Hi Mike,

?Better get a copy soon. Trees get harder to ID when they change into their winter plumage? ;-)





Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD

As I strolled, I marveled at the number of trees I couldn't identify. Santa, please order up the Sibley Tree book!?




-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Bowen <>
To: 
Sent: Thu, Oct 8, 2009 1:45 pm
Subject: [MDOSPREY] big movement of Chimney Swifts in Montgomery


I took a walk on Thursday morning at Carderock Recreation Area, on the canal just upstream from the Beltway (American Legion) Bridge in Montgomery County.?
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Birding was pretty slow with only one warbler -- a Common Yellowthroat -- and just a single sparrow, a Song Sparrow. The absence of sparrows was particularly intriguing, as the canal bed is full of weedy vegetation, seemingly perfect for migrating sparrows. Where are they? The woods between the canal and the river yielded a single Swainson's Thrush. Thrushes seem to have been in short supply this fall migration.?
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Most notable this morning was a large movement of Chimney Swifts, most or all moving at a good clip towards the Northwest (that's not the direction of the tropics, is it!?). One group of 66 birds passed over me just after 9:30 a.m. I quit counting for the morning at 110. There were many more birds, no doubt, some every time I looked up.?
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I also had an Osprey (young male?) being harassed by crows and masses of Robins and Waxwings feeding on poison ivy berries. Quite a few of the Waxwings were streaked young birds.?
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As I strolled, I marveled at the number of trees I couldn't identify. Santa, please order up the Sibley Tree book!?
?
Mike Bowen?
Montgomery Bird Club?
Bethesda?
?
D.H. Michael Bowen?
8609 Ewing Drive?
Bethesda, MD 20817?
Telephone: (301) 530-5764?
e-mail: dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom?
?
-- I use GoodSearch to benefit the American Birding Association --?
http://www.goodsearch.com/