I heard my first flock of the season here (Jug Bay) today, a fly-over flock at 
4:00pm.  I couldn't accurately guess how high they were, but it was WAY up 
there.  The season's first sound of calling Tundra Swans always stops me in 
my tracks.  What a joy!

Also, the large group of Rusty Blackbirds are still here.  They use the swamp 
out back like clockwork, but generally stay in the swamp.  They start getting 
active here at about 3:30, and right around 4 they get ramped up.  I love the 
bubbling choruus they make when many are calling at once.  Yesterday I 
counted 143 perched, but there were many out of view in the swamp.  Today 
they got bolder than ever, andcame into the yard area where the feeder 
stations are.  I counted 135 there!; interestingly they stayed on the ground 
and did not actually get food from the feeders.  They were scavenging 
whatever was on the ground (mostly not from the feeders; I guess it was 
stuff knocked out of the trees by the wind today?).  Three Red-wingeds and 
one Common Grackle were also present; all 3 Red-wingeds were on the 
feeders.

Cheers!
Jeff Shenot
Croom MD