Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 20:42:37 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Michael Bowen Subject: recent sightings in DE/MD Comments: To: voice@capaccess.org Comments: cc: DE-BIRDS@LIST.AUDUBON.ORG Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Here are some recent sightings from Delaware and Maryland. These exclude sightings for the Ocean City (MD) Christmas Bird Count on December 28, which will probably be posted elsewhere by the compilers. December 27: Silver Lake, Rehoboth Beach, DE: The amount of open water is shrinking rapidly with the cold weather; the female TUFTED DUCK was seen in with a few LESSER SCAUP, in the company of many AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, MALLARD, and smaller numbers of other duck including RUDDY DUCK, CANVASBACK, and a few GADWALL. There was a single male REDHEAD present. The same day there were about 40 OLDSQUAW (aka LONG-TAILED DUCK) off the jetties at Indian River Inlet, Sussex County, DE, where there were also at least 3 GREAT CORMORANT. A few RUDDY TURNSTONE, PURPLE SANDPIPER, and SANDERLING were on the jetties (as they were 2 days later, also). Large numbers of BRANT and SNOW GOOSE were in the bay to the west of the inlet. A MERLIN was working the picnic and campground areas on both the north and south sides of the inlet. December 29: at Indian River Inlet: In with about 200 BONAPARTE'S GULL was 1 first-winter BLACK-HEADED GULL. This bird appeared to me to be flying "funny" and I think it may have an injured leg. It was first seen sitting on the water apart from the main Bonaparte's flock, where Joy (my wife) first spotted it. December 29: Trap Pond State Park, Sussex Co, DE: ca. 50 SNOW GOOSE and a single EASTERN PHOEBE. Allen Deward's house, Bishopsville, MD (Worcester Co.): the continuing female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD at a feeder and a WINTER WREN in his front yard. (Thank you for allowing birders onto your property, Allen!) December 30: Point Lookout State Park, St. Mary's County MD: 4 HORNED GREBE, 4 TUNDRA SWAN, 20 CANVASBACK, 30 GREATER SCAUP, 30+ OLDSQUAW, 200 SURF SCOTER, 20 WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, 30+ COMMON GOLDENEYE, 50+ BUFFLEHEAD AND 10+ RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. (same day) we dipped on the KELP GULL at Sandgates, St. Mary's Co., MD, on the Patuxent River, but did see HORNED GREBE, PIED-BILLED GREBE and RUDDY DUCK there, along with a few COMMON GOLDENEYE, OLDSQUAW and BUFFLEHEAD. and a single HOODED MERGANSER (female), obviously displaced from more usual habitat by the extensive freezing-over of ponds in our area. Those of you who remember Floyd Hayes (once a MD resident, and now a Professor at the University of the West Indies in Port of Spain, Trinidad) may be interested in learning that we were birding with him and his 9-year old son, Bret, who are here in the freezing mid-Atlantic states for a short time from their tropical home. They enjoyed repelling frostbite and seeing all the nice diving ducks we have in Maryland. Bret had numerous lifers along with the frostbite. Mike D.H. Michael Bowen 8609 Ewing Drive Bethesda MD 20817 (Montgomery County) Tel.: (301)530-5764 dhmbowen@yahoo.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================