Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 11:16:03 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Mark Hoffman Subject: Chincoteague CBC-MD Sector-12/28/02 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit CBC'ers -- It is a well-guarded secret that the Chincoteague (VA, ugh!) CBC circle includes one of the nicest birding areas in Maryland during the winter, the southeast corner of Worcester County. Areas around Big Mill Pond, George Island Landing, Stockton and Vaughn WMA (Center and South) have produced much winter excitement over the past 11 years (e.g., Ross' Goose, American Avocet, Blue-headed Vireo, Nashville Warbler [count period], Yellow-rumped [Audubon's] Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Clay-colored Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow [count period], LeConte's Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Harris's Sparrow, Painted Bunting, and Brewer's Blackbird). Our high species count is 112. Don't forget the old Empidonax (sp.) record from this sector -- lord knows what that was. This year's count is scheduled for Saturday, 12/28, and if you would be interested in helping out, please contact me. As for any "criteria" for participation, which I am sometimes asked, allow me to quote from a letter from Chan Robbins to Ted Hake (dated 12/18/1948), that I uncovered during my Worcester County research, written in response to an inquiry from Hake to Chan, asking if he could bring a friend along to do the Blackwater and Ocean City CBCs. Chan wrote "If your friend knows his birds fairly well, is 100 percent reliable, and has no lead in his pants we would be glad to have you bring him along ...". Indeed! Good Xmas counts to all, Mark Hoffman Mhoff36100@aol.com Sykesville, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================