This morning I received an eBird alert that someone had a Tree Sparrow  
at Hains Point.  I ran down there at lunchtime and experienced one of  
my easiest "finds" for any DC Life Bird.  I parked at the river side  
of the maintenance road, stepped out, played one burst of Tree Sparrow  
song on my iPod as a refresher, and started walking to hopefully find  
the bird somewhere on the Point.  I kept hearing the song so I pulled  
out my iPod to shut it off...but it WAS off.  Major confusion since it  
sounded like the song was coming from my jacket.  The song kept going,  
so I turned around and the Tree Sparrow was hopping behind me,  
following me, not more than 8-10 feet away.  Hilarious.

I walked halfway around the fenced-in area and he kept following me. I  
couldn't shake him. I finally had to have a heart-to-heart chat with  
him and explain that I know I had sounded like one of his buddies, but  
I really wasn't...I was a person, he was a bird...etc.

I think he was profoundly disappointed.  It was a very fun experience.

There were also a handful of Chipping Sparrows (who seemed quite  
intimidated by the Tree Sparrow), two Field Sparrows, an very  
impressive Brown Creeper doing astounding low-level flight acrobatics,  
and Juncos everywhere.

Cheers,
Steve Hersey
Alexandria, VA