After visiting Cathy’s mom early this afternoon, we took a walk from Sandy Spring Friends Meeting down past the actual spring and then to where the trail to Woodlawn Manor crosses the creak at the bottom of the field. It was the heat of the day and fairly warm so we weren’t too surprised that we didn’t hear, much less see many birds. We heard a few down by the creek but we saw nothing. As we were heading back, however, we saw movement and stopped to watch a group of at least four (and maybe five or six) white-breasted nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis). They were on a tree at first and then two of them were on this wooden fence. The one on the left is the adult and it was bringing an insect to the juvenile on the right.
Monthly Archives: June 2026
White-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis)
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
We returned from the wedding yesterday and early this morning Brian and I took Allie to BWI Airport for her flight back out west. Later in the day, Brian, Lisa, Cathy, and I went to Great Falls. We walked to the Olmsted Island overlook and saw two great blue herons (Ardea herodias) down below the falls. From there we walked to the area of the C&O Canal known as Wide Water. It was a lovely day, a bit warmer than the day of the wedding, but still not so hot that it was oppressive.
As is fairly common when the four of us are together, Cathy and Lisa walked ahead of Brian and me, partly because I stop occasionally to take pictures. Aside from the herons (and we saw a few more on the canal), we didn’t see many birds. Just as we were getting back to near Great Falls Tavern I got three shots of this eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), which is fairly common but still nice to see. Phoebe’s have a special place in my heart, because there have been phoebes nesting on boards that my dad put up under the eaves of our cabin pretty much every year since it was built. I also have an ancestor who was named Phebe, although I know that it was spelled differently.

