Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 14:54:28 -0600 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: marty cribb Subject: poor mans pelagic trip from Ocean City, Md MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hello Everyone, The results of my attempt to combine a fishing trip with = my son who is a non-birder and a pelagic bird trip were mixed to say the = least. With about 60 people aboard I was the only birder /fisherman and = my observations were very unexpected (or so I thought). The weather was = early AM fog which finaly lifted around 10AM and limited visibility to = about 1/4 mile. Wind very light from the NE no waves however a moderate = groundswell from winds earlier in the week. All in all good conditions = for both fisherman and yours truly. Now for the sightings and I will = also give miles from shore as they made the sightings significant in my = mind anyway. HERRING GULL 1, 3 miles AMERICAN ROBIN 22, 8 miles, JUNCO = 2, 22 miles (they kept circling the boat) NORTHERN CARDINAL 1, 17 miles = NORTHERN FLICKER 1, 35 miles RED-THROATED LOON 3 GREAT CORMORANT 1 = DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT 1 COMMON LOON 1 NORTHERN GANNETT 7 BONAPARTES = GULL 1 and finaly the strangest of all was the BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD 1, = 35 miles offshore who then landed on the boat and rode back with us to = Ocean City. As soon as the bird sighted the high-rises he flew from the = boat and made a quick flight to shore. On the way west on Rt 50 this = morning about 7:30 at mile marker 120 I did observe 60+ CATTLE EGRET at = the farm that has beef cattle in the large pasture. I expected to do = better on the pelagic species then I did but maybe I need to try in = January or February next time. Good Birding, Marty Cribb, Smith Island, = Md=20 ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================