Hi all --

Barry and I went out this morning to try and see the Eurasian Collared Dove that's been frequenting the Mt. Zion Rd. area south of Frederick. This was our second try, we dipped Monday, visiting in heat of day after a near-by appointment. (The usual for us is, go on vacation and some new MD. tick shows up...then we miss it).

However this time we were successful, seeing the bird before we even stopped the car -- it was sitting on the brick chimney down the road from Stadler's Nursery, just chilling and preening. This was about 8:30 a.m. Thank God, now we can forget about this species for while, until one shows up in Montgomery Co., that is!

Funny aside, Barry and his brother twitched the very first Collared Dove for the U.K., in Norfolk, this in the mid to late 1950s -- now they are everywhere in England, even in his mum's garden! Then in 1999, we were dragged (kicking and screaming) to twitch Finland's first, as we were out birding with a Finnish friend when the bird came up on his pager...for this we gave up time with a pair of Hawk Owls...

On the way home we stopped at Lake Needwood, greatly drawn down for repair of the dam, and found a small selection of shorebirds: 16 Least, 2 Semipalmated, 1 Western, 1 Solitary and 1 Spotted Sandpiper, 1 Semipalmated Plover and 10 or so Killdeer. Also, 4-5 Little Green Herons and 3 Great Egrets. This area bears watching if we get heavy rain with the coming remnants of Ernesto.

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD