We, all eight of us, had a great birding walk Monday.  The morning started off at the pond.  While standing on the dock, yes the dock will bear the weight of eight adults, we heard a “kronk” in the distance to the left.  Within seconds a Raven flew across the pond for all to see.  As we walked the path to the wetland we were surprised by a Woodcock that flushed just a few feet from us.  It flew across the path and seven of us saw it, even were able to see the bill.  It got better.  While standing near the cattails on the far side of the wetlands, a bird flushed from the spot where we saw the rail two weeks ago.  Some assumed that it was a rail but I pointed out the long, narrow wings and the quick zig-zag rapid ascent.  It was a Snipe, a Wilson’s Snipe, a bird I have been expecting to find at Fairview but have never seen one.  Two Red-shouldered Hawks called continuously while all of this was going on.  One finally flew over the field for all to see.  Then a Sharp-shinned Hawk, then a Cooper’s, then another Sharp-shinned.  By the end of the day we had an unprecedented eight Sharp-shinned Hawks.  In the same field a Merlin landed in the top of a Spruce tree.  We watched Yellow-rumps dive into the Bayberry bushes and saw lots of Palm Warblers.  Cedar Waxwings were abundant, eighty-eight in total.  Three Red-tails added to the hawk count.  There were huge numbers of crows and robins.  The morning ended with three Phoebes at the cottage.  What a morning!