Date: Mon, 5 May 2003 19:39:31 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Les Roslund Subject: Chino Farms Visit - Sunday 5/4 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Talbot County Birders joined with MOS members from the Kent, Caroline and Tri-County Clubs for a full day visit to portions of the 5600-acres of Chino Farms. The farm portion that we visited was in Caroline County. Birding through the morning turned up 70 species. Highlights were: Yellow-throated Vireo - singing exhuberantly and remaining in the open long enough for many people to get great views Several Baltimore Orioles giving good views Scarlet Tanagers Orchard Orioles Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Horned Lark, White-Crowned Sparrows, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and a few warblers (Yellow-rumped, Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Green, L. Waterthrush, Ovenbird, N. Parula). and Grasshopper Sparrows (up to 20, seen or heard). Vesper Sparrows had been sighted on the property on May 2nd, but could not be relocated during this visit. The Native Grasslands Restoration Project on Chino Farms, led by Doug Gill and associates, has promptly turned the place into a major nesting site for Grasshopper Sparrows. Hundreds of the sparrows have been nesting there, and a few of the returning flock were setting up territories and posing for easy and fulfilling viewing. Dr Gill met the birders at lunchtime and provided another of his highly entertaining and informative descriptions of the Grasshopper Sparrow project and also of a Pink Ladyslipper project that is underway on the property. An additional highlight was a fascinating visit to a forest restoration project that is part of the MD Greenprint Program. Bill Jenkins of DNR showed the site (also on the Chino Farms site) and described its establishment and planned future. Les Roslund Lroslund@bluecrab.org Talbot County Easton, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================