Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 20:40:01 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: leslie fisher Organization: cecil bird club Subject: Dorchester Co- Sandhill Crane Lingers On MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi All: Firstly, thanks to all who provided directions/advice/input for my trip to Dorchester County. Of wanted birds, I got 2 out of 3 for the day. The most exotic was without a doubt the easiest find. I pulled up to 1845 Hoopersville Rd and BAM, there it was, the lone SAND HILL CRANE parading across the front lawn as though it belonged there. A beautiful bird, and a lifer for me. Well worth the long drive. As folks had said, Blackwater was pretty quiet, but nice to see the place and enjoyed the lovely marsh habitat. Will revisit for waterfowl in the winter. The first impoundment on the right on the wildlife loop had KILLDEER, LEAST and SEMIPALM SANDPIPER and a lone SHORT BILLED DOWITCHER. Also got WILLET , GREAT and SNOWY EGRET, imm. LITTLE BLUE HERON along the way. On Bespitch Ferry Rd, just east of the bridge, there was a parking lot covered with water, that had an assortment of peeps, including a very definitive WESTERN SANDPIPER viewed at close range with the scope and new for the year. I enjoyed the drive along here, very pretty. On Elliot Island Road I worked the likely looking areas that had been indicated to me, was stirring up gazillion SEASIDE SPARROWS and after a long hot hour finally hit pay dirt with a SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW that flew up to a perch, stayed for a scope view and obligingly sang its` odd little 2 part song. I found this to be a very quiet song that you really had to listen for. A new state bird for me. Try as I might, no Black-necked Stilt. Also present was a single COMMON MOORHEN, GLOSSY IBIS, both YELLOW LEGS and a dozen or so SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS. I heard what must have been a VIRGINIA RAIL doing the most outrageous pig noises, have never heard this particular call. There were also BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES singing along the road. Will definitely revisit Dorchester to do some more exploring. Leslie Fisher Cecil Co. ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================