The third time is a charm ...

I arrived at the Chesapeake Farms hedgerow at 7:20 am and there were 
three other cars already there ... driven by Stan Arnold, John 
Hubbell, and Sean McCandless. No one else had a radio, but I had two 
extras so I gave them to Stan and John.

Stan was staked out on the near (north) side of the hedgerow break, 
at some chokeberry bushes, when he thought the bird had been reported 
earlier and where some seed had been dropped. John was was about 1/2 
way between Stan and the break. Sean was at the break. I drove past 
Sean to a spot about 1/2 way between the break and the far (south) 
side of the hedgerow, where I think the bird had been previously reported.

As it got lighter, the sparrows started to become more active. At 
about 8 am I watched the Golden-crowned fly in from my right and land 
in the bushes, hop around a few times, and then drop to the ground 
just behind me at the edge of the vegetation where a White-throat and 
a White-crowned were already foraging. The golden wash on the 
fore-crown of this immature bird was very evident. I called Stan and 
John on the radio (Channel 11-00) and they swept up Sean and they all 
pulled in right behind me. The bird was on the ground for about 5 minutes.

Three of us left, but Sean stayed to try and get a better look. When 
I left, Sean was the only vehicle there.

Being a holiday, it was nice today since there were no worker trucks 
trundling up and down the road to spoke the birds!

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Phil


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Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland     USA
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