While doing early atlasing in my Littlestown CW block just west
of the town of Silver Run, I heard a Virginia Rail calling at a
small marshy area on Babylon Road.  Possibly my first rail ever
in my home county.  I honestly would not have recognized it if
Taylor McLean had not prepped me for many VIRA at North Point on
the 2004 Baltimore Harbor Christmas Count.

Other highlights of the morning (during 0535 to 1015 hrs):

Wild Turkey - 1 male, wanders around yards & fields in plain
sight
Barred Owl - 1 calling
Pileated Woodpecker - calling only the first (nasal) part of a
typical PIWO whinny (quiet song near its nest?)
Vesper Sparrow - 1 singing? (not seen; sounded like aberrant Song
Sparrow, or Song Sparrow X Eastern Meadowlark) - need to learn
this song
Grasshopper Sparrow - singing at 3 locations
White-crowned Sparrow - 1 seen, quiet
Eastern Meadowlark - 1 heard

Overall, 38 species seen, 19.5 heard only (I count uncertain IDs
as 0.5 bird), 57.5 spp total, 13.8 spp/hr.

Outside my atlas block, at the wetlands on Brown Road in Union
Mills, saw a mom Wood Duck (with way too much white eyeliner)
with downy ducklings.

Bill Ellis
Carroll Co.
billellisATellislistDOTcom