Hi all,
 The Montgomery County SItting Ducks had a very good day as well, on  this 
our 5th BIG SIT. We beat our old record (55) by a nice dozen species  (67). We 
also added at least 9 new species to our cumulative list bringing it to  about 
80 species.
 
Highlights were many, including new count species:Great Egret, Eastern Wood  
Pewee, Brown Thrasher, Magnolia Warbler, WILSON'S WARBLER, Common 
Yellowthroat,  Indigo Bunting, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (2 immatures), and Dark-eyed Junco.  
 
Also seen in good numbers were raptors; in fact it was my best hawk day so  
far this season. We saw roughly 24 Cooper's Hawks, 12 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 12  
Red-shouldered Hawks, 6 American Kestrels and Red-tails, 3 Bald Eagles 
(1adult),  2-3 Ospreys, 1 MERLIN, 2-3 Northern Harriers, and a disputed (and 
uncounted) N.  Goshawk. We also had lots of both vultures, a single Pied-billed Grebe, 
DC  Cormorants, Solitary Sandpiper, all the woodpeckers except Red-headed, N. 
 rough-winged Swallows and Chimney Swifts in small numbers, Swamp Sparrows, 
and  the "regulars".
 
The WILSON'S WARBLER was first seen by Mike Bowen and Lydia  Schindler as 
they were heading up the hill to their cars to leave, and  all of us abandoned 
the circle to look for it again. It was in some trailside  shrubs with RC 
Kinglets, but we could not relocate it. Later, as Andy Martin,  Janet Millenson and 
I were going up the hill, I spotted the bird again and Andy  and I went back 
down to the circle and saw it from there. It was our final  species for the 
day, Number 67!
 
Real highlights; watching an immature Cooper's Hawk trying to catch a  Belted 
kingfisher right in front of us,diving at it right to the waters edge,  
before the kigfisher made its escape and the Coopers landed on a snag about 50  
feet from us, watching more than one Sharpie evading and chasing Blue Jays,  
Crows and Flickers, seeing a pair of White-crowned Sparrows in rather  
inappropriate habitat right at the edge of the lake, under some willows, with a  junco 
sitting right beside them, listening to the first plaintive White-throated  
songs of the season, listening to a Great Horned Owl call at dawn, alone  on the 
dike under a full moon!
 
Thanks to all the great participants today, in order of their  appearance:
Andy Martin, Mike Bowen, Dave Griffin, Ed Patten, Bob Hartman, Diane Jones,  
Jay Jones, George Driesen, Brad Beukema, Emily Wilburg, Eric Raun, John  
Pangborn, Helen Patton, Cynthia Mead, Tony Mead, Lydia Schindler, Janet  Millenson, 
and Eric Skrzypczak (great photographer!).
 
Rick Sussman
Montgomery Sitting Ducks compiler
Ashton,MD