C&O Canal @ Lander boat put-in, 7pm.  Lander, MD. New yearly obs in caps.

After a failed attempt to paddle upstream from the Lander put-in and into
the Catoctin Creek due to current, my wife and I bagged it and walked the
C&O west from the same parking area to the bridge over Catoctin and saw our
first E. KINGBIRD (1), N.ROUGH-WING SWALLOWS (2), PALM WARBLERS (1), and #2
and #3 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS this year, having seen our first this a.m.
near our house. Oddly, no Y.Rump warblers.

The thriller was seeing 5 canada goose honking, flying down the Catoctin
stream corridor, then splitting into those who flew under and over the old
stone train- trestle...then merging again - made us gasp.

5 Wood ducks were dabbling in the red-maple swamp just by the put-in and the
old caretaker cabin.  The usual resident birds made up the rest of the mix.
 Mallards and one GB heron were the only birds on the Potomac for the hour
we fought destiny.

Kevin Caldwell
Knoxville, MD
Wash.Co.