Yesterday, October 20, Brian Monk and I spent a couple of hours in the morning at Conowingo and checking the river above the dam. It rained fairly steadily the whole time, often ideal condiditions this time of year. We found no unusual birds, despite the weather. Highlights included 3 COMMON LOONS, our first of the year, and 9 LESSER SCAUP, also an arrival. We also had one RUDDY DUCK and one WINTER WREN, the wren on the Cecil County side of the river. There were about 200 FORSTER'S TERNS, all feeding above the dam, joined by 25+ BONAPARTE'S GULLS. There were about 500 gulls below the dam, but just the three expected species. Also below the dm were 200+ DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS (but no Great that we could find), and at least 10 BALD EAGLES, all but one an immature. Thanks to a heads up by Dave Powell, I added Pine Siskin and Purple Finch to my year list, bringing the total to 236. Rick "This is a free country. Folks have the right to send me letters, and I have the right not to read them." -- William Faulkner Rick Blom rblom@blazie.com 4318 Cowan Place Belcamp, Maryland 21017 (410)575-6086