Thorny nest at Oregon Ridge

Here are a couple pictures of a cool birds nest I found with eggs in it. It was about 6ft up in a shrub, surrounded by multiflora rose. The outer structure is made of dead multiflora twigs (with thorns), and the inner layer is primarily dried grasses and moss. The nest is 8-10 inches wide and about as tall. The eggs are sky blue with a slight hint of green and gray-brown speckles. The parents scolded me viciously.

Can you tell what bird made it?

Hint: This bird often sings late at night, and its not a Robin.

Peace,

Matt

Assateague

I was at Assateague last weekend and I got to see some different wildlife: Atlantic mussels that squeak as they shut, dolphins playing in the waves, red winged blackbirds with a spot of red and yellow, and sika deer. Small guys, darker than white-tails with light spots on either side of their backbones. I saw them foraging around for grasses at night and in the late afternoon. Apparently they were introduced to the Eastern Shore from Asia as pets. The ponies on the island mostly hung out in the marshes. I saw one rummaging through some kids cooler too. They didn't know what to do so just snook up behind it and took pictures. I studied a few tracks- various birds, deer, rabbits.
The weather was also an experience. Nice and calm all day with cirrus clouds, a transition to frontal system, rain in the evening which cleared up by 1 AM or so. Starting at about 5 AM we got pummeled with what I guess were 40 mph winds. The tent was flush against my face; and I was sleeping in the middle.
Assateague is a great spot, I recommend that y'all go out there.

Rock Creek Park

Claire and I biked over to Rock Creek park today. We just hung out and worked on some fox walking, wide angle vision, and a trap. The edible plants are really everywhere. We saw chickweed, greenbrier, bearberry?, and we're working on identifying some more. I chased after a deer (barefoot) and tracked it for a good ways until I came across it and four other deer. I tried not to look at them and used the wide angle vision. They got used to me after a while and I just sat down and chilled while they kind of walked around me. We definitely want to work on a shelter next semester that people can go up to whenever. Matt, maybe in the fall we could work on a spot to make some kind of larger shelter like the one Bill showed us.