Ospreyers: A small group of Talbot County Birders spent much of the day checking out a few of their favorite sites. A total of 71 species were found. A section of recently cut-over forest at Black Walnut Point on Tilghman Island provided most of the birds. Highlights:(includes all sites visited) Red-breasted Nuthatches - a nice little group, perhaps 5, showed up in the top of some of the standing pines beside the cut-over area. Since very few Red-breasted Nuthatches were seen in Talbot County in 1998, we would like to believe that this set bodes well for there being more of them around here in 1999. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers - many American Redstart - 2 (no other warblers) Solitary Sandpiper - 2 (in small woodland wet spots) Royal Tern - 4 Bald Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk One rather novel (and somewhat disgusting) scene was presented by two immature Cowbirds. The birds had us quite confused regarding identy, being so drab, and also by flitting and hopping around amongst limbs in low brush piles. When we got close enough, their identy and some reasons for their behavior both became obvious - they were progeny of a mother who had successfully parasitized a nest of a Carolina Wren! Their behavior, quite wren-like - low to ground and flitting from branch to branch - must have been learned from the foster mother, as they followed her around begging for food. We saw her feeding them, and by that time we had gotten close enough to also clearly recognize what they were. Ugh! Les Roslund Lroslund@bluecrab.org Easton, MD