I can't believe I missed Stan Arnold this AM both at Sugarloaf and later at
Lilyponds. I whiffed on the King Rail for the 2nd day in a row. And a Least
Bittern, too? What time were you there, Stan?

    As for Day #3 of the Sugarloaf Blitz, I managed to collect 4 more
Worm-eaters and a surprise. The Worm-eater total is up to 22 singing males,
but after reading Dave Mazurkewich's' post about how it is often the
unmatched males that sing ... Dave, maybe there are some dirty little
secrets that I'd rather not know. I was fine with the illusion that every
male I heard had a wife somewhere nearby either brooding some eggs or
feeding some young, hopefully her own. Now my illusion is shattered.
Shadooby. Shattered.
    I also got another half dozen Wood Thrush and a LA Waterthrush singing
right across the street from the two mansions. There is also a wormeater
there that I heard from my car on Monday but confirmed today as I hiked down
on the White Trail.
    I did not hear the Cerulean again as I expected.
    Again it was evident that any Kentuckies that might have once nested on
Sugarloaf have now moved back to Kentucky. Mr. Mazurkewich's penalty for
revealing dirty secrets will be that he has been selected to go retrieve
them. I'm sure he'll find them up there in that part of eastern KY where
they still chew t'backy (with whatever teeth they have left) and carry
loaded muskets in case bird retrievers show up. Good luck Dave.

Now the surprise. Folks, I heard Black-throated Green Warblers singing on 3
separate occasions up there. One was in one of those places where the White
and the Blue trails share a stretch. So I was there Monday. In fact that's
near where I heard the Cerulean. The first one was right at the eastern
overlook. Go figure.
    Anybody got a theory on what these northern freaks were doing on
Sugarloaf on June the 21st? Seems a tad early for them to be going home for
the winter. And if they are just late getting north for the breeding season,
sorry guys but you missed it. The third possibility is that they are
actually trying to breed up there. I know it's a big mountain - over 1200'
at the main peak, but it's hardly northern habitat up there like it is out
in Garrett County. Like I said earlier, there isn't even any glaciation.
Somebody explain this.
    Dave, you got one for this too? And it had better not be another dirty
little secret.

    Jerry Tarbell
    Black-throated Greened in Carroll County