Today I was at home all day relaxing.  Most of the weekend was preocccupied 
attending and participating in a brother-in-law's wedding (yesterday) that we 
went to early and stayed long.  I still managed to get in two hours (~6:30-
8:30am) of birding at home before we had to go!  Today I was out at different 
times (9:15-10:40am; 1:15-2:30pm; and 4:30-6pm).  I posted about the 
merlin yesterday, but today I had two more uncommon raptors, a Kestrel and 
a Broad-winged Hawk.  Like the Merlin, they were only passsing through 
briefly.  In the right place at the right time or I would have missed them.  BWs 
are very seldomly seen here; this one was a hatch year bird.

I also had my first-of-season Northern Pintail (13), Ruddy Duck (2), Yellow-
rumped Warbler (1), and Swamp Sparrow (2).  A fun surprise was having a 
Northern Waterthrush work its way (slowly) up a little creek I was standing 
next to (very still!), and having it come within 18 inches of my foot!  I enjoyed 
watching it as it turned over leaves and grabbed at tiny insects.  Another 
surpise was an Eastern Screech Owl that began calling well before dusk, as I 
was coming in the house at about 6:00 pm.  I did not see it but did not go to 
look since I don't want to disturb it.  Between yesterday morning and today I 
had 71 species here, a great weekend!

Cheers-
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD