This has been an interesting weekend for migrants in our small Bethesda back yard.  For over a week we've seen a single male Purple Finch off and on, but suddenly today we had a nice flock of 8 -- 4 male and 4 brown.  Most incredible today, however, was the flock of 18 Chipping Sparrows.  Yesterday a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers stopped by.  And among our resident birds yesterday we witnessed for the first time the actual act of mating between a male and female Downy Woodpecker.  He sort of hovered above her so he could mount briefly.  Neither was in a normal woodpecker posture -- very interesting.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD