A late report on a nice midmorning walk along the C&O Canal towpath from Pennyfield Lock in Montgomery County on Monday, October 16.  A nice mix of birds.  Particularly noteworthy were two Barred Owls calling back and forth and a lot of lingering Chimney Swifts.

Most interesting observation was of a flock of about 15 American Goldfinches perching on sticks, logs, and clumps of greenery in the second impoundment (as you walk west from the lock).  They all appeared to reaching down to the surface of the water (which was covered with duck weed) and eating something.  We weren't able to figure out if they were eating the duck weed or picking insects or something else off the water or the duck weed.  Has anyone else ever seen this?

A complete list of the birds seen follows.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD


Location:     C&O Canal, Pennyfield Lock
Observation date:     10/16/06
Number of species:     37

Wood Duck     2
Mallard     6
Double-crested Cormorant     7
Great Blue Heron     1
Turkey Vulture     10
Sharp-shinned Hawk     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
American Coot     1
Solitary Sandpiper     1
Mourning Dove     2
Barred Owl     2
Chimney Swift     10
Belted Kingfisher     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     10
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     1
Downy Woodpecker     5
Hairy Woodpecker     2
Northern Flicker     4
Pileated Woodpecker     2
Eastern Phoebe     2
Blue-headed Vireo     1
Blue Jay     14
American Crow     12
Carolina Chickadee     14
Tufted Titmouse     2
White-breasted Nuthatch     5
Carolina Wren     7
Golden-crowned Kinglet     1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     6
Eastern Bluebird     11
American Robin     6
Cedar Waxwing     1
Northern Parula     1
Yellow-rumped Warbler     37
White-throated Sparrow     2
Northern Cardinal     20
American Goldfinch     18