Date:         Mon, 20 Jan 2003 13:18:23 -0500
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Don Simonson <don.simonson@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Blue Geese,Short-eared owls Delaware
Comments: cc: voice@capaccess.org
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Content-disposition: inline

Byron Swift and I took off to the coast on Sunday Jan.20.  we observed
three  separate enormous flocks of grazing SNOW GEESE at extremely
close range, 5-15 miles west of Lewes DE, each contained over 2,000
individuals.  I counted more than 30 BLUE GEESE (Blue phase Snow
Goose), the biggest number I have ever seen in a day.  The windy
weather was excruciatingly cold, we nonetheless walked the entire
point at Cape Henlopen, saw 1 PURPLE SANDPIPER (on jetty) and 1 RED-
THROATED LOON, 6 DUNLIN, and a few GANNETS. The field on the east side
of Rte. 9 at the intersection with 113 (just across from Dover AFB)
had two dozen HORNED LARKS.
the day's finale was sunset at Port Mahon Road, Little Creek DE.  Over
7 harriers were active on both sides of the road, and just after
sunset,at the very farthest end of the road, two SHORT-EARED OWLS
appeared very low and close, on the inland side of the parking lot.
They were magnificent birds, and the first I have seen in 10 years or
more.  We watched them for 10 minutes till they moved off farther into
the marsh.  What a delightful day afield!

=======================================================================
To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com
with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey
=======================================================================
=========================================================================