Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 16:15:49 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Clay-colored @ Kinder Park today Hi -- Barry and I went over to Kinder Park this early afternoon in hopes of seeing teh Clay-colored Sparrow which has been singing there for last few days. We arrived to find another birder who had also just gotten there, on way in had met Joe Halpin who had seen it so we knew it was just a matter of patience! After about 30 minutes we heard the dry, insect-like Bzzz-Bzzz-Bzzz song and eventually located the bird for excellent scope looks. It was singing from low bushes across the mowed grassy path from Bluebird box#9. It flew and disappeared for a while, then we heard it singing again from trees or shrubs about on other side of path from original spot (same side as BB Box #10 but close to #9). We couldn't locate it. Another birder arrived and we all waited, then birder #1 had to leave for a meeting and the three remaining waited again until the bird sang, back at original spot. It seems to sing in little bursts about every 30 minutes or so, at least at this time of day (1-3 pm). The sparrow finally flew off in direction of BB Box #20 (?) -- quite a ways off and was silent. In the meantime Barry had seen a cuckoo of indeterminate species fly into a tree in that direction, so we all hurried over to see if it was (hopefully) a Black-billed. Suddenly we found the Clay-colored in a willow tree feeding on catkins and singing very loudly. Wonderful views of the crisp spring male! We later located the cuckoo and it was a Yellow- billed, but nice to see. There are also very impressive numbers of Chats everywhere! It seems the sparrow patrols a rather wide circle and birders should be alert to low-flying sparrows -- unfortunately there are also quite a few Field Sp. in the area and thus a lot of false alarms until Mr. CC sings! This was our first time at Kinder Park and we were quite impressed with the grassland and old-field management. Lots of Red Admirals moving, also a smattering of Painted Ladies, Question- marks and a few Mourning Cloaks. Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper Colesville, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================