[MDOsprey] Le Conte's Sparrow at Irish Grove, and some others

Miliff@aol.com
Sat, 4 Dec 1999 22:16:32 EST 

MDOsprey,

In another fit of craziness, Greg Miller, George Jett, and I embarked on a 
December Big Day run at 0300 this morning (Saturday, 4 Dec 1999).  We 
continued only a little past dark, and George and Greg are returning to the 
Western Shore now as I live it phat here at Irish Grove still on MD's Lower 
Eastern Shore.  As unscouted Big Days go, we did quite well, and had we 
pooled all our possessions and resources we could not have special ordered 
nicer weather.  A highlight for me was closing at dusk at Deal Island (on of 
my favorites) surrounded by the sounds of the marsh settling down on this 
windless eve: Clapper and Virginia rails, a barking Short-ear, growling 
Hooded Mergansers (always a thrill!), Gadwall, thousands of wigeon, passing 
night-herons...  Scoping up Jupiter and Saturn in George's Nikon N70 was 
icing on the cake, and provided the best views I've had of those planets.

A fuller report will follow, perhaps Monday, in case anyone is interested.  
But, in the meantime, a couple highlights are:

A gorgeous LE CONTE'S SPARROW that responded to pishing by chiping and 
sitting in plain view for 5+ minutes until we tired of it (well, not 
quite...).  I have never had one so cooperative.  George and I both attempted 
photos, though speed was 1/8 second and the results sure to be poor, if 
identifiable.  This bird was essentially a loner but may e quite easily 
relocated as it was loyal to a small shrub (Iva/Baccharus = Salt Marsh Elder) 
patch that is essentially an island.  
         To look for this bird, find Rumbly Point Rd. on your trusty DeLorme 
atlas (mp 25 c6).  At the end is a boat ramp saying Rumbly Point.  After 
traversing a squiggle of back roads to get to Rumbly Point Rd. you will find 
yourself passing through pine woods and fields for most of the way.  
Eventually on your right you will pass the M.O.S. Sanctuary Irish Grove with 
a sign and a gate on your right.  Only a little further the road opens up 
into an enormous expanse of saltmarsh.  From where the road first enters this 
marsh, clock about 0.4 mi and stop (on the road!  the shoulders are soft and 
you are SURE to get stuck).  The bird was in the shrub patch on the left 
about 20 ft from the road.  I placed an orange life preserver on the right 
side of the road, in a bush, directly opposite where the bird was seen.  We 
saw at about 7:15-7:30.  Also in the area were 5+ SALTMASH SHARP-TAILED 
SPARROWS, 1 NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW, 1+ SEDGE WREN, 1 MARSH WREN, 1 
SEASIDE SPARROW, 1 SHORT-EARED OWL.  At the boat ramp at the end of Rumbly 
Point Rd., a Great Cormorant was sitting on the fish weirs.  The shorebird 
flock held 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 3 Western and 15 Least Sandpipers, among 15 
Greater Yellowlegs and 3000 Dunlin.  

Another highlight was a white morph adult Ross's Goose among the Snows at the 
"traditional location" (i.e., Rte. 12 & 354 intersection just NW of Snow 
Hill, Worcester County, MD - Delorme 34 D3).

Ocean City was surprisingly dull - no eiders, harlequins, knots, good gulls, 
alcids, etc...  Lots of Forster's Terns though (c. 300).  One Great Cormorant 
was on the jetty.  60+ Snow Buntings were seen in a flock on Assateague (seen 
from the mainland).

A juv light morph Rough-legged Hawk was at Deal Island, 0.2. mi after 
entering the marsh.  Riley Roberts Rd. had 2000+ American Wigeon, but scoping 
them and listening to them in the last 5 minutes of civil twilight produced 
no Eurasian.

OTHER STUFF:

An interesting duck was observed on West Ocean City Pond, which I am 
reluctant to identify.  In all respects it looked like a male Lesser Scaup, 
perhaps just coming out of eclipse, except that the head shape was more like 
Tufted Duck.  It did not have the long trailing tuft of a classic adult male 
Tufted Duck, but rather a high, peaked, shaggy group of feathers that stood 
up high and gave a flat topped appearance.  To me, it looked like the crest 
of a male Tufted Duck without the long trailing portion at the rear or 
perhaps was reminiscent of Western Grebe's shaggy, flat topped head.  The 
peak, if anywhere, was at the forecrown (not mid crown as in typical Lesser 
Scaup).  In no respect did it otherwise conform with Tufted Duck: the back 
was grayish, the flanks dusky, the bill with a black nail and no white ring.  
I don't know what this bird was.  Simply a "weird" Lesser Scaup?  Or one with 
some foreign genes?  I hope others will look for this distinctive bird and 
offer opinions (and get photos if possible).  

At Evans Rd., the famous sparrow spot from last year (hosted Clay-colored for 
much of winter), I heard a strange chip that may have been a Wilson's 
Warbler.   Something to think about for those of you who pass by that 
location [located .1 mi north of the Evans Rd./Cedar Lane intersection south 
of Berlin, Worcester County].  Also there were 10 White-crowned Sparrows and 
1 House Wren, among others.      

Best,

Marshall Iliff
miliff@aol.com

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Marshall J. Iliff     
Annapolis, MD    
miliff@aol.com     
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