Re: Ocean City Pond
MHoff36100@aol.com
Sat, 31 Jan 1998 23:35:26 EST
In a message dated 98-01-30 09:44:36 EST, Elliot Kirschbaum wrote:
>
> Excuse the late report, but as the recent report on the Ocean City
> Christmas count did not mention Snowy Egret, I thought I'd mention this.
>
> On January 1, I and my wife saw a Snowy Egret near West Ocean City pond.
> Taking the first right turn after the pond, and following the road
> brought us to another small pond. There we saw the Snowy Egret perched on
> a tree branch. This is the first time we ever happened on this pond. I
> wonder if others have visited it, and if anyone has seen the egret since
> we did.
>
> Elliot Kirschbaum
> Baltimore, MD USA
> mailto:ekirschb@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us
>
Elliot and Ospreyers--
I don't know anything about the egret, but I can fill you in a little on the
small pond you found. This pond is on "Riggins Ridge Rd" if memory serves me
correctly. The usual birdlife are semi-tame Mallards, and that's about it.
Nonetheless, its always worth checking.
This small pond is most famous for the Fulvous Whistling Duck that spent the
winter of 1974-75 on it. (Note that at one time the West Ocean City Pond was
call the "Fulvous Tree Duck" pond for the one that spent several months there
in 1961 and 1963).
The only other particular rarity I know of from this location was a Common
Moorhen which also spent the winter (of 75-76).
I have a somewhat funny story I like to tell about this pond, so I will share
it with you. Back in February 75 I was in OC for Saturday and Sunday pelagic
trips. I had heard about the whistling duck and had never seen one, but as the
boats left before dawn and returned after dark, I didn't know how I was going
to see it. (My father drove me around back then, and I couldn't come down on
Friday or leave Monday either.) Anyway, my dad drove me over to the pond after
the Saturday boat trip, and aiming the car headlights across the pond (as you
know it is quite small), we were able to spotlight the small flock of
Mallards, which include a sleepy whistling duck! State birds for the day were
Yellow-nosed Albatross, Atlantic Puffin, Dovekie and Fulvous Whistling Duck --
an unlikely combination!
By the way, the road between the pond and where it dead ends can be a good
landbird area as well. I have seen Orange-crowned Warbler here in January.
Regards,
Mark Hoffman
Mhoff36100@aol.com
Sykesville, MD