Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 08:57:02 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Glen Lovelace III Subject: 2nd try - hello / Eastern Shore birds Hello All, This is my first post to the list. I have watched the list for some time and found a wealth of good information on Maryland birds. I live in Delaware, but do a lot of birding on the lower Eastern Shore. Please forgive me when a few DE birds slip into my posts. Anyway, I thought I would share my sightings from last weekend. I spent most of the weekend birding with excellent results. Friday morning I got out along the north side of the Nanticoke west of Seaford (DE). I had 6 Grasshopper Sp, a couple Vespers and a Savannah along Woodpecker Rd and Galestown Rd. Spring arrivals of Wood Thrush; B&W, Prothonotary, Worm-Eating, Yellow throated Warblers. A tour of the puddles found lots of Yellowlegs, a Semipalm Plover on Galestown Rd (MD), 3 Glossy Ibis on Oak Grove Rd (MD). And then I made a discovery - there is a puddle off of MD 577, 1 mile north of Reliance on the right (this is Caroline Co.). In it was a Ruff. Molting into black breeding plumage, two tone pink and black bill, white around the base, broken white eye ring, pinkish/orange legs. The bird was not present Sunday morning. While watching the Ruff, a Snowy Egret walked through the puddle. I had never seen one that far inland. Out all day Saturday. Had my first Prairie Warbler north of Lowe's Crossroads (DE). On to Cypress Swamp with L. Waterthrush, Prothonotary, Worm Eating Warbs and a singing Hermit Thrush on the DE side. 2 Blue Headed Vireos, RE Vireo, 2 Palm, a Parula, a BTG Warb plus the above warblers on the MD side. The impoundment at Assateague where the Reeve was reported had Stilt Sand., Dunlin, Dowitchers plus BW & GW Teal, a Shoveler, 2 Wigeon. Large swallow flock had a Cliff Swallow in it. Bank Sw at Eagle's Nest Campground and later RW Sw at Assawoman WA complete a swallow sweep. Breeding plumage Common Loon and Horned Grebe seen from the boat ramp on the mainland end of the bridge to Assateague. Also Bl Bellied Pl, Louisiana Heron and Oystercatcher over on the Assateague shoreline. OC Inlet had RT Loon; Purple Sand, Turnstones and Sanderlings still on the rocks. Royal Terns, Brant and Cattle Egret at Skimmer Is. Mute Swan, 2 Hooded Merg at West OC Pond. Back into DE, found the RW Sw and a pair of Lesser Scaup at Assawoman. Indian River Inlet was empty, but there was one Surf Scoter in the bay seen from the south side. In the marsh on the south side, Gr. and Snowy Egrets; GB, 2 LB, Bl Cr Night Heron and 2 Bitterns; at least 7 Osprey, Harrier, more Brant and a lone Snow Goose (with a possible broken wing). 6 Gr Scaup, numerous RB Merg at Burton's Is. Silver Lake still has the large collection of Ruddies but everything else appears to be gone. For the day, 118 species with 19 ducks. Glen Lovelace III Seaford, DE H - glovelace@dol.net W - glovelace@mail.dot.state.de.us ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================