Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 19:49:31 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Ocean City etc. today In-Reply-To: <000c01c3fa25$a4fec5c0$bc294d0c@comeaucomputer> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi all -- We also went over to Ocean City and enjoyed the Razorbills in the Inlet. We counted a minimum of six and apparently there were more! What great views. Unfortunately, no other alcids appeared during the time we were at the Inlet. We did want to comment that one of the Razorbills is a first-winter bird which means it has a much shorter and less-expanded bill, considerable white on the cheeks and throat, and a diffuse dark area running back between cheek and throat. It is almost exactly like the illustration of first-winter Razorbill in Mullarney's Guide to Birds of England and Europe. If not seen well or in poor conditions of wind and waves, it could be mistaken for a Thick-billed Murre so some caution is advised. Today we had almost perfect viewing conditions and there was no problem with correct ID. Other birds seen at the jetty or inlet were: 2 subadult male and 2 female King Eiders, at least 8 and maybe as many as 10 Common Eiders (all on other side of south jetty), all three Scoters, Red-necked Grebe (bay end of inlet), many Red-throated and Common Loons, Long-tailed Ducks, Purple Sandpipers, at least two Great Cormorants and a Lesser Black-backed Gull (4th Street flats). We went up to Indian River but it was pretty dead, only a few nice male Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Great Cormorants and another Red-necked Grebe for our troubles. We also saw the Eurasian Wigeon at Eagle Nest Golf Course, and sifted through a immense flock of about 15,000 mixed blackbirds en route home in hopes of finding a Yellow-headed, but no joy! All in all, a very nice day out! Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper Colesville, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================