An astonishing 54 species of birds passed thru my yard in Darnestown, Montgomery County MD in just 4 1/2 hours between 2:30 pm and 7 pm today Saturday 10/1/2005 - the greatest variety I have ever seen in the yard in a single day since I moved here 25 years ago.  Highlights: VESPER SPARROW, BLUE-HEADED VIREO, AMERICAN KESTREL,  MERLIN, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, 9 SPECIES OF WARBLER (including TENNESSEE WARBLER), ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, SCARLET TANAGER.  After each surprise species I thought, what a great bird to finish off the day - then another amazing bird would appear. 
Working in the yard at 2:30 pm when a MERLIN (2nd yard record) came over high and fast. 10 minutes later a COOPER'S HAWK, followed by a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.  Hmmm, I better grab my binos and keep an eye out....
At 3:00 pm came a phone call: a free ticket to the 7:30 pm ROLLING STONES show in Hershey PA tonite, if I would drop everything and drive to PA right away. For some strange reason I declined it -and ended up seeing The YARDBIRDS instead. (Those who know me, know that I don't turn down a Stones ticket lightly....Coincidentally, the last time I turned down a Stones ticket (previous tour) I saw a YARDBIRD that day also - Western Tanager that time.)  

AT 3:30 pm the passerine riot started, with a bunch of Black-throated Green Warblers mixing it up in the pin cherry trees. The riot didn't let up till sundown. I thought nothing could top the Blue-headed Vireo at eye level at 4:30 (when I called Lydia Schindler), then came Kestrel at 5 pm, then came the Grosbeaks, then Vesper Sparrow, Hairy Woodpeckers, etc... Last bird of the day was TENNESSEE WARBLER!
here is The List:
CANADA GOOSE - 16
BLACK VULTURE - 16 +
TURKEY VULTURE -50+
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK - 1
COOPER'S HAWK - 1
RED-TAILED HAWK - 1
AMERICAN KESTREL - 1 (initally seen perched with 4 Flickers(!) at 5 pm. It then flew, it towered UP until it disappeared beyond 10x binocular range, its tail flaring bright red in the sun all the way out of sight. At 5:00 pm!?!!)
MERLIN - 1
MOURNING DOVE - 15
CHIMNEY SWIFT - 30 +
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER - 3
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER - 1 ad.
DOWNY WOODPECKER - 4
HAIRY WOODPECKER - 2  (perched together in one fork of tree, with a Downy in the same binocular field, different fork of tree)
NORTHERN FLICKER - 7 (including 4 together)
EASTERN PHOEBE - 4
BLUE JAY - 40 +
AMERICAN CROW - 12 
CAROLINA CHICKADEE - 5+
TUFTED TITMOUSE - 4+
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH - 4
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH - 2
CAROLINA WREN - 3
HOUSE WREN - 1
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET - 3
EASTERN BLUEBIRD - 14 (including one flock of 9)
AMERICAN ROBIN - 20+
GRAY CATBIRD - 4
CEDAR WAXWING - 20
EUROPEAN STARLING
BLUE-HEADED VIREO - 1 (2nd yard record) great looks close up
TENNESSEE WARBLER - 1 (2nd yard record)
CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER - 2
MAGNOLIA WARBLER - 1
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER - 3 (including one inside the porch)
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER - 8
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER - 6
PALM WARBLER - 4
BLACKPOLL WARBLER - 2
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER - 1 (new yard bird - #135)
SCARLET TANAGER - 4 (great looks, including one with conspicuous wingbars and grayish back - nonetheless clearly NOT a Western - in case certain people in the audience are listening, you know who you are...yes you)
NORTHERN CARDINAL - 3
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK - 2 (including one male, which stayed in place in full sun, while I went and got a friggin lawn chair to watch the show)
RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE - 1
CHIPPING SPARROW - 6
FIELD SPARROW - 1
VESPER SPARROW - 1 (2nd yard record). OK, this one I initially saw from the yard, but had to walk  into the adjoining field to positively ID it. It was an odd bird out in the field in an odd flock. A TRULY ODD flock it turned out to be: 9 bluebirds, 1 song sparrow, 1 Vesper Sparrow, 4 House finches, 3 goldfinches, 2 Phoebes and 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers(!!!)all together in the middle of a weedy field, perching on tall mullein stalks...Back to The List...)
SONG SPARROW - 1
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD - 25
COMMON GRACKLE - 150+
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD - 6
HOUSE FINCH - 8
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH - 20
HOUSE SPARROW - 2.

Good birding! - Don Simonson, Darnestown, Montgomery Co MD