Hi all --

(Still thawing out) -- Barry and I did upper NW Branch Park (where the
Trolley Museum has been moved) without very high expectations due to the
exposed habitat in this wind and cold. However things proved better than
expected, and in sheltered hedgerows and areas on the eastern edge of the
park (where there are some backyard feeders) we saw good numbers of the
expected passerines as well as an *unexpected* 6 FOX SPARROWS, 3 CHIPPING
SPARROWS, and an unprecedented (for us) 10 or more TOWHEES. A near-by
wetland area yielded 2 SWAMP SPARROWS -- have never missed this species
here. The expected White-throats, Song, Field and Junco made it a good
sparrow day.

However we dipped 100% on owls of any species, first time for this, but the
nearby ICC construction is probably disturbing their regular roost trees. No
waterfowl other than Canada Geese, everything was frozen solid.

Feeders were active  and ours and a neighbor's had very large numbers of the
common species.

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD