Hi Everybody:
Today I decided to bird in St. Mary's County. I was successful in
getting my county E. Screech Owl just before daylight and then decided to
change things up. It seems like everytime I go to St. Mary's County I try to
be at Point Lookout as the sun comes up. So my first stop was along Abell's
Wharf Road and to check out the Beauvue Ponds. As I turned onto the road I
had a male N. Harrier make several passes across the field and four or
five unsuccesful dives into the grasses for an early breakfast. There was
some but not alot of variety on the ponds:
Great Blue Heron 2
great Egret 2
Mute Swan 7
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Mallard 5
Wood Duck 1
Gadwall 1
Ring-necked Duck 6
Ruddy Duck 5
I then headed over to the St. Mary's County Waste Water Treatment
Plant whose location Bill Hubick correctly described in the ealier post
after I called him. My previous visits here have always been in the early
afternoon. When I knocked on the office door for permission to bird the area
there was no answer. Outside I could not see any others employees so I
decided to bird the perimeter (outside the cyclone fence and the road
leading in off of Rosebank Rd) until somebody showed up. About twenty
minutes later after following a Palm Warbler into a viney-like bush growing
up through the fence I spotted the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW. It stayed in the
same area slowly moving back and forth along the fence vegetation to the
left of the gate leading into the buildings. It spent some time preening
When I first saw the sparrow I was only 15 feet away from it. In addition to
the Clay-colored I saw a total of 5 Palm Warblers (all yellow) and 2 Rusty
Blackbirds. Sice nobody showed up the entire time I was there I decided to
move on. I stopped along Rt. 243 headed back to Leonardstown and found
several Savannah Sparrows and 2 White-crowned Sparrows.
I slowly worked my way over into Charles County and scanned the marshes at
Allens Fresh. I saw 1 Greater Yellowlegs and 3 Ruddy Ducks before heading
back to Montgomery County.
Jim Green
Gaithersburg, MD
work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS!!!
On Wed, Oct 13, 2010 at 9:26 AM, Bill Hubick <> wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Jim Green reports a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW in St. Mary's Co.
>
> There is a WWTP on Rosebank Road off Route 243. After turning onto Rosebank
> Road, take the gravel road to the left near the first curve to the right.
> The
> sparrow was on the outside of the fence to the left of the gate into the
> WWTP.
> Visitors should request permission to bird in or around the site. Please
> check
> in to ask permission.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill
> Bill Hubick
> Pasadena, Maryland
>
> http://www.billhubick.com
> |