of White-breasted Nuthatches were another highlight because they were sweeping insects (or perhaps something else with a strong enough scent to deter predators) around their nest hole entrance.

We also still have several Pine Siskins at our feeders. I was refilling the feeders yesterday, and one siskin perched above a nearby feeder (about a foot away from me) and watched me for 30 seconds or so before taking cover in the closest tree. I hope that a pair decides to stay and breed nearby!

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