A VIRGINIA RAIL was calling its kiddick-giddick-kidickk call this morning at 9:30 am, for about 5 minutes at Hughes Hollow, Mont. Co. MD.  It was in the ditch at the farthest west edge of the first impoundment on the right. Specifically,  go out the main dike walking south. turn west (right) on the first dike, follow the dike till it hits the woods at the west end, walk 50 yards north, the bird was on the west side of the trail.  It was in bushes directly at my feet calling and moving back forth but I never saw it. An hour earlier I saw my favorite bird - a MERLIN, fighting with 8 Blue Jays.  The Baddest vs. the Brassiest.  Over a period of 15 minutes,  the blue jays would repeatedly edge closer and closer to the perched merlin, screaming. It would yell back, then eventually dive and swoop at a jay, the group would scatter, the merlin would re-perch and the whole thing would start over. They did this in 3 separate trees over a half a mile or more.  Also found, 1 BOBOLINK, lots of e
mpids, 3 MARSH WRENS, 3 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS.  good birding - Don Simonson, Darnestown MD