Made a try for my life Black Rail on Elliot Island Road Saturday night, 
staying till almost midnight, but they were less vocal than in previous 
weeks despite good conditions.  There were two teams of birders 
patrolling after dark, and only one team heard the bird--one bird that 
called once near the yellow house (unfortunately for me, I was in the 
other team).  There were a number of other birds to entertain, however.  
Most surprising was a male BLUE-WINGED TEAL seen flying over the marsh 
(possibly breeding out there somewhere?).  Also nice were PURPLE MARTINS 
and a GREAT HORNED OWL, which cooperatively perched about an hour before 
dusk on a short stick out in the marsh close to the road.  It did not 
seem too concerned by the Red-winged Blackbirds harassing it.  A BARN 
OWL and CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOWS were also heard (the latter about 2.8 miles 
south of the intersection with Henry's Crossing Road (as Nancy Magnusson 
indicated in her eBird notes -- thanks Nancy)).  Thanks also to Rick 
from Baltimore for directing me to the former.

Also did some quick birding in Worcester County.  Good numbers of terns 
on Skimmer Island, but I did not locate anything unusual.  Selected 
eBird lists below.

Good birding!
Jim Moore
Rockville, Maryland
PLEASE REPORT YOUR BIRD SIGHTINGS to http://ebird.org/

Location:     Elliott Island Road
Observation date:     6/26/10

Mallard     6
Blue-winged Teal     1     Male; well seen in-flight; possibly breeding
Great Egret     5
Bald Eagle     1
Virginia Rail     10
Killdeer     3
Greater Yellowlegs     1
Willet     3
Laughing Gull     5
Mourning Dove     4
Barn Owl     1
Great Horned Owl     1
Chuck-will's-widow     2
Downy Woodpecker     2
White-eyed Vireo     1
Purple Martin     10
Barn Swallow     2
Carolina Chickadee     2
Brown-headed Nuthatch     6
Marsh Wren     20
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     2
Eastern Bluebird     5
Gray Catbird     1
Cedar Waxwing     1
Pine Warbler     4
Common Yellowthroat     5
Yellow-breasted Chat     1
Eastern Towhee     1
Chipping Sparrow     2
Seaside Sparrow     5
Song Sparrow     1
Blue Grosbeak     1
Indigo Bunting     3
Red-winged Blackbird     20

Location:     Ocean City--Skimmer Island
Observation date:     6/26/10

Mallard     2
Brown Pelican     2
Double-crested Cormorant     20
Great Egret     10
Snowy Egret     1
Cattle Egret     1
American Oystercatcher     10
Willet (Eastern)     4
Laughing Gull     30
Ring-billed Gull     2
Herring Gull     100
Lesser Black-backed Gull     1
Great Black-backed Gull     30
Least Tern     1
Common Tern     30
Forster's Tern     10
Sterna sp.     20
Royal Tern     20
Black Skimmer     20
Rock Pigeon     10
crow sp.     2
Purple Martin     2
Barn Swallow     2
Boat-tailed Grackle     X
House Sparrow     1

Location:     Truitts Landing
Observation date:     6/26/10

Mallard     8
Double-crested Cormorant     1
Great Blue Heron     2
Great Egret     5
Snowy Egret     7
Glossy Ibis     5
Turkey Vulture     2
Clapper Rail     1
Virginia Rail     2
Killdeer     8
Greater Yellowlegs     5
Willet     2
peep sp.     1
Laughing Gull     60
Herring Gull     2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo     2
Red-bellied Woodpecker     1
Eastern Kingbird     1
White-eyed Vireo     2
Red-eyed Vireo     1
American Crow     6
Fish Crow     1
crow sp.     2
Tufted Titmouse     1
Carolina Wren     1
House Wren     1
Pine Warbler     1
Common Yellowthroat     3
Seaside Sparrow     3
Indigo Bunting     2
Red-winged Blackbird     6
Eastern Meadowlark     1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)