Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Lazuli Thoughts

From:

Paul O'Brien

Reply-To:

Maryland Birds & Birding

Date:

Wed, 27 Oct 2004 16:07:59 EDT

I spent six hours at the Vessey Orchard on Monday, with no sign of either the
male Lazuli Bunting or the female Indigo Bunting.   Other birders there were
Charlie Vaughn, George Jett and Carol and Don Broderick, so it wasn't just I
who struck out.   One interesting thing is that I saw all the birds Matt Hafner
described to me except Vesper Sparrow and the two Buntings.   BIrds present
were: Chipping, Field, Song, Swamp, White-throated and an immature
White-crowned Sparrow.   Another interesting thing was the departure of several Savannah
Sparrows shortly after I arrived.   They fanned out over the extensive fields
and never returned (as of 2PM, when I left).   The third interesting thing
(stay with me here) is that Matt had told me that the Vesper came in from the
fields.   Maybe some of the birds that forage in the fields got out there before I
could locate them and came back later, after I left.   It might be important
that Monday was a clear, sunny day in Somerset, but Sunday, when the bird was
found, was cloudy and dark.   What I'm suggesting is that anybody who goes
that way should take a look for the Bunting.   It's possible that it could still
be there.   We need to know more about its habits.

Paul J. O'Brien
Rockville, Mont. Co., MD