Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2003 08:00:56 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Scott Crabtree Subject: Mid-Shore Birds - October 4 & 5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Saturday, I checked the grounds of my work site, the Kent Island Research Facility on Cox Neck Rd., in intermittent rain. Couldn't buy a sparrow, but there was an interesting mix of birds in this transition of seasons. Eastern Meadowlarks were still present and vocalizing. But I also had my first Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Yellow-rumped Warbler of the season. Can winter be far behind? On Sunday, Louise and I hit several sites in Kent and Queen Anne's County to see what may be around and to check out my new Nikon scope. Starting at Great Oak Pond, Green-winged Teals, Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks and the single Lesser Scaup were in amongst the Canada Geese. No sign of the Ross's or Snow Geese Walter Ellison reported from Friday. A stop at the Chestertown Filtration Plant on John Handy Road added N. Shoveler, Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls, Caspian Tern and innumerable Tree Swallows feeding over the aeration ponds. No Franklin's Gulls or any sign of the unusual birds seen there last week. However, there was at least one Richardson's type Canada Goose among the host of other Canadas. At two-thirds the size of the surrounding geese, short neck, blockish head and stubby bill, it really stood out. A final stop at the Kent Island water treatment plant showed that it was only holding Ring-billed Gulls. Oh, and Nikon's new 82mm ED scope is dynamite! Scott Crabtree Chester, MD crabtree@myshorelink.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================