I birded Camp Letts this past Labor Day weekend, as I have for most 
years since I started birding in 1979. My family and I have always 
gone to the family camp there that weekend, so I have years of 
records from this past weekend. In a good year, I see 63 or 64 
species, usually including a handful of interesting migrants. This 
weekend was no exception. Here are the highlights:

2 royal tern
2 Forster's tern
2-3 red-breasted nuthatches (2 in groves of VA pine)
1 eastern screech-owl
2 great horned owl
2 common nighthawk
4 American redstart
1 chestnut-sided warbler
2 hooded warbler (one male, one female)
1 magnolia warbler
2 northern parula warbler
4 common yellowthroat
1 black-and-white warbler
bobolinks (2-3 flocks heard overhead)
1 rose-breasted grosbeak
3 indigo bunting

I also saw, early Sat. a.m., and for only about five seconds, a very 
wary unstreaked and yellowish breasted bunting that got my pulse 
racing. I could not get a good look, though I did clearly see the 
bill, which looked a bit more rounded around the edge (almost 
bulbous) than indigos usually look! It repositioned itself three 
times in those five seconds then flew off. (The indigos I saw nearby 
were not nearly so wary.) Was it just the strong first glimmers of 
sunlight or a female or young male painted bunting? I'll never know.

REQUEST FOR INFO ON YMCA CAMP LETTS BIRDS: I'm hoping to compile a 
bird list for the camp. I've birded there mainly Memorial Day and 
Labor Day weekends. This gave me an idea of late spring and early 
fall migrants as well as breeding birds. I've only been to the camp 
once or twice in winter or late fall. Does anyone regularly bird the 
area for the CBC or other reasons? If so, please contact me off-line. 
I'd like an idea of common and rare migrants that occur on the Camp 
and in the surrounding Rhode River. I know the Smithsonian's SERC is 
next door. Tyler Bell--do you often bird the area?

Thanks.

Howard Youth

Bethesda, MD