At Violette’s Lock the afternoon of the 14th: There was a juvenile Red-tailed 
Hawk low in the brush at the access road.  There was a large flock of Cedar 
Waxwings in the trees at the parking lot, also quite a few Myrtle Warblers and 
a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Also seen at the access road a Pileated 
Woodpecker and along the towpath Chickadees and White-breasted 
Nuthatches. Perched on a bare branch projecting over the towpath about ten 
feet up and a few feet toward Pennyfield Lock was an extremely tame adult 
Red-shouldered Hawk. A Great-blue Heron was standing in the fast water at 
the entrance of the feeder canal. In the river there was a Double-crested 
Cormorant perched on a snag where some are almost always seen the last few 
months. There were three diving ducks far out in the river too far away to 
identify with binoculars; they may have been the  Surf Scooters identified 
there earlier. When the rain stops and if the wind is not blowing we’ll check 
them out with a spotting scope.

Phil, Doris Brody.