There are actually several Vesper Sparrows at that spot right now.  At 9:30 this morning there was one singing bird in the spot mentioned by Jim with a second bird counter-singing from the field to the north (the other side of the house on the bend).  When I stopped by over 2 hrs later I found the male singing as before, this time while feeding on the ground, accompanied by a non-singing bird (a female?).  A Vesper Sparrow was on territory in this area last year through till mid-June.
 
I got one photo before a cyclist flushed the bird from its post:
 
http://www.harrisbirds.com/Vesper%20Sparrow.htm

Regards
 
Clive Harris
Cabin John, MD

--- On Sun, 4/18/10, Jim and Ann Nelson <> wrote:


From: Jim and Ann Nelson <>
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Vesper Sparrow on West Offutt Road, Mont. Co., 4/18/10
To: 
Date: Sunday, April 18, 2010, 11:55 AM


After the Montgomery Bird Club annual Presidents walk at Hughes Hollow. a few of us followed up on the earlier report of a Vesper Sparrow on West Offutt Road in Montgomery County.  Using good directions from Jim Moore, at about 11:30 today, 4/18/10, we found the field he had described and had great views of the Vesper Sparrow singing on fence posts and on the ground.  At one point, we also had great views of a Savannah Sparrow perched directly behind the Vesper Sparrow.  The field is on the south side of West Offutt Road about midway between where Offutt meets Mount Nebo and where it meets Edwards Ferry Road (about 0.4 miles north and west from the Nebo intersection). There is a low, chain-link fence, with round pipe fence posts about 30 feet off the road (left side as you head north and west on Offutt), and the Vesper was perching on the fence posts and active on the ground in front of the fence.

Jim Nelson
Montgomery Bird Club
Bethesda, MD