I arrived at the ruins on the east side of the NCR Trail at 8:30 this 
morning. A short time later, Kevin Graff and Taylor McClain (apologies if 
this name is incorrect) arrived. We walked the area for a little more than 
an hour when 2 other people showed up, Paul Noel being one of them. Shortly 
after that time, a group of birds, mostly Juncos, Chickadees and 
White-throats showed up at the north end of the low area on the east side of 
the trail and north of the ruins. While looking through this flock, the 
flycatcher appeared a few feet away from along the railway dike above the 
low area where the other flock was. The flycatcher gradually moved along 
this area before moving back to the tangle and was lost for a short time. 
Another group of people arrived and the bird reappeared a few minutes later. 
It flew back to the edge of the trail, fed on the berry vine just north of 
the ruins and dropped back into the low area. It gradually moved south to 
behind the ruins, popped out for a time on the south side and then moved 
higher on the hill into the Mountain Laurels where we lost it. I had 
commitments and had to leave at this time. There were still over a dozen 
birders trying to relocate the flycatcher when I left.

Ed Boyd
Westminster, MD
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul O'Brien" <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, November 27, 2005 10:45 AM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Hammond's Flycatcher - Yes 11/27


> Rob Hilton reports from Monkton that the flycatcher showed up at 9:50 this
> morning and was still in view at 10:15.   The sun was shining through high
> clouds.   Yesterday the sun first broke through at 10:45 and the bird 
> appeared at
> 10:55 at a spot up to half a dozen people had been scanning for four 
> hours.
> According to Rick Sussman it popped out of a thick Bittersweet tangle and 
> may
> have been roosting there all along.   It then flew around to various 
> perches
> along the trail eating at least one Bittersweet berry and a Holly berry 
> (and
> with that tiny bill!) before disappearing to the north.   Today it worked 
> its
> way a little south of the stone building remnants.   Enjoy.
>
> Paul O'Brien
> Rockville, Mont. Co., MD