Fran and I spent the morning welcoming the New Year in the way to which we've become accustomed--birding!

We tallied 82 species for the day and added a new species to our Life, State, and Worcester Couty lists today, that long-sought Cackling Goose who refused to give in to our searches during 2004.  Here are the species we saw today, by location:

Mystic Harbor:
Great Blue Heron           1
Turkey Vulture   7
Snow Goose      6
Canada Goose   7
American Black Duck     6
Mallard  4
Ring-necked Duck          1
Red-breasted Merganser 2
Common Merganser       6
Sharp-shinned Hawk      1
Ring-billed Gull  3
Herring Gull       2
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Mourning Dove   1
Great Horned Owl          2
Belted Kingfisher            1
Downy Woodpecker       1
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay            2
American Crow  6
Tree Swallow     6
Carolina Chickadee        4
Tufted Titmouse 7
Red-breasted Nuthatch   1
Brown-headed Nuthatch  3
Carolina Wren    2
Eastern Bluebird            3
Gray Catbird      1
Brown Thrasher  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler   1
Eastern Towhee 2
Fox Sparrow      1
Song Sparrow    3
Swamp Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow  8
Dark-eyed Junco            1
Northern Cardinal           5
Red-winged Blackbird     4
House Finch      3
Pine Siskin        1
American Goldfinch        6
House Sparrow  5

Ocean City, Jetty & Inlet
Red-throated Loon          1
Great Cormorant            1
Common Eider   2
Surf Scoter        15
White-winged Scoter      1
Black Scoter     3
American Oystercatcher 1
Purple Sandpiper           1
Bonaparte's Gull            6
Ring-billed Gull  75
Herring Gull       40
Great Black-backed Gull 25

Ocean City, Skimmer Island
Red-throated Loon          1
Common Loon   8
Great Blue Heron           13
Tundra Swan     6
Bufflehead         300
Red-breasted Merganser 15
Black-bellied Plover        1
American Oystercatcher 8
Ruddy Turnstone            1
Sanderling         25
Dunlin   45
Ring-billed Gull  45
Herring Gull       80
Great Black-backed Gull 25
Rock Pigeon      25
Mourning Dove   6
Belted Kingfisher            1
American Crow  8
Fish Crow          1
American Robin 3
European Starling          25
House Sparrow  5

West Ocean City Pond
Great Blue Heron           15
Black-crowned Night-Heron         3
Gadwall 6
American Black Duck     15
Mallard  350
Northern Shoveler           8
Northern Pintail  6
Canvasback       250
Lesser Scaup    1
Hooded Merganser         18
Black Rail         1
Herring Gull       25
Great Black-backed Gull 10
Mourning Dove   3

Ocean Downs Raceway
Turkey Vulture   8          
Cackling Goose 1          
Canada Goose   600       
Ring-billed Gull  150       
Rock Pigeon      75         
Tree Swallow     45         

Ocean Pines Pond
Double-crested Cormorant          1
Black Vulture     1
Turkey Vulture   4
Snow Goose      1
Canada Goose   250
Mallard  150
Northern Shoveler           6
Hooded Merganser         20
Ruddy Duck      4
Ring-billed Gull  200
Downy Woodpecker       1
Northern Flicker 1
American Crow  12

Eagles Landing GC
Gadwall 6
American Wigeon          11
Mallard  12
Northern Shoveler           2
Northern Flicker 1
Brown-headed Nuthatch  1

Assateague Island
Common Loon   6
Horned Grebe    1
Double-crested Cormorant          1
Brant    150
Long-tailed Duck            3
Bufflehead         150
Belted Kingfisher            1
Northern Flicker 1
Brown-headed Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren    3
Northern Mockingbird     3
Brown Thrasher  1
European Starling          35
Yellow-rumped Warbler   350
Eastern Towhee 3
Song Sparrow    2
White-throated Sparrow  6
Northern Cardinal           3

Rum Pointe GC
Turkey Vulture   3
Mallard  45
Ruddy Duck      6
Ring-billed Gull  150
Herring Gull       6

South Point Farms
Turkey Vulture   3
American Kestrel           1
Hairy Woodpecker         1
Blue Jay            6
European Starling          20
Northern Cardinal           1
Eastern Meadowlark       5

Happy New Year!
Norm & Fran
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Norm Saunders
West Ocean City & Colesville, MD