Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 00:39:58 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Matt Hafner Subject: Weekend Coastal Highlights MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Zach Baer and I put in a serious start to our year lists by heading a trip down to OC. We began saturday at Central Vaughn then worked up to the OC area. The next day was spent mainly cleaning up on our misses and chasing some interesting January birds. We ended with 140 species with some silly misses that we didn't try for very hard. Saturday was very windy, but thankfully most of it was just gusts. The water was extremely high all along the coast. Marsh birds were very difficult to come by as the marshes were extremely flooded. Sunday was completely different with no wind at all on the coast. The bay and ocean were flat calm. We didn't see snow until Talbot except a brief flurry near Blackwater. Because I'm tired, only a synopsis of highlights follows: Great Cormorant - 5 at OC Inlet present both days, 1 at Ocean Pines saturday (not checked on sunday) Snowy Egret - 1 at end of Langmaid Rd dawn on sunday, originally found on CBC Glossy Ibis - 12-15 seen at dusk at Deal Island on saturday Ross's Goose - 2 seen in large Snow Goose flock at intersection of Cherrix and Rte 12 on saturday Wood Duck - 1 female at Central Vaughn saturday Blue-winged Teal - 1 male in Showell saturday, originally found on CBC Eurasian Wigeon - 1 male scoped from Eagle's Nest CG on sunday, the calmness greatly helped with this bird Harlequin Duck - 1 female that Zach spotted flying in off of the ocean landed on the far side of the south jetty out of view, saturday all 3 scoter - Surf present at the inlet, Black and White-winged flew by on saturday Common Merganser - 1 male at George's Island Landing, saturday (we came looking for the females!) Golden Eagle - 1 perched in a snag along Key Wallace Dr just west of Blackwater NWR HQ on sunday Red Knot - 2 with a Sanderling flock on Skimmer Island on saturday possible California Gull - 1st year bird at Central Landfill in Worcester on saturday, I've never felt comfortable identifiying this plumage out of range, but this individual was classic in my opinion. The bird flew off and was lost before I got a photo. Oh well, next time. Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2 adults Central Landfill on saturday Short-eared Owl - 2 at Deal Island on saturday House Wren - 1 at Evans Rd near the new house still being finished, 1 in the hedgerow at south end of Bayview Rd, both on saturday Sedge Wren - 1 at Truitt's Landing pre-dawn, 1 at Central Vaughn right hand side of the road as soon as you enter the marsh (traditional spot) both on saturday, 1 at Langmaid rd marsh at dawn on sunday Marsh Wren - 3 at Ferry Landing on Assateague on Sunday (note: I have to yet to have a 5-wren day in MD, several 4-wren days have been rather frustrating) Palm Warbler - 2 Western race in fields around Newark on sunday, originally found on CBC Common Yellowthroat - 1 off of Ironshire Rd on sunday, originally found on CBC Clay-colored Sparrow - 2 on Evans Rd, north of new house in the west hedgerow between the cedars and where the road makes a sharp right. One of these birds was originally found the day before the CBC, seen both days LeConte's Sparrow - 1 running along the north side of the road in Central Vaughn just as your enter the marsh on saturday(same place as Sedge Wren above). good, but brief looks on the ground and in flight. I presume this bird was pushed to the road by the flooded marshes, our only Saltmarsh sparrow was flushed the same way farther alogn the road Nelson's Sparrow - 1 Acadian race at Ferry Landing with Marsh Wrens on sunday Vesper Sparrow - 2 flushed from fields in Central Vaughn with Savannahs on saturday Lincoln's Sparrow - 1 along hedgerow on south end of Bayview Rd with large Song/White-throat flock with House Wren on saturday There are presently lots of Brant in the bay along the coast. Also more Juncos than I've ever seen on the coast were present this weekend. At nearly every stop we made (except along George's Island looking for the Oregon!!) Matt Hafner Bel Air, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================