Blue Mash Nature Trail, Zion Road Section, Montogomery County, 14 Oct
07, 0730-1100

Although decidedly cool at the start, the ANS walk around Blue Mash
progressed into a beautiful morning weather-wise.  Four individuals
participated in the walk.  Helena, an 8th grader and the youngest of the
group, diligently kept a list during the walk and challenged us to
identify the lone yellowlegs as a lesser or greater (the longer,
slightly-curved bill and flight call clinched the ID).  A group of
White-crowned Sparrows feeding on the trail offered nice side-by-side
comparisons of adults and juveniles.  Several Sharp-shinned Hawks
patrolling overhead may have impacted the overall number of birds
observed.  Our walk total was 36 species heard or observed to include:

Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier (male & female)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Pectoral Sandpiper
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch

Tom Marko
Olney, MD
Montgomery Bird Club