[MDOsprey] Eastern Shore and other

J.B. Churchill (jbc@caf.wvu.edu)
Mon, 29 Nov 1999 10:06:33 -0500 (EST) 

Hi Folks,
	I failed to find the N. Shrike at Blairs Valley Lake on Thursday, got 
the Pacific Loon on Friday, Had a great day on the Eastern Shore on Saturday, 
and saw a few birds at Piney Run Park on Sunday (stopping at a few other places 
as well).
	Mike Callahan and I went birding primarily in Somerset County on 
Saturday 11/27.  We checked on the Sandhill Crane on Tarbutton Mill Road.  It 
was still there.  We spotted Snow Buntings just on the Dorchester Side of the 
Bridge in Cambridge at the new Visitor's Center there.  Also got a WWSC (scoter) 
there.  Soon a flock of gulls near Rt 50 got my attention and before long we 
spotted a 1st year Iceland gull (this was between Linkwood Rd and Vincent Rd on 
the South side of Rt 50).
	Eventually we made it to Somerset County stopping at Deal Island WMA 
looking at lots of Savannah Sparrows and Great Egrets Great Blue Herons etc.  
There was a huge raft of only 3 Wigeon at Riley Roberts Road (bummer).  Saw Surf 
Scoters, WWSC, a couple Common Loons, a Cormorant (DCCO) and Oldsquaw at Deal 
Point. Water Pipits kept flying over.  A few birds in Crisfield included a 
Sharp-shinned Hawk and several Black Vultures.
	At Irish Grove I finally got good looks at a Sedge Wren.  There also was 
a wintering Salt Marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow there.  Closer to the Woodland edge 
there was a Swamp Sparrow chipping away.  On some nearby property we spotted 4 
Lesser Yellowlegs.
	We ended the day at the OC Inlet with the usual Ruddy Turnstones, Purple 
Sandpipers, Sanderlings, one male RB Merg, lotsa Gannetts, 3 Harlequin Ducks, a 
couple of Horned Grebes and a single Forster's Tern in the inlet (wouldn't it be 
much easier to type RUTU, PUSA, SAND, RBME, NOGA, HARD, HOGR, FOTE ... sheesh).
	Sunday Driving back towards Morgantown I tried for birds previously 
reported at New Design Road and Cap Stine/ S. Renn in Frederick Co.  I saw some 
pipits and a lotta cowbirds, but little else.  At Piney Run Park I saw over a 
hundred Ring-necked Ducks, 5 Canvasback, several Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallards, ABDU 
(Black Ducks), and a couple Hooded Mergs and some Bufflehead.  Also a few PBGR 
(grebes), about 40 Ring-billed Gulls, and one female Northern Shovelor (NSHO).
	
	Good Birding,
	
	J.B.
	
                                                       
====================================================== 
             ___	                               
   _________/   \_________	Home (304) 292-5072    
  /- - - - - O O - - - - -\	Work (304) 293-4832    
  \________'\_v_/`________/		  ext. 4456    
           /_|_|_\                                     
             ^ ^                                       
                                                       
John B. Churchill, M.S.
GIS Analyst	                       
West Virginia University                               
Natural Resources Analysis Center                      
                                                       
    __     ______                                      
      \___/      \__^_                                 
          [   )      o\                                
          `__]____)'--'*                               
            ]_    ]_                                   
                                                       
Support Evolution, ... destroy a weakling !           

http://www.nrac.wvu.edu/users/jbc/                                                       
======================================================