Went with a friend out to Pennyfield Lock on the C&O canal this morning for
a walk and to see what birds might be about. We got there about 8:30 and it
was still somewhat foggy.  We  headed up the path towards Violettes. By the
time we got up to the area with the impoundments on the left, the fog had
mostly lifted. We noticed a number of small birds, and then many  more small
birds, flying back and forth across the canal.  As we got closer we found
the trees full of warblers. They seemed to be dripping out of the sky, as if
with the fog cleared they could come in and land. We surely did not ID them
all. There were too many birds, they were too fast and often high up in the
up in the leaves. But there were at leat 50, maybe as many as 100 birds.  We
had 6 o r8 Parula warblers in the same tree right by the path. We found a
Black-and-white warbler, a Magnolia, a fine male Canada with a nice necklace
(seen by my friend only), a really nice nearly full plumage Cape May, with a
bright face patch (in the full sun on a naked branch across the canal) and
what seemed to be 8 or 10 additional and less colorful Caps May, and lots of
stuff we did not ID.  Also  6 to 8, or more, Ruby-crowned Kinglets.  It was
all over in about 15 minutes. Otherwise we saw very few birds as we walked
up to Blockhouse Point and back to Pennyfield. We had apparently had a
warbler fallout just as the fog cleared.  Nice way to start the day..
-- 
Donald Sweig
Falls Church, Va.

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