Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 15:46:52 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Arlene Ripley Subject: Calvert County beaches 4/9/03 Comments: To: md-smas@yahoogroups.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed A quick check of Flag Ponds beach in the rain this morning found 9 adult Northern Gannets and two small flocks of Buffleheads on the bay. Along the shoreline were 13 Sanderlings and a pair of Dunlins. Hardly any ducks on the fresh water ponds -- a pair of Wood Ducks, a single Green-wing Teal, two Pied-billed Grebes and some Gadwalls. A scan of the choppy bay waters off North Beach yielded all three scoter species with Surf being the most abundant (several dozen), then Black, and two White-winged. All Horned Grebes seen were handsome in alternate plumage. Six adult gannets were observed along with a numerous Buffleheads and a few lingering Ruddy Ducks. Along the shore was a single Snowy Egret (Sandy Beach across from the marsh). The marsh is pretty flooded and held a flock of 55 Bonaparte's Gulls in various transitional plumages and small flocks of Green-wing Teals and Mallards. Arlene Ripley Calvert County, MD aripley@nestbox.com http://nestbox.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================