Encouraged by Tim Male?s Dec. 6 post of ?three cranes flying over 
I-95? towards Day?s Cove, Russ Kovach and I explored the upper wetlands of 
the Gunpowder delta this past Saturday (Dec. 16).  Notable were 3 Sandhill 
Cranes and a good numbers of Sparrows.
     The Sandhills were weary and would not allow us to approach closer 
than ¼ mile, although, a little luck, a large patch of phragmites, and a 
good deal of sneakin? around afforded several undetected photos of 
foraging birds (please reply off post and I?ll be happy to send photos). 
The birds foraged over an area that spanned from Baltimore County well 
into Harford County.
The morning's list also included:

Gadwall - 8
American Wigeon - 7
American Black Duck - 10
Green-winged Teal - 5
Ring-necked Duck - 16
Lesser Scaup - 2
Bufflehead - 2
Hooded Merganser - 12
Red-breasted Merganser - 5
Double-crested Cormorant - 2
Northern Harrier - 1
Killdeer - 7
Wilson?s Snipe - 5
Brown Creeper - 4
Winter Wren - 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 3
Gray Catbird - 1
Eastern Towhee - 7
Field Sparrow - 23
Fox Sparrow - 19
Song Sparrow - 76
Swamp Sparrow - 53

Cheers,

Dave Z
---------------------------------------------------------
dziolkowski at usgs dot gov
PWRC, Laurel