At 3:30 today I briefly observed an immature male Bullock's Oriole at 
Sycamore Landing.
 
From the parking lot at the end of Sycamore Landing Road walk upstream on 
the towpath about 1/3 mile to where the last McKee-Besher field ends and the 
turf farm begins. The bird was about 50yds beyond this point, feeding in the 
tall trees between the towpath and the turf farm. There are many tall trees 
here with small dark fruit (Cherries?) Hordes of Robins, Waxwings, 
Starlings and a few Purps were feeding here. The oriole was loosely associated with 
these feeding flocks. After a minute it flew diagonally across the turf farm 
and into the tree row separating the last McKee-Besher field from the turf 
farm, then a bit farther and out of sight. I watched these trees for the 
next half hour but did not see the bird again. The last field (which is west of 
Sycamore Landing Road and adjacent the parking area) is divided by three 
long hedge rows having lots of cover and berries. When I was there the center 
of feeding activity seemed to be the row of trees and fruit running north 
along the east edge of the turf farm. In past years I have seen Baltimore 
Orioles in this area a few times through December.
 
Andy Martin reminded me to check the firearm season for deer, which opens 
this Saturday. There is bow hunting going on now, I think.
 
Dave Czaplak
Germantown MD