Hi All,

Nice to see the sun, it seems fair to say most of the clouds got blown away by northwest winds. Nancy and did some birding on the way home from a busy day in the Chestertown area - the Chester River Association Pumpkin Fest, a tae-kwon-do event, and the annual wildlife art show. We checked John Hanson Road, and Great Oak Pond.

At Great Oak Pond the geese were in for their daily bathe and loaf. Among the 1500 Canada Geese, were 150 Snow Geese (four blue), 7 CACKLING (RICHARDSON'S) GEESE, and, acting as if paired with one of the Richardson's, an adult BARNACLE GOOSE. Such a neatly attired and dainty goose, with its white face, glossy black neck and breast, black mantle and pale whitish gray lower back and wings with black and white barring. The Barnacle Goose had no bands and both hind toes were visible (thus not clipped) as it walked at the east end of the pond. Also present were a female Merlin, a Cooper's Hawk, 18 Killdeer, 2 Dunlin, a Lesser Yellowlegs, 100 Green-winged Teal, and 15 Ruddy Ducks. Yesterday there were still two STILT SANDPIPERS at Great Oak Pd.

At John Hanson Road there were 22 Caspian Terns, 140 Northern Shovelers, 30 Ruddy Ducks, and 500 Canada Geese. On the Chester River on our boat ride down from Deep Landing in Queen Anne's County to Chestertown there were 80 Killdeer in two flocks over the river, 2 Bald Eagles, 10 Forster's Terns, 40 Laughing Gulls, and 8 Caspian Terns. On the wires along MD-298 in Melitota there were still 12 Northern Rough-winged Swallows. 

Good Birding,

Walter Ellison

23460 Clarissa Road
Chestertown, MD 21620
phone: 410-778-9568
e-mail: 

"A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast" - E. B. White (in "Stuart Little")

"Are there *ever* enough birds?" - Connie Hagar as quoted by Edwin Way Teale in "Wandering through Winter"