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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================