Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 18:59:43 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Rick Sussman Subject: O.C. sightings, Saturday March 22 Comments: To: voice@audubonnaturalist.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi all, My wife and I just returned from a trip to Ocean City for the weekend (our 22nd anniversary!). We birded the O.C. inlet for a bit on Saturday AM and Sunday AM, as well as the 4th street flats and Indian River inlet on Saturday. On Saturday morning there was a 1st winter male COMMON EIDER at the inlet in O.C. about 1/2 way along the north side of the south jetty (in the inlet). It was standing on the rocks preening when I picked it up while scanning. It eventually got in the water and swam a bit, then got back on the rocks again. Shortly a small fishing boat came along and moored right where it had been, scaring the bird off. I was not able to relocate it, but did get some digital pics. Also at the inlet were large #'s of both Common and Red-throated Loons, lots of Red-breasted Mergansers and a handful of Red-necked Grebes. Purple Sandpipers are still around , as well. West O.C. pond had lots of Canvasbacks, Ruddys and a handful of Northern Shovelers. American Oystercatchers were on the 4th St. flats, some flying in pairs and calling/displaying (?). Indian River inlet had some of the same assortment, but 2 Great Cormorants too, as well as a nice flock of Long-tailed Ducks. On Sunday, March 23, we were again out early at the O.C. inlet, where we ran into Norm and Fran Saunders. We birded with them a while, then were invited over to see their new home in West O.C., where we got close up and personal with a number of Brown-headed Nuthatches coming to their feeders. Very uninhibited birds! I nominate Fran and Norm as Ocean City Hostess/Host of the week for their fine hopitality and tour of their beautiful new home! And a yard list already approaching 150! Sunday at the inlet we also picked up Northern Gannets. A beautiful weekend to anyplace but home... Rick Sussman Ashton,MD warblerick@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================