Bill Schreitz sent me his photos of a mystery "sharp-tailed" sparrow from this morning at Greenbury Point.? I took a quick look at the photos and immediately thought LeConte's Sparrow!? After work, I headed over to Greenbury Point and met Bill, along with Dan Haas and Chris Murray.? We all had great looks at the bird as it was very cooperative (for a LeConte's).? If the bird doesn't leave tonight (the winds are favorable for migration), then I believe this bird could be easily found tomorrow.? 



To get to Greenbury Point, exit Rt. 50 at the Rt. 2 North/Rt. 450 west exit on the east side of the Severn.? Take 450 down to a left on Rt. 648.? Then take a slight right onto Greenbury Point Rd.? Follow the road until you see the Visitors Center on the right.? Park at the Visitor's Center and take the paved Bobwhite Trail.? Follow the trail past the observation blind.? On your right cross the chain and head down the hill on an old road bed.? The old road takes a sharp left and that is where you should begin looking for the sparrow.? 



If Dan, Chris, and Bill would like to provide better, by all means, I am not really familiar with the area.? 



I think the best strategy for finding this bird is slowly walking the grassy edges of the old road bed.? The bird will likely fly and perch in a nearby bush for a few seconds before dropping to the ground.? Once it drops, we simply waited patiently for about 15 minutes.? Then we slowly walked the grassy edges again and the bird would again flush.? While the bird preferred to be in the grassy edges, we never once saw it feeding out in the open like the Fields and Swamps.? The bird flushed several times while we were there (mainly by bikers/runners), but always returned to the roadbed.? 

When flying, this bird looks streaky, yellow, with a short, spiked tail.? It is very distinctive and nothing else in the area looks like it.? 

Matt Hafner
Bel Air, MD