Thanks to Howard Youth's posting yesterday and the followup messages on MD Osprey, as well as a late Wednesday sighting reported at last night's Montgomery Bird Club meeting, I went to Woodend this morning to look for the Connecticut warbler.  I arrived and followed Howard's very clear directions to the second bluebird box.  It seemed real quiet, and I figured the bird had moved on.  However, after a couple of minutes, I moved up the path slowly, and a bird flew from the meadow to the bushes near the third bluebird box.  I caught a flash of olive and brown.  I got a quick glimpse in the bush, yellow under the tail.  Needless to say my hopes soared.  It moved again a couple of times and then stopped on a branch in plain view a little farther up the trail.  It gave me plenty of time to confirm the field marks for a first winter Connecticut warbler, a lifer for me.  This was about 9:30 a.m.  The bird then disappeared into the large bushes at the bend of the trail just above the third bluebird box.

Another person showed up after I walked back down the path.  We introduced ourselves, but I have forgotten his name.  As of 10:15, when I left, the bird had not reappeared.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda