MANY THANKS to all of the birders who responded to my query about where to park, etc. to find the sparrow.  As always, your collective advice (and encouragement) was helpful and much appreciated.

I was at the Bulle Rock Parkway site from 12:50 to 1:55 this afternoon.  I walked down the hedgerow alongside the silt fence, until I had passed the last of the scraggly trees.  Then I crossed the little stream to the other side of the hedgerow and started walking slowly back, in the direction of the road.  After a few minutes I found myself the apparent object of curiosity of 6 to 8 Song Sparrows.  As I watched them watching me, something distinctly different came zipping into view - a noticeably smaller and paler sparrow.  A few quick looks confirmed the basic field marks - unmarked breast, gray nape, brown rump, finely streaked crown, the distinctive facial pattern, and pale bill - of the Clay-colored.

At first, the bird seemed quite shy.  But the longer I stood and watched it, the less wary it became - eventually rewarding me with several long, excellent looks (long enough that my binoculars started to fog).  As it perched on a bramble near the edge of the hedgerow, I was also able to see the pale lores.  At one point it flew down to the ground to forage, out in the field, barely 15 feet in front of me.  (At times like this, I wish I were a photographer.)  A great life bird!

Just my luck:  Curiosity finally got the better of the construction crew working on the other side of the fence.  Someone came over after I had been at the site for 5 or 10 minutes and asked me if I was looking at birds or deer.  He was friendly, so I gave him the story.  He seemed impressed, especially by the fact that people were even coming down from Pennsylvania to see the bird.  He even wished me good luck!

Good birding!

Elaine Hendricks

Greenbelt, MD  (PG County)
  

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