Sunday, those of us who hung around on the shore after the pelagic trip 
split up and criss-crossed paths during the day.  Day break at the inlet 
Dave Powell and I had two Common Eiders on the south side of the jetty in 
O.C.  For Cave Swallows see Matt Hafner's post.  Back at the inlet shortly 
after 11AM Zach Baer spotted a Little Gull working with a large flock of 
Bonaparte's Gulls and Forster's Terns.  The gull put on a show for Mike 
Burchett, Matt, Zach and myself for almost an hour.  Mike spied a... ah, for 
Cave Swallows see Matt's post.  Matt turned up a female King Eider off the 
tip of the south jetty, ended up have great looks.  A Great Cormorant was on 
the south jetty as well as a second winter Lesser Black-backed Gull.  While 
standing out on the beach, I was scanning for more Cave Swallows, when I 
picked up on a flock of ten or so Snow Buntings fly south right at us.  They 
passed us only a few feet away and were only a foot or two off the ground, I 
think some of the birds actually flew in between us! The Peregrine Falcon 
was at its usual post on the water tower.  Not a bad morning.

I stopped in Choptank, Caroline County on the way home.  I was hoping that 
one or both of the Glaucous Gulls seen at Beulah Landfill the day before 
would be hanging around the public marina.  As I drove by the marina I 
spotted a first year Glaucous Gull fly from a boat and land in the water 20 
feet from me.  Nice, county bird!  Matt, Mike and Zach were along shortly, I 
was still there hoping for it to move out into the river into Talbot County. 
  What do ya know, with a little bit of luck it did.

As for the Cave Swallows I have seen them in four counties totaling 12 birds 
this fall, plus the Point Lookout bird a couple years ago, oh I'm smelling a 
closeout!

Hans Holbrook

Columbia, MD

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