Hi all --

Barry was off to a doctor's appointment so (after a weekend away at dog 
shows) I just went locally to Brookside Gardens and Wheaton Regional 
Park. This area has not been very active in the last few weeks, despite a 
good early start this spring, so I was pleasantly surprised to run into 
some nice birds and several FOYs.

The best was an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER which flew into one of the 
tall dead poplar snags between the Gardens and the Nature Center. I was 
really surprised as May 2 is an early date for this species (earliest
listed in 
the Yellow Book), but no mistaking the bird. Unfortunately it only hung 
around a few minutes, and then flew off to the northeast. I did a circuit
of 
other favored snags which hosted this species last autumn, but no luck.

The Park was actually rather quiet, with some exceptions the best birds 
were in the Gardens. Several small flocks included CAPE MAY and 
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLERS, singing and giving nice views. A HOODED 
WARBLER sang briefly near the Visitor's Center and then flew 
down-slope, never to be seen again alas. Multiple WARBLING VIREOS 
sang and there seemed to be a host of singing and squabbling Orioles of 
both species.

I then went over to upper Sligo Park (off Lamberton Drive) and added a 
few species, including a daytime calling BARRED OWL which came in to 
my imitation, giving nice views. 

Birds seen (63 spp.): (Sligo-only birds indicated with *)

Double Crested Cormorant - 9 (flyover)
GREEN HERON - 1 FOY
Canada Goose - 18
Mallard - 6
Wood Duck - 1
Red-shouldered Hawk - 2
Turkey Vulture - 3
Mourning Dove - 6
Rock Pigeon - 2-3*
BARRED OWL - 1*
Chimney Swift - 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 4
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Pileated Woodpecker - 1 (drumming heard)
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER - 1
Great Crested Flycatcher - 4
Acadian Flycatcher - 3
Warbling Vireo - 3 FOY
Red-eyed Vireo - 8
Blue Jay - 3
Fish Crow - 2
American Crow - 3
crow Sp. - 10-12
Barn Swallow - 4
Tree Swallow - 4
Carolina Chickadee - 3
Tufted Tit - 4
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
House Wren - 2
Carolina Wren - 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 12 (one on nest)
Eastern Bluebird - 1
American Robin - 35+
Wood Thrush - 12+
VEERY - 2* (agitated pair in traditional breeding site)
Northern Mockingbird - 3
Gray Catbird - 20+
European Starling - 7
Northern Parula - 1
CAPE MAY WARBLER -1 FOY
Black-and-white Warbler - 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 2 FOY
Blackburnian Warbler - 1 FOY
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1 (heard only)
HOODED WARBLER - 1 FOY
Ovenbird - 11 (about 5 actually seen)
Common Yellowthroat - 2*
American Redstart - 3
Scarlet Tanager - 2*
Eastern Towhee - 6
Chipping Sparrow - 10
Song Sparrow - 3
White-throated Sparrow - 2
Northern Cardinal - 5
Indigo Bunting - 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 4
Common Grackle - 15+
Brown-headed Cowbird - 6
Orchard Oriole - 4
Baltimore Oriole - 9-10 (a number of females present)
House Finch - 4
American Goldfinch - 12
House Sparrow - 5-6*








Wood Duck - 1



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