On January 1, several of us covered the Beltsville Agricultural Research
Center for the Bowie CBC.  Notable among the 64 reported species were 18
Wild Turkeys, Merlin, Red-breasted Nuthatch, 47 Pipits, 2 Horned Larks,
4 Tree Sparrows, 21 Chipping Sparrows, 10 Eastern Meadowlarks, and 2
Rusty Blackbirds.  More difficult than any of these sightings, we
managed to miss Great Blue Heron, Waxwing, Thrasher, and all owls,
shorebirds, warblers and kinglets.

Also of interest were the large numbers of blackbirds.  During the late
afternoon, a flock flew across the center from the northeast toward the
southwest.  It was almost pure Common Grackles with an estimated size of
23,000 individuals.  Two other large flocks spent the day in closed
areas along with a smaller flocks of only a thousand or so birds in
various fields.  These flocks contained many Red-winged Blackbirds,
Cowbirds and Starlings but despite much time searching, we found none of
the rarer species one hopes to find in such flocks.

Dave
-- 
David Mozurkewich
Seabrook, PG MD