I did not attempt to count them, but there were several thousand starlings, 
probably about a thousand red-wings blackbirds, and 400-500 common 
grackles flying south this evening at Jug Bay.  Not sure if they were coming in 
to roost, or taking off for a night flight; seems like they were coming in.  

I also saw one Common Nighthawk, one Chimney Swift, and 408 Monarchs (I 
counted!).  I don't know when the monarch flight began; I noticed them at 
about 6:32 and it lasted til about 6:45.  That's about one every two seconds!  
They were flying approximately WSW.

Today it was relatively quiet, but so was I.  I have a nasty head cold and 
didn't sleep well, but at home today around 1pm I heard a soft warbler chip 
note while I was resting on a hammock, and I got up to look.  At first I didn't 
see anything, but then I saw movement high in the pines, and found it, along 
with company!   I saw about an A. Redstart, 1 B-Th Green, 1 Blackburnian, 1 
N. Parula, and one unidentified warbler that may have been a Tennesee, but 
all I could see was its underside.  I also had a R-br. Grosbeak, 4-5 Blue 
Grosbeaks, and a R-Br. Nuthatch!  The nuthatch was cool because when I 
heard it calling by the house I asked my wife to come see if we could find it.  
We started walking in its direction, and the bird came sailing out of a pine tree 
right at us, swerved at the last moment, and landed about 12 feet from us on 
another pine tree!  It promptly called a few times, flew briefly to another close 
branch, and then flew off to the great unknown.

Also had 20 b-fly species, best were a nectaring cloudless sulphur on a 
butterfly bush (I've never seen one here do that - they are always flying past)
and a pipevine swallowtail.  The sulphur had a really long what-ever-it-is that 
they nectar with - it was great to watch it.  A great day...

Cheers-
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD