Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2001 20:37:29 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Steve Sanford Subject: E Shore 03-31-01 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I got together an impromptu field trip to the lower Eastern Shore which I had dubbed the April Fool's Weekend. It turned out I was the April Fool because, I brought my scope, my maps, my umbrella, my walking stick, my digital camera, my snacks, my pills .... But, I forgot my binoculars! Due to the relative slowness of the birding, the ambiguous weather, and my unfortunate forgetfulness, we all ended up returning home Saturday night from the "Weekend." Nevertheless, there are things worth mentioning: Foremost of which is that we had nice looks at the Iceland Gull at OC Inlet. We also saw 1 Harlequin Duck, 3 Gannets (2 very close for a few of us), lots of Red-throated and Common Loons, Purple Sandpipers, and about 2000+ Black Scoters wheeling about and working their way north. (The scoters were far away but close enough to conclude they were Black by the complete absence of any detectable white markings in the wings or necks.) EA Vaughn (north) was hopping with sparrows as usual including at least 2 Clay-colored Sparrows ~. The waterfowl collection there was minimal, mainly G-w Teal. We passed thru Twilley's Bridge Rd in Wicomico Co, hoping for early warblers, etc, but it was dead. Deal Island had most of the expected species including Great and Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, about 50+ Black-crowned Night-Herons at dusk, Glossy Ibis, Am Wigeon, both Teals, N Pintails, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plovers, Virginia Rail, heard King Rail (or Clapper?). Unfortunately, the hoped-for Short-eared Owls, that I see almost every time I come there at this time of year (or a little earlier), did not reveal themselves. Steve Sanford tanager@bcpl.net Randallstown MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================