Hi all, 
I stopped by the Blue Mash trail (Laytonsville, Montgomery County) for a  
quick hour of birding in the high heat and humidity of this afternoon, between  
4:30 and 5:30. I heard what turned out to be a new species for me  here, #152, 
a calling NORTHERN BOBWHITE, in the shrubby fields adjacent to the  small pond 
(where we always think there should be Prairie Warblers, but aren't).  I was 
trying out yet another new toy, a "nature sound enhancer" from WalMart  (made 
for National Geographic) that I picked up last weekend for a ridiculously  low 
price of $15, reduced from $35. It actually works very well, being a small  
directional microphone with attached parabolic dish (albeit small), and a set 
of  headphones. It has a built-in 8X lens for peeping through, and a 12 second  
record feature which is transferable to tape. Amazing!
 
We'll see how well it works in the field for atlasing...
 
Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD