Hi Folks,

I decided to do some county listing this morning in Montgomery and Frederick
counties, mostly along the C&O Canal.  Finished with 10 species of warbler,
five species of vireo, three wrens and two rails.  I began before day-break
at Hughes Hollow in Mont. Co., where my first bird upon stepping out of the
car was a Barred Owl hooting spontaneously.  I couldn't resist hooting back
a time or two, but long after I quit, this owl and at least two others
continued sporadically for a good 30 minutes and then clammed up the
remainder of the morning.  I found neither rail species here.  Birds at or
near the impoundments (some in the back fields and some along Hunting
Quarter Rd.) primarily migrants and spring arrivals:

Blue-winged Teal
E. Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher (one calling)
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Marsh Wren
House Wren
Brown Thrasher (back fields)
N. Parula (mostly along HQ Rd.)
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
(Western) Palm Warbler (first western I've seen this year)
Louisiana Waterthrush (HQ Rd.)
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat (back fields)

    I ran into Rick Sussman and made another circuit with him to look for
the rails before leaving--no joy.  Next stop was the towpath at Sycamore
Landing Rd., producing:

Common Loon--many on the river in breeding plumage
Wild Turkey--a hen running down the path in front of me
Red-eyed Vireo
Wood Thrush
Am. Redstart
Indigo Bunting

    After leaving this area, the drive along River Rd. and Willard Rd.
produced many singing Prairie Warblers and Field Sparrows.  Next stop was
the towpath from the mouth of the Monocacy River where I hiked westward into
Frederick Co., finding:

Common Loon--they're all along the river
DC Cormorant--ditto
Spotted Sandpiper--4 landing together at the shoreline of the river
Barred Owl--one responded to my hoots
E. Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue-headed Vireo
N. Parula
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush

    The final stop for me was at Lilypons where there were no longer any
Forsters Terns to be seen, but I did enjoy hob-nobbing with the folks from
the Frederick Co. Bird Club doing their Big Sit, and getting some very nice
birds.  They put me onto both Virginia Rail and Sora (at least two of each)
located not far from the main building.  I was quite pleased to get to
actually see both birds , with respectable views of the Virginia Rail , but
only the tail end of the Sora.

    A very satisfying day.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie