Hi all,
 My daughter Alli and Mark Wimer and I were joined this morning by Andy Martin and Jared Fisher for our sector of the Triadelphia CBC, which included the old Oaks Landfill and Blue Mash, as well as the Ace Tree Nursery and some surrounding areas along Gregg and Zion Rds. We arrived before first light at the top of the landfill, where we had 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS in the pre-dawn hour, and then at least 3 N. Harriers, a Red-tailed Hawk, vocalizing Barred and Great Horned Owls, and an American Kestrel. And huge flocks of Canada Geese in the dawns early light.

We then split into two groups, and Mark, Alli and I covered Blue Mash, where we quickly found a Brown Thrasher with a very deformed bill. The upper bill was very long and overgrown like a Long-billed Thrasher, and the lower bill was either broken or had the tip growing out at an angle (or perhaps both). Odd looking thing.

We had few surprises here, finding a Winter Wren, lots of towhees, GC Kinglet, low numbers of the few sparrow species we found (except Fox; we had maybe half a dozen), no House Finch, and only one Goldfinch. We did have decent numbers of Hooded Mergs on the big pond, along with A. Black Duck and Buffleheads. 

After lunch, we were again joined by Andy (Jared had left) for a long walk around the inside of part of the Ace Tree Nursery, where we saw very little until we stopped to look at a large flock of juncos, and a male MERLIN flew in and landed in the top of a tree about 50 or so feet from us in near perfect sunlight (really sorry Jared missed this bird, needed for his Montgomery Big Year). It made the long walk here well worth it. We quit after this and Andy continued on to search for more birds at the other ponds in our area, so will have to wait for the final tally of our area, but when we left we had already (as a group) seen 50 or more species!

A cold and long day filled with good company and great birds.

Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD

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