Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Little Bennett 7/7

From:

Jessica Bruland

Reply-To:

Jessica Bruland

Date:

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 08:43:11 -0700

Highlights of birding Little Bennett Regional Park yesterday morning (7/7):

Brown Thrasher (3 separate locations)
Indigo Bunting (fledglings and adults)
Ovenbird (fledglings and adults)
Prairie Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow-breasted Chat (heard only)
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (heard only)
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Wood Thrush
Eastern Bluebird
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Towhee (female)
Barn Swallow

... and a leucistic Gray Catbird. The tail, rump and flight feathers were still solid gray (appeared a lighter shade than usual), fading into a whitish color toward the head. The head was entirely white, and the dark eyes and dark bill created a very striking appearance. The bird was carrying food and seemed agitated at my presence, so good for him/her -- found a mate without too much of a problem.

I also encountered an adult Northern Copperhead off-trail (in the large field adjacent to the Kingsley Trail parking lot, among rocks close to the stream). This is the first one I've actually seen at Little Bennett. Luckily he (or she) was approximately 1.5 meters away from me, but if he hadn't rustled a couple of leaves when he got startled, I never would have known he was watching me.

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