Many thanks to the wonderful volunteers who helped with the Seneca Christmas
Bird Count today, Sunday, December 20. Our count circle straddles the Potomac
River 60% in Montgomery County, MD and 40% in Fairfax and Louduon Counties, VA.
We enjoyed good weather after a cold start with temps in the 20s (a shock to
the system after our unseasonably warm weather so far this fall).
Based on preliminary reports from most of our sectors, we have 87 species so
far.
Quick highlights include a Lincoln's Sparrow at Hughes Hollow in Montgomery
County (only recorded on one other Seneca CBC) and an incredible two warbler
species new to the Seneca CBC. Justin Golden, our Sector 10 leader, found two
Chestnut Sided Warblers, one adult female and one first winter bird, as well as
four Golden Winged Warblers, three adult males and one adult female at the same
location in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County.
For anyone who may want to try for these birds, Justin described his sighting
and the location as follows: "I had them for 15-20 minutes, around 11:30 AM in
a small mixed flock with chickadees and tufted titmice. They were on
Stonebridge View Drive between Muddy Branch Road (just south off route 28) and
Rolling Green Way, essentially mid block. There is on street parking on
Stonebridge, on the north side in front of the Tennis and Swim Club undergoing
reconstruction. There is also a small retention pond there with Hooded
Mergansers. The flock was working both sides of the street and a small tree in
the narrow median, from the bottom of the branches to about mid-story of trees
15 to 20 feet tall. The Chestnut Sided Warblers were very docile and would come
in closer, the Golden Wings were more skittish. They eventually flew south and
west over a couple of private residences and toward Muddy Branch park thickets."
Jim Nelson
Compiler
Bethesda, MD
