Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2003 10:10:15 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Walter Ellison Subject: Birds, Isabel and Kent County - It's not the CBBT MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi All, Storm birding and post-storm birding in Kent County by the = Ellison-Martins consisted of looking for birds in the wet and wind on = Thursday evening at Tolchester Beach and Rock Hall, and trying to find = any view of the water not behind tidal creeks swollen across roads and = downed trees/powerlines on Friday. On Thursday evening the main spectacle was provided by Forster's Terns. = We counted about 440 at Tolchester and Rock Hall with over 320 at the = former location. There was a fair number of Common Terns with the = predominant Forster's, 25 at Tolchester and 5 at Rock Hall. We also had = just a single Caspian Tern at Tolchester, and a single Royal Tern at = Rock Hall. All of the terns we saw were streaming north over the Bay. = Other little surprises included a mixed flock of swallows sheltering on = wires along Bayshore Rd that included 50 Trees, 5 Banks, 20 = rough-wingeds, and 2 martins; and a Green Heron at Rock Hall harbor. On Friday I set out to try Tolchester again and found the marina flooded = with no close Bay access. This led to my morning peregrinations across = the county. It turned out Rock Hall was cut off by the floodwaters of = Swan Creek on 445 and upper Langford Creek at Ricaud's Branch Rd on = Route 20. My "best" finds of this early wandering were 12 pintail flying = over Langford, 5 Caspian Terns at Quaker Neck Landing, a Great Egret at = Pomona, and the standard selection at the John Hanson Rd treatment ponds = - 110 shovelers, both teal, 15 Caspian Terns, 4 Ruddy Ducks. I also saw = 8 Bald Eagles in various places around western Kent County yesterday. I finally returned to Tolchester Beach and set up my scope to scan the = narrow view of the Bay from the flooded marina's gate. There were still = lots terns flying by, heading southward by now. Most of them were = Forster's but I saw 6 Commons go by. The light was behind me and I could = see the subtle distinction in the whitish gray of the Forster's versus = the more medium gray of the Commons. At about 10:00 I saw a larger tern = go by with three Forster's, it was very dark with a black head and = breast, a pale patch on the inner underwing and white belly. It was in = view very briefly. As they say - "Be careful for what you wish for, you = might get it." The juvenile SOOTY TERN left me wishing it would come = back so I could study it. No such luck. Three Black-bellied Plovers also = flew by while I was here. Soon thereafter I ran into Floyd, Zachary and Jared Parks also out to = see what the storm had dragged in. I was able to join these estimable = gentlemen for a 2 hour seawatch from Damsite near Tolchester Beach. = Unfortunately no more really notable storm waifs - we did see 8 more = Common Terns, 3 Caspian Terns, a young Black Tern, 11 Ruddy Turnstones, = and at least one Cape May Warbler. While we were talking birds waiting = for the next burst of terns to go by Floyd told me about a flock of 50 = Cattle Egrets he and his sons had seen at the sheep farm on Reese's = Corners Rd. I eventullay got over there after we closed shop on the = Damsite seawatch - I could only count 40, but they were playing hide and = seek in the grass whereas Floyd had seen the egrets flushed by an eagle. An interesting couple of days. I wish I had found more, but for now it's = nice to have the power back after a 34 hour hiatus - apologies to others = who have yet to see their power return; have faith it will be fixed.=20 Take Care & Good Birding, Walter Ellison 23460 Clarissa Road Chestertown, MD 21620 phone: 410-778-9568 e-mail: rossgull@crosslink.net "A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast" - E. B. = White (in "Stuart Little") =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================