Thanks, Les.     Yes, I'm planning on coming by tomorrow,
	but had also wondered about exactly such situations as you mention.
	I wondered, too, about the parking site.    Is there a back-up place to
	which cars might be directed?

		Leo Weigant

On Feb 16, 2012, at 3:48 PM, Les Roslund wrote:

> Maryland Birders -
>
> To:  All who plan to search for the Virginia's Warbler
>
>
>
> MOS Birders, Talbot Birders and Pickering Creek Staff are all  
> delighted that
> the charming little Virginia's Warbler has chosen to stop in and  
> make some
> use of the Pickering Creek grass and shrub habitat.  This bird was
> apparently first seen back on January 26th, but the views were so  
> brief and
> the lighting so poor that the finders were not totally confident of  
> the ID.
>
>
>
> This bird was next seen yesterday, February 15th, with reasonably  
> decent
> views attained by four birders.  Jim Stasz was the only one to  
> attain a good
> photo, and his was sufficient to confirm the bird's identity.   
> After the
> searching group of four had been given these mediocre views, the  
> bird seemed
> to have had enough of it, and disappeared for the rest of the day,  
> even
> though many of us believed it was still around somewhere.  The  
> searching
> numbers grew to eleven or more as the afternoon developed - but the  
> bird was
> not seen again that day.
>
>
>
> Today, Feb 16th, several birders who were present between 7:15 a.m.  
> and 7:45
> a.m. managed a few brief views, but the bird is proving to be  
> pretty shy,
> and again, as the crowd grew, the bird seemed to find a way to bail  
> out. It
> had not been seen again as of 1:30 this afternoon.  No amount of  
> effort by
> hopeful birders seemed to produce the bird.  In fact, for a shy  
> bird like
> this, the intense efforts of hopeful birders may actually be  
> reducing the
> likelihood of additional sightings.
>
>
>
>
>
> The attractiveness of this bird is expected to really bring out the  
> crowds
> throughout tomorrow and the rest of the upcoming weekend.  With  
> that in
> mind, Pickering Creek has asked that the following practices be  
> adopted
> immediately by the hopeful birders:
>
>
>
>           1.  In General, do what you can to minimize the chaos and
> confusion for the bird due to your searching.
>
>
>
>           2.  In Particular - please respect the fact that the  
> habitat of
> the field where the bird has been is a warm season grass meadow  
> disrupted
> only by a minimal set of deer trails.  This meadow has not  
> previously been
> tramped down by human traffic, and it would be best to keep it that  
> way.
> Therefore, birders are asked to do their searching through use of  
> existing
> mown trails, driveways, mowed fields and dormant agriculture lands,  
> but are
> asked to NOT trample through the warm season grassy meadows. Such  
> trampling
> is not likely to produce the bird, and is very likely to actually  
> push the
> bird to leave the entire area.
>
>
>
>
>
> The sightings of Wednesday first occurred while the four  lucky  
> birders were
> either on the main path or on the mown part of the adjacent field.   
> When
> folks moved into the taller grass areas (amongst the briars and the  
> bushes)
> it really did not help, and quite promptly the bird totally  
> disappeared.
>
>
>
> We hope that some less wet weather tomorrow will allow greater  
> sighting
> success than has occurred today.
>
>
>
>
>
> Thanks for your cooperation.
>
>
>
> Mark Scallion, Director, Pickering Creek Audubon Sanctuary
>
> Les Roslund, Hotline Coordinator, Talbot Bird Club
>
>
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