This morning on a quick ride in, I had a very pleasant yet humbling
surprise.  Countless times before, I've stopped to check out a rustling in
the leaves only to find either a squirrel or a white-throated sparrow.  This
morning I startled one white-throated sparrow who landed on a nearby shrub
and chipped at me.  A dozen yards further down, I startled what I figured
was another white-throat who zipped a few yards up ahead and behind a tree.
 I rode further figuring that I was going to surprise this little fellow who
had hidden behind the tree.  I did surprise the little fellow, but as it
flew backward onto the trail I could tell it wasn't a sparrow, so I was the
one surprised!  Turned out to be a VEERY!  I had great looks at this bird, a
lifer for me!  I was worried that it might be a hard thrush (e.g.
grey-cheecked, bicknells, swainsen's, I've never seen any of these and know
that song is good for distinction), but the soft spots on the throat, pale
whitish grey chest combined with the brownish color made the id easy once I
got to school where my field guide is.  Perhaps a 1st year bird too as the
spotting was quite faint.  If anyone is interested in seeing this bird, I'm
guessing it'll stick around today, it's maybe 50 yards in from Cherry Hill
Rd (along the Paint Branch Trail in College Park), where the creek first
runs alongside the trail.  I'll have to be a little less ho-hum about
investigating rustlings in the leaves, at least during migration :) !

Also had all 3 mimics for the first time today (Thrasher and Mockingbird
both at the swamp, catbird at the top of the trail).  Also think I heard a
Blackpoll call a couple of times just below metzerot, but it didn't continue.

The other highlight I should report was on Tuesday afternoon around 5:15pm,
I had a beautiful adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON in the creek just above
route one (on UMD campus).  First time I've ever had one the trail, another
surprise!

Ryan Farrell,
College Park