At 3:45 pm, the bird was in the same area mentioned by Gail and Barry. I 
have been up this way at least 7 times in last couple of weeks w/o 
success. This bird really puts the "sand" color in Sandhill Crane. 
Really blends in well with the corn stubble and the brown undergrowth 
along the tree line. It may have been there on some of my previous tries 
and I did not look well enough. As mentioned in Jackie Cooper's previous 
post a few weeks back, the bird did seem nervous and slunk back into 
undergrowth a couple of times when cars went past. Thanks Gail and Barry.

On way back home, a puddle at corner of Sugarland and Montevideo Rds 
held 16 Wilson's Snipe and 2 American Pipits plus some nearby Killdeer 
and an Eastern Meadowlark.

Andy Martin
Gaithersburg

On 3/21/2010 3:44 PM, Jackie Cooper wrote:
> This is exactly where we had him two weeks ago so this may be a preferred
> spot for him in addition to NIH.
>
> Jackie Cooper
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Maryland Birds&  Birding [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Gail Mackiernan
> Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 1:40 PM
> To:
> Subject: [MDOSPREY] Sandhill Crane along River Road this morning
>
> Hi all --
>
> Went out in late morning for another try for the (for us) elusive Sandhill
> Crane at the NIH facility near Poolesville, Mont. Co. The crane was not
> along Elmer School Road on the NIH property as reported last Friday, but we
> found it quite easily along River Road at about 11:00 AM.
>
> The site is on the right-hand side of River Rd., heading west from its
> intersection with Elmer School Rd., along the easternmost edge of a corn
> stubble field. (This is just s you reach the edge of the turf farm on your
> left) The bird was back near a large, elevated green-painted deer blind
> (quite a fancy one) and was feeding vigorously between the rows of stubble.
> As we watched it moved more into the brushy edge of the field and would have
> been hard to spot from River Road with the naked eye. Nice to finally
> connect!
>
> Not too much else around, some Kestrels and Phoebes seen, lots of TVs aloft
> and apparently on the move.
>
> Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
> Colesville, MD
>
>