Hi Folks,

I spent some time today around Jug Bay along the Pautuxent River with
the most interesting find being a flock of nearly 80 RUSTY BLACKBIRDs
along Wrighton Rd. (near entrance to Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, AA
Co.) exactly where the White-winged Crossbills were found last year.
The blackbirds were along the edge of the road with about 20 starlings
and two female Red-winged Blackbirds.  As I approached in the car the
flock flew up into the trees of Glendening Preserve, but I pulled off
the road and killed the engine and watched them fly back to the road
edge, getting the best view of these birds I've ever had.  The females
were very brown and the males were fairly black, but with rusty
collars and most with brown on the head.  I found one male that had no
brown on it, and I was thinking Brewer's Blackbird, but it may have
been a male Rusty transitioning to breeding plumage early in the year.

I was here to visit the Sanctuary, but for some reason unknown to me
it was closed today, though it is normally opened on Saturdays.

Earlier I had visited Selby's Landing where I found nearly 100 COMMON
MERGANSERs on the river (PG & AA counties) among hundreds of Black
Ducks.  A FOX SPARROW and SAPSUCKER along the boat launch in PG were
nice to find, and there were two HORNED LARKs in the field where the
airfield used to be.

At Jackson Landing, also in PG, I viewed over 1000 gulls, mostly
Herring, but was not able to pick out any white-wings.

My last stop at Sands Road Park in AA Co. provided three Savannah
Sparrows, but it was pretty slow here in the early afternoon.

Stan Arnold
Ferndale (AA Co.)
 (preferred address)