My first bird for my Bird-a-thon day was a fly across the road Barred Owl! I think BAOW in flight is a first for me. Second WOW moment was 12! Spotted Sandpipers feeding along the shoreline of Emerald Lake. (Dowitchers, sandpipers, etc would have been REAL nice too!) Lastly - 2 Brown Thrashers (makes more) behind the VT Country Store In Manchester. As always, it's more interesting to me what I miss - no Kingfishers, Downy, Hairy or Piliated WP and no Least, Willow, Alder Flyc (but that may be related more to my hearing loss). Last bird of the day - Cowbird! Well, it counts too! And only 3 ticks - but one burrowing - yuck!\ Ruth Stewart E. Dorset, VT