Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 08:35:49 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Benjamin Poscover Subject: Re: Ocean City CBC scouting MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Marshall: I am planning a trip to the OC area this week. Some of the locations on your post are unfamiliar to me. If time would permit, could you identify the locations of the following: Skimmer Island, Eagles Nest Camp Ground, and South Point. Many thanks for your help. Ben Poscover Towson MD bposcovde@bcpl.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marshall Iliff" To: Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 8:56 PM Subject: [MDOSPREY] Ocean City CBC scouting > Hi all, > > I will be leading a pair of Victor Emanuel Nature tours (VENT) trip to Belize > starting Thurday 21 Dec and running through 3 Jan. As a result, I will miss > my five favorite Xmas Counts (Ocean City, Chincoteague, Crisfield, Cape > Charles, VA, and of course, Annapolis). I had hoped that my living in Ocean > City would allow me to discover a number of hot stakeouts for the OC CBC, but > unfortunately, have been unable to produce anything really stellar. > Nonetheless, below are a few decent birds I have seen in the area recently > which Ocean City counters should be on the lookout for: > > At the Inlet: 1 Red Knot was present through at least Friday, 8 Dec. I expect > this bird to winter here. Harlequin Ducks peaked at 5, all of which may still > be present. Still no eiders. > > At the Wal-Mart fields: Sparrow number sare much reduced for last year (but > may build by count time). Several White-crowned Sparrows are present and an > Orange-crowned Warbler was present along the gut dividing the first field > field (where the CCSPs spent most of their time last year). I saw it w/ > George Armistead 7 Dec as it foraged about 2/3 of the way along the brushy > hedgerow bordering the gut. A Lincoln's Sparrow *may* have vocalized from the > Phrag area where the gut meets the road, but was heard by George A. only, > also 7 Dec. > > Skimmer Island: One adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, in heavy wing molt, has > been present on and off on Skimmer Island and feeding in the Bay around the > island. One evening I saw what was likely the same bird roosting with a large > gull flock on the beach just north of the Fishing Pier (or directly opposite > Division St. if you want to drive there instead of walking from the inlet). I > believe this flock gathers an hour before dusk and stringly recommend that > someone check it on count day as it is the largest flock on the beach south > of 28th St. (I rollerbladed from there to the inlet one evening). > > At West OC Pond: Not much of note, but 1710 Canvasbacks today. No Redhead > today in a cursory look, but many ducks were tucked out of view in the > willows. One male Redhead was there last week. Also present were N. Pintail, > GW Teal, BC Night-Heron (17+), Greater Scaup (1 fem), Lesser Scaup, Am. > Wigeon (just 2), shoveler, etc.. I have seen no summer herons in the Ocean > City area since late November. > > At Ocean Pines Pond: Still relatively few ducks, but 1-3 Double-crested and > 2-3 Great Cormorants present on most visits. Since the Greats are present > most but not all of the time, I'd be interested to know if anyone sees them > roost there at night or if they always leave the pond to roost. Always has > struck me as a strange location for the species. > > At Eagle's Nest Campground: No sightings of the Marbled Godwit since Sunday, > 3 Dec. From 1-3 Willets have been present however on most visits, though I > did not see any today. The highlight today around 4:00 was a single > Semipalmated Plover, a bird not seen on most recent counts but which we had 2 > of last year, also at Eagle's Nest. > > Assateague Boat Ramp: No recent sightings of the Lark Sparrow, but something > for Norm and Fran to watch for. > > South Point: The Genesar Mansion grounds *always* has at least one > Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The immature Great Cromorant found by John B. > Churchill in mid-November has continued most days at the Ocean City Golf > Course on the right about 2 mi after the split with Rte. 611. > > In the Chincoteague CBC circle George Armistead and I found FOUR > Yellow-breasted Chats on 8 Dec, and a detailed map of each location has been > passed on to Michael O'Brien who will be expected to produce at least one! > > That's all I have to offer. No Snowy Owls had shown up by Monday, 18 > December, so that pretty much guarantees that one will be present and > much-enjoyed by all between 21 Dec-3 Jan...probably sitting on my roof! > > Good CBC-ing to all, > > Marshall Iliff > miliff@aol.com > Ocean City, MD > > ======================================================================= > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= > ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================