Spent quite a bit of time today scanning Catoctin Mountain from my house in the
hope of migrating raptors following last night's cold front. Raptors and good
numbers of vultures were seen all day, but most were probably local birds. Did
have a late movement of 13 Red-tailed Hawks in about 45 minutes from 3:15, a
few Sharp-shinned Hawks, and one Bald Eagle (adult heading north) - no luck on
the hoped for Golden Eagle though! Also a few Ring-billed Gulls flying over,
very high.
 
More interesting was flock of c.60 shorebirds heading SE, very high, at 3:20PM
- couldn't pick out much in the way of detail, compact and very fast. Dunlin?
Plover? Will forever be one that got away. Any precedent for overland migration
of shorebirds away from the bay at this time of year? 
 
Still good numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers (up to 26 this last week) and
Chipping Sparrows (10+) around my house - Palm Warblers almost daily and still
2 Phoebes.
 
Yesterday and today there was a Ruddy Duck at Whittier Pond (Frederick) and two
late Solitary Sandpipers with Killdeer in a nearby flooded field. Up to 28
Killdeer around my neighbourhood recently.

Andy Wilson,
Frederick