Since Chan and Company are still counting today and tomorrow, allow me to post the highlights here of the OC Count. The Ocean City 50th Anniversary Count took place on Monday, December 29, this year. The day began with calm air and calm water and temperatures hovering at the 30-degree mark. The sun in the morning quickly disappeared, however, as a storm moved up from the south, raising strong northeasterly winds, heavy cloud cover, and, later in the afternoon, heavy blowing rain. 152 species were tallied, one fewer than last year and tied with the 1994 list. Two new species were added to the count history this year, both by expatriate Michael O'Brien--Lesser Black-backed Gull and Wild Turkey. Other write-ins include, in no particular order: Chipping Sparrow, Great Cormorant, Willet, Tree Swallow, Peregrine Falcon, Barn Swallow, Northern Gannet, American Oystercatcher, Red Knot, Purple Sandpiper, Clapper Rail, Seaside Sparrow, Evening Grosbeak, Merlin, Sedge Wren, Snow Bunting, American Bittern, Lesser Yellowlegs, Red Crossbill, Eurasian Wigeon, Great Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Common Merganser. Count-week birds included Little Gull and Brown Pelican. Cheers! Norm =============== Norm Saunders Colesville, MD osprey@ari.net