Hi Everyone,
I headed to the Patapsco Harbor this afternoon. I started behind Harbor Hospital and began looking for the Surf Scoter to no avail. The bird then flew in from the south and landed about where I had observed him yesterday (I was scoping from the other side of the harbor today. Eventually the bird was carried by the strong winds up to the Route 2 bridge. I hiked by foot past the Rte 2 bridge to Middle Branch Park. From there I began scoping out the many Laughing Gull loafing on the bay... I hit one. It was a bird that was noticably smaller than the Laughing Gulls around it, had more of a Boneparte's Hood pattern, small bill, large white patches (cartoonish) around the eyes, and obvious lack of black in the folded wing-tips. My first thought was Franklin's, but it is a species I have little experience with. I took some distant photos through the scope, most were useless, a few ledgible and show key field marks that I just discribed (short of the white
around the eye... couldn't pick that up.) One shot I like particularly, the bird swam RIGHT along side a laugher, showing the sze difference and is a good comparision in the lack of black in the wing-tips.
Eventually the birds drifted up out of sight. I wrote it up, but really wanted to hit the books and run it by an expert. I checked my guides and gull books... looked good from what i wrote up. I then ran my photos and write-up�by a Maryland birding�expert (I prefer not to throw names in), and all checks out.
If anyone isn't familiar with this area, Take I-95 to exit 54; Take Route 2 South over the bridge; Then, turn right on Waterview Ave. There are paths along the water and a parking lot on the right. The bird was out over the Harbor, towards the skyline. A few poor photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thrasher72/
Jon Corcoran
Catonsville, MD
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