My friend generously invited me to stay at her home on Ben's Point Rd for "2 days" when she learned that there was a report of 2 Sandhill Cranes being seen off of Ben's Point Rd and that Sandhill Cranes was a life bird for me and  I had always seemed to miss seeing them. Yee Haaa! what an opportunity! I was so excited.
My fellow MD Ospreyers were kind enough to keep me informed of sightings  and of them actually NOT being seen on Wednesday, but I at least had a positive attitude for my determined search for them. After all, I had Thursday evening , night and all day Friday to search for them. I arrived at Ben's Point Rd at 3 PM on Thursday only to find numerous John Deere very heavy equipment and MOWERS cutting the wheat fields along the entire stretch of the road. they had almost completed the entire growth of wheat in the field at this time. My heart just sank at this point. Oh Well, I still  gave the entire area a thorough check. and had all day Friday to search. 
 I stayed up until 1:30 Am trying for some rails along the shorelines with NO luck with that either. OH Well again. got up at 4:30 AM and was out the door by 5:30 AM hoping the Sandhills were still somewhere in the neighborhood. I walked the shoreline  property, the entire edge of the cut fields and the entire length of Ben's Point Rd till 9:30 AM Did not find the Cranes.  We took rides up and down the road from the car (due to the sweltering heat) periodically all day Friday and No Cranes. Oh Well, Maybe next time. 
Ben's Point is a beautiful area and it was still a very enjoyable "birding" and "pleasure" trip. I saw more Indigo Buntings than I have ever seen in one place in all my years of birding. I even had 2 gorgeously plumaged males sitting on the same branch side by side and they did not act at all territorial toward the other.  I was also happy to find a Hairy Woodpecker continously going from the same tree to the other , back and forth as if possibly feeding young. Pileated Woodpeckers were making themselves well known in the area as well. (They are one of my favorites). I was successful in voice calling a Barred Owl to respond and show up as a wish of my friends son ( Thank goodness, I was afraid this "OLD GIRL" had lost her nack for this as it has been a long time since I had performed any Owl Prowls for anyone. 

I am definately looking forward to my next trip to Ben's Point  Queen Annes County MD

June Mundis
Conowingo, MD