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Samworth GMA Sparrow Festival Still On! (and Huntington BSP)



Dear Sparrow-starved birders,
  If you, like me, are rusty on your sparrow skills, come on down to Samworth 
GMA
in Georgetown County (see Lex Glover's directions). The Gerhearts from 
Laurinburg,NC were there when I arrived at 10:00 today. I saw all the birds 
they saw and missed, like them, the Lincoln's Sparrow and Yellow Rails. I 
stumbled and stomped around for 4 hours, and got good to great looks at more 
different kinds of
sparrows than I can ever remember seeing in one day.
   Today, we saw Vesper, Grasshopper, Song, Swamp, White-crowned, 
White-throated, Field, and Towhee. Oh yes, no Henslow's today. If you want an 
athletically
challenging field trip, visit the Samworth. Please remember to call for 
permission or
stay on the roadway. This field is not for you if you are not up to a very 
rough
walk. Tim Kalbach wasn't kidding. This is a clear cut that is grown over and 
has many invisible holes up to a foot deep. A great way to twist an ankle. 
Boots are a necessity.
  Thanks Lex Glover for alerting us to this hot spot.
   After Samworth I went to Huntington Beach State Park, normally a great 
spot in the Winter. Boy, it was slow today: no sea ducks, no Purple 
Sandpipers, and very few ducks on the ponds. Where are the year listers going 
to get their sea ducks in SC this year? Maybe it was just too late or I was 
too tired to focus by then. Is anyone else finding any Scoters, Scaup, Horned 
Grebe,etc. in SC? At least there
were plenty of Gannet. And what do we make of that Mute Swan in the causeway
pond?
   Good birding,
   Steve Compton
   North Charleston, SC