Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 19:21:41 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "George M. Jett" Subject: Indian Springs and Benedict, Charles Co., MD Today Comments: To: SMAS Comments: cc: Robert Ringler , Miliff@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Folks Still working on the big Charles Co. year. Gwen and I had Brown-headed = Cowbird in the yard in the morning. We then went over to Indian Spring = Wildlife Management area near Benedict. After several hours of = spisshing, we got the target Gray Catbird. Along the way we had at = least 100 Song Sparrows, and the same for Northern Cardinal and = White-throated Sparrow. We also had seven Fox Sparrow and about 12 = Field Sparrow. This place is a very good place to search for hedge row = birds. Probably Connecticut Warbler in September. Other species around = were Ruby-crowned Kinglet, one Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush, and = several Eastern Towhees. American Kestrel and male Northern Harrier = were the only raptors around. The only shorebirds were five Killdeer. = Woodpeckers identified were Hairy and Red-bellied. Two Mute Swans = seemed to be stuck in the ice but not stressed. All the interior water = areas was frozen in the far back. That's were the Catbird was. Third = year in this spot in the winter. =20 We than went to Benedict for lunch and had some easy luck. We quickly = saw Canvasbacks, Ruddy Ducks, and several Coots. We also had two = Ring-necked Duck, and about 40 Lesser Scaup. Gwen than casually said = "there's an immature Black-crowned Night-heron on the pilling." Where!. = I got photos since this is my second county record, and the first time = I have seen one in the county. Heard only from the deck in May was the = first. When we got home, there were 50 Rusty Blackbirds in the backyard, and = two Red-shouldered Hawks. 92 and counting. 100 in January is now possible. Enjoy the warm spell. George =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 =========================================================================