A visiting British birder (forgot the name) and I had a female Surf Scoter in the scaup flock at Hoadley Road today. There were also two female White-winged Scoters and three unidentified female scoters (great distance, horrible light, high wind). We also found 2 Canvasbacks and 3 Ruddy Ducks. The scaup flock is still about 15,000, about 20-1 Lessers. At Conowingo Dam in the morning we had 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (the Brit was singularly unimpressed) and 50 Bonapart'es Gulls in the 4-5000 gulls, predominantly Ring-billed. The Bald Eagle count was 28. Yesterday (Friday) I had two Gray Catbirds and a Brown Thrasher in the thicket at the intersection of Wilkinson and Craigs Corner Roads, and an Eastern Phoebe near Lapidum. Who says winter is here? All four of these birds are in the Rock Run count circle. The Surf Scoter is number 252 for the year in Harford. Rick If you can't annoy someone, there is little point in writing. -- Kingsley Amis Rick Blom rblom@blazie.com 4318 Cowan Place Belcamp, Maryland 21017 (410)575-6086