Hi all,

I did the Park on my own today, Barry had stuff to do to get ready for our
trip 
Monday. [Lister's alert: we are going to be away from Sept. 5 to 26 so 
undoubtedly a host of MD/DC rarities will arrive -- keep your eyes open!]

Despite the unfavorable winds and rather warm, still conditions, activity 
was pretty good. I only did the park from Shorefield to the back gate of 
Brookside Gardens. Peak activity was between 8 and 9:30 AM, dropping 
off precipitously after that.

I got the distinct impression that many birds didn't move last night -- the 
sunny corner near the dam still held a mixed flock with a Blue-winged 
female, Yellow-throated Vireo and what was apparently the same Alder Fly 
as yesterday (or its double) but today, it was silent.

Did see two interesting things. First, For some time I watched a Green 
Heron "lure-fishing" by dropping a small piece of wood (about 2" long) into 
the water, watching carefully for a curious fish, picking the wood up
again, 
dropping it again and so on. Had seen this on TV but never in the flesh. 

Also, the Pied-billed Grebe was still in close company with the two 
Canada Geese, usually swimming in between the pair, and it was 
obvious that both parties were deliberately staying together. Very strange.

Lower diversity of warblers today, numbers still fairly good, lots of
pewees 
and a number of Empids demanding close scrutiny.

Birds of interest:

Pied-billed Grebe - 1
Great Blue Heron - 1
Green Heron - 3
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Chimney Swift - 10-12 all flying south
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Eastern Wood-pewee - 10-12
Acadian Flycatcher - 1 bright HY bird eating large dragonfly
LEAST FLYCATCHER - 1 HY (small,buffy wingbars, tiny bill, large eyering)
"Traill's" Flycatcher - 1 (no eyering, rather dull, probable Willow)
Alder Flycatcher - 1 apparently same bird as yesterday, or its twin --
silent
Empid sp. - 2 
Yellow-throated Vireo - 2 (one singing)
Red-eyed Vireo - 15
House Wren - 8 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 3
Eastern Bluebird - 5 (family group)
Blue-winged Warbler - 1 female
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 6
Magnolia Warbler - 3
Black-and-White Warbler - 4
Blackburnian Warbler - 2 HY
Common Yellowthroat - 3 
American Redstart - 8
Scarlet Tanager - 1 female
Eastern Towhee - 3
Chipping Sparrow - 15+
Baltimore Oriole - 2

Gail Mackiernan
Colesville, MD









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