On Tuesday, October 16, 2012 11:13:52 PM UTC-4, jim green wrote:
> Hi Everybody:
> �
> �For anybody thinking that this is a new bird sighting it is not. I am responding to a post regarding a sighting I had in Charles Co. on Sunday. If you are reading in hopes of a new sighting there is no�need to read on any further.
>
> �
> �As previously posted I was lucky enough to find a Clay-colored Sparrow (CCSP)�this past Sunday AM in Charles County. At the time I thought it was a decent sighting (only because it was�new to my county list). Shortly after finding the bird I called John Hubbell to alert him of my sighting since I knew he was an hour or so away.��He and I had�spent the previous day birding together in Carroll and Baltimore Counties with our target birds�being Lincoln's Sparrows, Purple Finches, Pine Siskins (more for me but some of these also for John). Our wish list also included crossbills and other possible northern irruptive�species but we had no luck with those.� We knew that we would both be birding on Sunday as well but decided to take different routes and stay in touch since we would not be that far apart...I was headed first to Charles and then St. Mary's County and he was going to concentrate on Prince Georges and Anne Arundel counties.
>
> �
> �After�the CCSPsighting at�Charles County at Indian Creek and calling John, I then first texted and then called George Jett, who in my estimation is Mr. Charles County as far as birding goes...he just needs to remember that there are still good birds in Charles County these past several years and look up once in a while from monitoring all those herps. He let me know that it would be a county bird for both him and Gwen (Brewer). At that point I made a decision to stick in the area, despite numerous hunters that were running there dogs nonstop through the entire field edge and adjacent hedgerow where the Clay-colored Sparrow was hanging out until the three of them arrived. Later that morning after�they arrived we were able to refind the bird as well as a Lincoln's Sparrow (which John found and I previously reported).
>
> �
> Shortly after this I left the three of them and continued on my way. I will admit that I should have asked George to post when he returned home fully knowing that I was gone for the day OR tried to call someone to post on this listserve for me. To be truthful I did not think of it until much later�that day in the late evening when I was headed back to Gaithersburg. For this I apologize for any birders that may have been in the area that day and might have had a chance to chase the bird.��I have a number of birder contacts in my phone from throughout the state and there are not many that I have that reside in Charles County...hence my call to George and Gwen.
>
> �
> Again my apologies to anybody that may have been in the vicinity that may have been able to try for the sparrow if they would have known about it. I will also let you know that I am using an outdated phone...cannot upgrade until DEC/JAN because of damaging a smart phone earlier this year and made the decision not to pay the big $$$s until I can freely upgrade. Because of this I cannot instantly message from the field�to this listserve, or ebird, or have any other instant avenue to reach all in the MD birding world like many others do on� a regular basis.
>
>
> Now I would like to address Jim Moore regarding his comments...
> �
> Personally, I feel that I have been very loyal and prompt�in posting my sightings for many years on Norm's MDOsprey listserve and more recently on this current one, let alone trying to get the word out while in the field as best as I could. I feel that if you were to describe my communications they would be punctual and current. I truly appreciate reading everybody's posts and at the same time have stayed up many a late night to post my day's observations before going to bed after long days in the field. I am once again sorry for not attempting to get the word out however I could have this past Sunday.
>
> �
> I have been prodded by many people over the last several years�to report my sightings to ebird and although I know the importance of this I also admit to being lazy because for me it is very time consuming. With that said, I have recently made a renewed interest to put my sightings into ebird as soon as I can.
>
> �
> Jim, thank you for correcting both myself and the ebird gods for my incorrect location�through this listserve... The last thing I want to do is mislead anybody...I have birded Washington County alot throughout the years and with one eye open or should I say closed Sunday night�while reporting I entered the location as Indian Springs�WMA (Wash. Co.) instead of correctly listing Indian Creek NRMA (Charles Co.). I had several people contact me off line and also Bill Hubick (via email at work) on Monday AM regarding my incorrect county location). I promptly entered ebird�and corrected the location of my sighting. Hopefully nobody headed west to chase the Clay-colored Sparrow on Monday morning. Sunday night I did post to this listserve my sightngs for Sunday�as well and gave ample phone numbers if anybody wanting more info to chase the next day. I realize that�the majority of�people work on Monday but not everybody does. I did not have one person call me for directions, etc. Also, John Hubbell was nice enough to post a google location for the NRMA CCSP as well.
>
> �
> Now, regarding ALACRITY...Earlier this summer our paths crossed in Garrett County. I was with 4 other birders and we were just getting ready�to leave the Yough Reservoir at the end of Morgantown Rd. You pulled into the parking lot. We all traded our successes in seeing the Allegany Co. White Ibis earlier in the morning. You mentioned that you had just come from RUSSELL RD. in Garrett County and "did not really see much at all...it was pretty dead."� You also mentioned that this was your first time at the Yough.
>
> �
> You�immediately asked us for a MD YELLOW BOOK and silently perused it for a while and then after several minutes handed it back to us with no further comment as to what you were looking for. You then mentioned that this was your first time here at the Yough...we wholeheartedly told you where to go for the�shorebirds we had just seen�as well as the FORSTER'S TERNS we had (a countybird�in Garrett County for all of us!). Then we departed telling you that our next stop was RUSSELL ROAD. You were right..".it was dead"...it was�midday and we had next to nothing�on Russell Road.
>
> �
> The next morning one of our group noticed that you had reported a Philadelphia Vireo in ebird for your Russell Rd. list. This would have been a great sighting for all of us..but you had told us earlier�"it was pretty dead" on Russell Rd? Then we started wondering why you� asked for the YELLOW BOOK...were you looking at early/late dates for Phila. Vireo//Warbling Vireo or what. The most astonishing thing is you told us.."it was pretty dead!"... Any of these vireos would have been of the utmost interest to us...talk about ALACRITY!
>
> �
> �
> What does this say about sharing of sightings�when you are face to face with people AND THEY HAVE SHARED WITH YOU...and the ALACRITY of sightings...
> �
> I could go on about this with other a few other�examples�and maybe I am out of line...but I feel I made one slight mistake in reporting�a sighting a little belatedly�and got called out for it unfairly...
>
> �
> Jim Green
> Gaithersburg� MD
> work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!
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