Saturday morning, 7:00, at the 72.8 mile marker (across the river from
Shepherdstown, WV), I saw 9 COMMON MERGANSERS (3 m. and 6 f.)

Sunday afternoon, 2:45, saw the Common Mergansers farther west at the 73
mile marker.  

I bird the canal at this spot about once a month and this is the first time
I've seen them.  Also saw 3 GREAT BLUE HERONS on the WV shore, west of the
73 mile markers, which isn't that unusual but is always a nice discovery.
The canal there is a busy place so I'm curious if I'm just missing the fun
or birds like the Common Mergansers are infrequent visitors.

Saturday birds:
AMERICAN CROWS
CANADA GEESE
BLUE JAYS
CAROLINA CHICKADEES
CAROLINA WRENS
2 PILEATED WOODPECKERS
3 NORTHERN CARDINAL
5 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
1 TUFTED TITMOUSE
4 DOWNY WOODPECKERS (1 m., 2f. & ?)
2 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS 
EUROPEAN STARLINGS
9 COMMON MERGANSERS (3m. and 6 f.)

Other birds seen on Sunday:
AMERICAN CROWS
2 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES
5 TURKEY VULTURES
1 BROWN CREEPER
1 BELTED KINGFISHER
1 MALL
8 CANADA GEESE
CAROLINA CHICKADEES (by ear)
NORTHERN CARDINAL (by ear)
CAROLINA WREN (by ear)

Sorry I don't have exact numbers on many of the birds.  There are times when
I spot a species and then again very near and I'm sometimes not sure if it's
the same bird or another.  I've listed the numbers where I'm confident.

Paul Mackey
Hagerstown, MD