David, Not knowing your targets, here are my personal favorites: > Feb. 6-7 College Station, TX (too far from the coast) > Feb. 20-21 Raleigh, NC (too far from the outer banks and too early) > Feb. 20-21 Lincoln, NE (a little early for booming G Prairie-Chickens) > Feb. 26-27 Provo, UT (3rd) *** THIRD PLACE Winter birding here should be most interesting to a Virginian. Although not a high species area this time of year, you'll get some unique birds. Some goodies might include Clark's Grebe, Prairie Falcon, Chukar, California Quail, California Gull, Stellar's and W Scrub-Jay, Black-billed Magpie, Mtn Chickadee, Golden Eagle, Townsend's Solitaire, and maybe a Bohemian Waxwing or Barrow's Goldeneye... > Feb. 27-28 Grove City, PA (less variety than Herndon...) > March 6-7 Columbus, OH (too early for migrants, although a good time for Saw-whets) > March 6-7 Berkeley, CA (1st) *** FIRST PLACE Far and away the best birding at this time of year. Daily totals of over 100 are quite easy. Already a few spring birds like Allen's Hummingbird. Resident goodies close by would include Tricolored Blackbird, California Thrasher, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Oak Titmouse, Red-naped Sapsucker, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, etc. A few good winter birds still around would include Varied Thrush, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, and Surfbird, Red-necked Grebe, and Wandering Tattler. You should be able to see 3 species of loons and 5 species of grebes. Great numbers of ducks, geese, and shorebirds, too. If you dedicate one morning, you're in driving distance of a couple good spots for Yellow-billed Magpie, too. If you had a whole day, the best spot (according to the records) in the US for Tufted Duck is up at Bolinas Lagoon, near Pt Reyes. You're on the tail end of the best time of year for it, too. As you can tell, I like the place. > March 13-14 Boston, MA (2nd) *** SECOND PLACE What a great place to bird. I'd head up to Plum Island (Parker River NWR). Boston itself has plenty of good birding areas. See the ABA/Lane guide for locations and birds. Most will be of the winter variety, similar to Ocean City, MD in the winter, but what you see will be more common: Great Cormorants, Iceland and possibly Black-headed Gulls, Common and chance at King Eiders, Harlequin Ducks, Purple Sandpipers, Red-throated Loons, Gannets, and all three scoters although White-winged is predominant. You may also get a few lingering Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings as well. And who knows what might be on the RBAs--Massachusetts birding coverage is VERY good. Maybe a Bar-tailed Godwit? > March 13-14 Springfield, MO (too early for Miss Kites and Scissor-tailed Flyc.) > March 20-21 Baton Rouge, LA (too far from coast; a little early for migration) -my two-bits Greg Miller Lusby, MD