Riding back on the Paint Branch Stream Valley Park trail 
around 5:30 pm I stopped short when I saw an unusual bird in 
a small tree beside the path: BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO!  A lifer 
for me.  Absolutely unmistakable: black bill, red eye, pale 
undertail with small white spots.  The bird tolerated me for 
10 minutes until a jogger disturbed it enough to fly off.  
This was between Metzerott Rd and Rte 193.

Also of note today (morning & afternoon) on the trail: 4 
GREEN HERONs in the swamp, first-summer male BLUE GROSBEAK 
singing, first-summer male ORCHARD ORIOLE singing, a pair of 
male BALTIMORE ORIOLEs singing, and the always satisfying 
mimic trifecta: GRAY CATBIRD, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, and 
BROWN THRASHER.  Also had a single male HOUSE FINCH with 
disfigurement around the eye -- conjunctivitis?

Good birding,

D

-- 
Derek C. Richardson, Ph.D. (CANTAB) ________
Astronomy, U Maryland, College Park MD 20742
Tel: Office 301-405-8786 Fax 301-314-9067 __
Home page: http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/ __