If there are any birders out there who are planning to cover any 
portion of the C&O Canal in Montgomery County during the May Count on 
Saturday, May 12, would they please contact me off-line.

I want to enlist your aid in an attempt to establish whether the C&O 
Canal in Montgomery and contiguous parkland contains a sufficient 
number of breeding birds of "at-risk" species to enable it to be 
labeled an Important Bird Area in the state.

David Curson, Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon MD-DC, posted 
information about the IBA and "Bird Blitzing" program here on 
MDOsprey back on April 2.  That post and the links David included in 
his message give a lot more background on the program.

If you are not birding the Canal on May 12 but would like to be 
involved in "blitzing" later in May or in June anyway, please let me 
know off-line.  Thanks.

Mike Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club


D.H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD  20817
e-mail:  dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom