Date: 11/12/12 1:36 pm
From: Fred Shaffer <glaucousgull...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Brown Pelicans, American Pipit at Sandy Point


I birded a few spots in Anne Arundel and Queen Anne Counties today. The highlights were at Sandy Point State Park, where I saw six Brown Pelicans near the Bay Bridge. These are probably the same birds reported previously. They were flying low over the water underneath the bridge, and then I saw them land on one of the supports for the bridge. They were on the Anne Arundel side of the bridge, but still pretty far off and I needed my scope to get even somewhat passable looks.

I also sorted through the gulls, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Totals on or near the beach included 50 Great Black-backed Gulls, 18 Herring Gulls, 75 Ring-billed Gulls, and 8 Laughing Gulls. There was also one Royal Tern with a Ring-billed flock. Passerines included a flyover American Pipit which flew low over my head, land briefly on the beach, and then continued flying off towards the south. There was also a Palm Warbler foraging in the grass near one of the bath houses.

I then went out to Ferry Point (Kent Narrows) in Queen Anne County. I walked out to the point, seeing lots of sparrows along the trail/old road. The highlight here was a White-crowned Sparrow in with the Song, White-throated, and Swamp Sparrows. Also present were several Eastern Bluebirds and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. From the point I saw 36 Bufflehead and 3 Common Loons. I next went kayaking from the nearby public boat ramp. I largely saw the same birds that I seen from shore, but got closer views of a few of the Bufflehead and one Common Loon. Lots of Double-crested Cormorants were around and gulls included Great Black-backed, Herring, and Ring-billed.

Fred Shaffer
Crofton, Anne Arundel
<GlaucousGull...>

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