Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 19:15:46 -0800 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Kevin Graff Subject: More notes from Sat trip to O.C. Inlet In-Reply-To: <000201c3fa5a$2be192f0$6400a8c0@NORM> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi all, Sorry for the delay. I may have the same Thick-billed Murre as other seen them on fri and Sun by same description. Clear whiter cheek, very dark, darker than Common Murre on upper body and short bill. I was surprised to see four alcid species on same day. Before Zach Baer arrive on Sat afternoon, I had a unidentified alcid flying in from the southeast and took a dive for a long time and never reappear all afternoon. During my 9 seconds of observing the alicd. It has a white head with some mottled black on its head and nape, heavy mottled black on upper body and white patch on its wing. It was well describing Black Guillemot in winter plumage. I had seen this guillemot in summer plumage back in 1997 at Maine and was familiar with flight pattern. After leaving Hooper's to stop at WaWa to get my dinner on the road. Before returned to my truck, I noticed numberous white spots over the ocean headed west and quickly headed back to Hooper's. About half hour later, about 11,222 Snow Geese "Greater", 15 "Lesser" including 6 Blue Goose and one Ross's Goose headed west over 25th St area from the ocean, in same direction as other 2000 Snow Geese on my previous email with Zach Baer at Hooper's. Few minutes later on Rt 50 west, between Rt 610 and Shepards Crossing Rd. two hen Wild Turkey scattered into the woods from roadside field. Farther down the road in Wicomico County before and after Woodyard Rd. Roughly about 300,000 blackbirds sp. in several flocks. Some in fields. Many drivers slowed down as massive flocks flew just few feet above Rt 50 headed N. That was awesome!!! I didn't get a chance to grab my camera to take a picture as I was studied the flocks for different species. I also took some pictures of Dovekie from Sat trip as it swam about 10 feet from us. Excellent view. 300,000 blackbirds sp. Broken into section: 256,000 Common Grackle 41,000 Red-winged Blackbird 4,000 Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Brewers Blackbird 2 Yellow-headed Blackbird 301,004 estimate/almost actual # no Rusty Blackbirds in any flocks It is impossible to do any actual counting birds in this kind of massive flocks. Kevin Graff Jarrettsville, MD & Ocean City, MD ocean_city2001@yahoo.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard - Read only the mail you want. http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================