A most obliging Dickcissel......
David (dstrother@pop.dn.net)
Sat, 06 Jun 1998 20:04:07 -0400
.....entertained us from 4:20 to 4:45 this afternoon in the Lilypons
area. This gave us plenty of time to put the scope on him and bring him
up to 50x. We found him along Oland Road about 200 yards west of
Buckeystown Pike, where there is a sharp dividing line on the north side
of Oland Rd. between a low green crop and a higher yellowish (wheat?)
crop. He was just into the yellow crop zone about 30 yards out,
clinging to a higher-than-the-rest stalk. As the grasses swayed in the
wind, he'd reach over and chomp off another kernel and grind on it.
Occasionally he'd go east about 20 yards, perch on a green stalk, and
then duck into the green crop for 3-4 minutes (to a nest?). Then he'd
reappear and go back to the grain field and start feeding again.
Many thanks to those who've reported the Dickcissels and energized us to
go looking, to find a lifer, and to visit Lilypons after meaning to all
these years.
Toni & David Strother
According to the USPS we live in "west" Bethesda
dstrother@pop.dn.net