Gail, Thanks for passing on the news about the 3 Roseate Terns feeding at the mouth of Ocean City Inlet on Friday. We ended the Big Day at 200 species, 6 short of the two record years. But this was a short course that began in Montgomery and Frederick Cos. and ran to the coast. The record runs were late in the month to take advantage of the breeders in Garrett Co. So yesterday's was a record for the short course. We are now faced with the impossible task of convincing the MD/DC records Commitee that we actually did hear a Black Rail flying overhead for Frederick Co's first record. We also had King Rail and both Bitterns (3 Least) at the same site at @ 1:30 AM. We had 27 species of warblers for the day. If only we had more time for Montgomery! BTW the date was chosen to celebrate my 50th anniversary as a birder. My first day in the field was May 7, 1949. The list of 44 species was enough to keep me involved for life. Happily we ran into a fallout. What a way to start! Everyone who knows me has heard me recount (yawn) how the identification of a Prairie Warbler using the 1947 edition of Peterson convinced me that this bird ID challenge could be met. That moment I was hooked. You should see the gorgeous rendition of a Prairie Warbler that Michael painted for me to mark the occasion. Life is good. Paul O'Brien