Despite the gray day we set a new record this year with 48 species. Starting at 6am with Great Horned, Barred, and Eastern Screech-Owl helped. Then we began rounding up all the usual suspects plus a fly-by Common Loon and a fly-over Perregrine Falcon (our 2nd year for the Falcon). By noon we had 45 species and were thinking 48 would be easy and then things slowed down dramatically. At 1:30 we got a Sharp-shinned Hawk for number 46. Not a great hawk day for numbers but we got Sharpie, Cooper's, Red-shouldered, Red-tailed, Broad-winged, Kestrel, and the Peregrine plus both vultures. We were sure we could get a Downy but it took us until 3:45 to finally locate one after we had sent out scouts to shake all the nearby trees. Now we were tied with last year's record and scanning the skies for a Herring Gull with no luck when suddenly a small feeding flock came through near our circle and we spotted a Ruby-crowned Kinglet for number 48. An hour later we decided to not be greedy and called it a day. Thanks to Larry Zoller, George Thomas, Dick Adams, Pat Tate, Linda Baker, Nick Nicholson, Bob Madison, Karen Clark, Dottie Mumford, and Sue Ricciardi for setting a new record.  - Tom & Sharon Bradford