I'm following up my son-in-law Jack's Runnemede list because I'm now very sure that the little wren we saw at the edge of the pumpkin patch was a Marsh Wren, not Carolina.  It seemed very small compared to the Carolinas I've seen and the bill didn't seem long enough, but we guessed based on the distinct white eyebrow and having no field guides with us.  I had seen Spencer's digiscoped photo of a wren but couldn't remember species or where it had been seen, but I found George Clark's report from October 5 and found that it had been seen in the exact same area! Wish I had been able to take my camera as that's a new bird for me!

As far as Jack's report on  a possible Lincoln's sparrow, I have to strengthen that to at least one Definite Lincoln's Sparrow and possibly 2. It was very challenging to keep drying binocular glass in time to focus on any of the many, many sparrows flitting around in the bushes. 

In addition to the many song sparrows there were also many   white Throated Sparrows which I didn't see so much as hear practicing the first few whispery notes of the Sam Peabody song. I wonder if these are actually young birds practicing or mature birds who are just forgetting all the words due to drop in hormone levels that occur when breeding season is over? 

I didn't get a look at the ducks that jack saw, but from how he described them to me I bet that they WERE Wood Ducks in various states of plumage! 

It was a fun day despite the rain, and great having Jack to push me to expand my birding beyond my back yard! Also great to have him on a day when photographs are not possible because he seems to be able to hold clear images in his mind and can later look up what it is we might have seen. Plus the sharp eyes ..I probably wouldn't have noticed the eagle taking off at Goose pond out of my peripheral vision if he hadn't seen it first. 


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