Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 16:40:02 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: CYANBLUECOBALT Subject: Vesper Sparrow at BWI MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This message is posted by Adam Smith. While at work today on the BWI Hiker/Biker Trail, I had the fortunate = opportunity to observe a Vesper Sparrow. It flew across the trail = infront of me and landed in some dry weed stalks. There it sat for = several minutes fluffing its feathers and wings...guess it had a bath, = though it was drizzling at the time. Each time it flipped its wings the = chesnut-colored wing(wrist) patch was easily visible. When it flew off = to another weed stalk, I was able to see its white outer tail feathers = and the second feathers in on each side were white only towards the = ends, about maybe 1/4 to 1/5 white, the rest of the feather was a brown. = This bird was sighted about 75 yards from Elkridge Landing just past = the bus/park and ride. It was in the field off the trail between the = access road and the trail. =20 Further down the trail there is a swamp/drainage area, with a small = stream running through it. This area is off of Aviation Blvd, onto = Amtrac Way. Go down Amtrac Way and it's on the right before you reach = the parking garages. There is a large wooden foot bridge runnning = across the swampy area. There were at least 12 Downy Woodpeckers = pecking away at last years stalks of cattails. Other birds sighted in = about 15 mins there were: Amerian Goldfinch, Red-bellied Woodpecker, = Northern Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Swamp Sparrow, Carolina Wren, = Northern Cardinal, Field Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Tufted Titmouse, = Carolina Chickadee. This is a great spot I always like to stop and view = the birds. If you are around BWI stop by and see it. =20 Happy Birding Adam >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Adam Smith Arbutus, Baltimore County, MD CYANBLUECOBALT@email.msn.com <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================