Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 12:59:26 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Marshall Iliff Subject: Eastern Shore birding 15 Jan (GWFG, THGU, ICGU, GLGU) Comments: cc: Georgearmistead@aol.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit MDOsprey, On 15 Jan 2002 George Armistead and I worked our way across the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Despite missing the Western Grebes at Horshead we had an excellent day with White-fronted Goose and good gulls as highlights. * Pocomoke Sewage Ponds, 0700-0730: 5500 Canada Geese w/ 1 possible small race, 450 Tundra Swans, 1 Gadwall, 10 American Wigeon, 65 Ruddy Ducks, 40 Mallards, 10 Ring-necked Ducks, 15 Northern Shovelers, 8 Killdeer, 10 Swamp Sparrows, 5 Song Sparrows, 4 Northern Cardinals, * Williams Point Rd., Somerset Co.: 0845: 1 VESPER SPARROW, 85 Savannah Sparrows, 1 Fox Sparrow, 3 Field Sparrows, 35 Song Sparrows, 15 Swamp Sparrows * Back Shelltown Rd., 0.5 mi south of Old Rehobeth Rd.: 1 WESTERN PALM WARBLER, 1 ad Yellow-bellied Sapsucker * Vessey's Orchard area, Somerset County, 0800-1000: 1 EASTERN PHOEBE, 20 Yellow-shafted Flickers, 5 Downy Woodpeckers, 3 Red-bellied Woodpeckers, 4 American Pipits, 3 Fox, many Song, White-throated, Swamp Sparrows, 2 Eastern Towhees * Sheephouse Rd., 0.4 mi east of Aydelotte Rd.: One ad. Greenland GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE w/ 200 Canadas. This was likely the same bird seen at Pocomoke Sewage Ponds by Hoffman back in late Dec. A White-fronted Goose frequented the Aydelotte/Critcher Rd. area of Worcester Co. from 1994 to Jan 1998 (at least) - this could conceivably be the same bird, or at least, may be using the same area * Salisbury Landfill: one 1st-w ICELAND GULL (photos), 1 1st-w THAYER'S GULL (photos), one apparent 1st-w LESSER BLACK-BACKED x HERRING GULL (photos), 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (2 ad., 1 1st-w) - The Thayer's was seen extremely well at very close range, and photographed extensively by Iliff and Armistead, classic individual. The Lesser x Herring was seen well at rest by both Iliff and Armistead and we both independently decided it was this combination. The wing coverts were strongly checkered, moreso than on typical Herrings. The head and underparts were whitish. The bill was all black. Size and structure was identical to Herring. Only Iliff saw it in flight but it was very even on the upperwing due to a dark secondary covert bar, had a glaring white rump, and a mostly dark tail, looking essentially like a Lesser in flight. Photos were taken at rest only, unfortunately. * Buelah Landfill, Dorchester County - 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (2 ad, 1 1st-w), 1 1st-w GLAUCOUS GULL * Horshead/Kent Narrows area - 3 Surf Scoter, 30 American Coots, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, 1 Horned Grebe, 0 Western Grebes Best, Marshall Iliff *********************** Marshall Iliff miliff@aol.com Annapolis, MD ************************ ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================