Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2003 16:13:37 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Bonnie Ott Subject: Ho Co (Sparrow Big Day) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 10 brave souls set out in the morning rain to search Howard County = for sparrows. A bit early for big numbers of sparrows yet but we did = find 70 species so everyone was happy. 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS were a treat. = A PEREGRINE, MERLIN and KESTRELS satisfied us on the falcons. A SORA and = SNIPE were flushed. A flyover adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and a = SAPSUCKER( which was a fall first for most.) 9 TREE SWALLOWS swirling = around in the rain. A couple HORNED LARKS disappearing into the dirt. = Not many warblers but the best were CAPE MAY, WILSON'S and NASHVILLE = and get ready- a half dozen MYRTLES. A very young BLUE GROSBEAK among = the masses of INDIGO BUNTINGS. We were however looking for sparrows and although the numbers = weren't great we did have nice diversity. I can finally relax since we = found a DROP DEAD GORGEOUS adult LARK SPARROW!!! A lifer, state or = county bird for all. Extraordinary picture were taken by Ralph Cullison = through his scope and they will soon be posted on howardbirds.org = website. 3 LINCOLN'S sparrows as cute as buttons. A couple elegant = WHITE-CROWNS. Some exceptional WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS (always glad to = have them back!). SAVANNAHS zipping around and SWAMPS skulking. FIELD = SPARROWS looking quite surprised and of course our friendly SONG = SPARROWS (I wonder how many of the 56 sub-species we saw today?) (and remember- sparrow time is just starting!) Bonnie Ott Howard County Field Trip Chair Ellicott City, MD bonnie1163@comcast.net =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 =========================================================================