Jane and Dennis Coskren went down to the LeConte's Sparrow location (easily--the directions were excellent and the life preserver was still there); but we struck out. No LeConte's, between about 10:15 and 12:30. A couple of Marsh Wrens and a skulking Sharp-tail (sp.) were the best we could muster. Maybe if we'd been there earlier? (like a day?) (Would've been a lifer for Jane!) But it was a lovely day anyway, and we enjoyed the trip. TDC Miliff@aol.com wrote: > 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 > > ============ > Marshall J. Iliff > Annapolis, MD > miliff@aol.com > =============