Jim,
   Your Merlin is indeed a new record for Montgomery County beating by four
days the old record of Aug. 25, 1973. However the earliest Chestnut-sided
Warbler for the county was seen on Aug. 15, 2000 by Paul O'Brien at Upper
Watts Branch Park. Perhaps you can persuade him to enter some old lists into
eBird.

On Sat, Aug 21, 2010 at 4:14 PM, Jim Moore <> wrote:

>  Was surprised to discover this morning just as I was leaving to do some
> local birding, a small hawk perched atop a sycamore just outside my
> residence.  I was even more surprised when scope views confirmed it was a
> MERLIN.  They are uncommon in the county and it seemed early for them.  I
> just verified that this is the first August record of Merlin on eBird for
> Montgomery County.  Nice yard bird!
>
> The rest of my birding day was not too bad either.  The county rarities
> reported earlier in the week from Triadelphia reservoir/Greenbridge were
> gone, but a CASPIAN TERN remained.  Also had a migrating first year female
> CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER in the surrounding woods.  Another all-time early
> fall migration date for the county for eBird.
>
> Checked Blue Mash for shorebirds and was disappointed to find that the
> heavy rains had replenished the pond behind the fence, and almost all the
> mud flats were now covered with water.  I did not see any shorebirds.
>
> At Violette's Lock I had two more CASPIAN TERNS and two FORSTER'S TERNS.
>
> At Hughes Hollow I had five herons species, headlined by the continuing
> juvenile SNOWY EGRET, which individual was, fortunately, easily identifiable
> by the distinct yellow lores.  There were also the continuing juvenile
> LITTLE BLUE HERONS (3), as well as the usual Great Blue and Green herons,
> and Great Egret, to make five heron species.
>
> I also stopped by Summit Hall Turf Farm, and found good numbers of
> shorebirds, but low diversity.  There were five LESSER YELLOWLEGS,
> thirty-four LEAST SANDPIPERS, and one SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (and of course
> the usual Killdeer).
>
> Good birding!
> Jim Moore
> Rockville, Maryland
> PLEASE REPORT YOUR BIRD SIGHTINGS to http://ebird.org/
>