Judging from all the posts it's just about safe to say that everybody is
back, except maybe Blackpolls. We still don't have our Hummers but everybody
else does, so ours are due any minute.

Spent Sat morn and early afternoon (you guessed it) fishing again over in
the Catoctins. Ovenbird and LA Waterthrush abounded (there's that word
again). However the highlight came just as I quit fishing, got onto the road
and headed back for the truck. Heard another WINTER WREN. My day was
complete right there. Other than a couple of BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS, the
only other thing I heard was HOUSE WREN.

Then I got home and Laura claimed she heard a Baltimore Oriole over at a
nursery she frequents. That's nice.

This AM we went a on the annual McKeldin trip with Bob Ringler and Co. I'll
let him summarize that. However, again, Laura heard another Baltimore
Oriole. I missed it. We also got a couple thousand other FOY species. Great
day for birding.

So this evening while I'm mowing the yard, she claims that even over the
mower she hears (all together now) yes, another Baltimore Oriole. I can't
take it no more. So I grab the bins and head off down to the lake (likely
location of the singer) and there they were feeding in a tree on the other
side, not one but 2 BALTIMORE ORIOLES less than 2 feet apart- both males.
One drew my attention to them by singing a little bit while he was chowing
down and the other one seemed to be trying to ignore him. "Shut up. Can't ya
see I'm eatin' here?" I also twice spooked a SPOTTED SANDPIPER. No otters
today.

Punch line to this story is that she hasn't actually seen an oriole yet this
year, but I have. I think there was also an ORCHARD ORIOLE down there, but
it was distant and backlit, so I'm not a 100% sure on that.

I would also like to report that I saw several Yellow Rails in the swamp in
my yard. I would like to, but well, then I woke up from my nap, and looked
out and realized we don't have a swamp in our yard. Wonder where that dream
came from. Musta been triggered by the gang at Irish Grove making us all
real jealous. That is still a lifer for us.

Jerry Tarbell
Still dreaming of rails in Carroll County