Today Nico Sarbanes (home for Reading Week) and I joined forces for a trip to the eastern shore in search of state birds, year birds, and a life bird.

We drove past the turnoff for Pickering Creek before dawn and started our day on Polks Rd., Somerset County, where we found the previously-reported four GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE in a large flock of Canada Geese.

A search of the entrance drive at E.A. Vaughan WMA - North did not yield the hoped-for Clay-colored Sparrow, but the five sparrow species present included FIELD and WHITE-CROWNED.

It took a little while to find the LARK SPARROW at Pumphouse #2 at Assateague State Park. We first heard it vocalizing sotto voce, as if muttering. 

We finally got out of the car at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center at 3:14 and Nico had found the VIRGINIA'S WARBLER in a nearby bush on the trail by 3:14:30. It provided fairly good though obscured looks for several minutes as it flew around the area before disappearing in the direction of the pond.

Nico's photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicobirdphotos/

Leslie Starr
Baltimore
############################

To unsubscribe from the MDOSPREY list:
write to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
or click the following link:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MDOSPREY&A=1