Western MD for the day

Set out at 4am. My first birding outing to Western Maryland. I managed to waste the best bit of the morning on the wrong bit of Old Legislative Road (although I did see a PURPLE FINCH and a possible MERLIN?). Once I found the right bit, I did manage to find lots of HENSLOW'S (a life bird) and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, and an EASTERN MEADOWLARK (another life bird, pic below). No warblers seen at all ( but i may not have been looking in ten right spots). Then I went up to Finzel where I didn't see any flycatchers or anything exciting.  Next stop was New GermanyState Park to try for Blackburnian W (I threw together the itinerary off ebird). No joy, but I did see BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER that I missed inmigration and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES (another year bird). Then I left out the back over the hills to go to Russell Road, where I was treated to loads more meadowlarks, a loose flock of over twenty BOBOLINKS (another year bird) and some very noisy circling Killdeer. Back at 10. Time for sleep.