This Tuesday and Wednesday, the 27th and 28th, my son Ben and I repeated the trip his Mother and I took in November.  We began our birding on Route 9 south of Chesapeake City, birding to Ocean City and then home through Blackwater NWR.  
 Shortly after turning on Route 9, we stopped at a large pond containing Pintails, Canada Geese, the ubiquitous Mallard, and a sky full of Snow Geese.  In a tree bordering the pond was a mature Bald Eagle.  Not a bad way to begin a trip.  However birding south, we found the same conditions as before; empty ponds and guts. As Ben said, "Bombay Hook had some great birds but we had to dig them out."
 We skipped Port Mahon Road and Little Creek stopping at Broadkill Beach finding empty ponds and no action on the Delaware Bay. We did a quick stop at Cape Henlopen State Park with its new, confusing road system, stopping at the visitor's center and picking up a Red-breasted Nuthatch on the feeder.  
 We did well in Rehoboth at Silver Lake.  The Monk Parakeet nest we saw on the telephone pole during our last trip was gone.   There were large numbers of Canvasbacks and Ruddy Ducks.  We also saw Red-breasted Mergansers, Double-crested Cormorants, and lots of Canada Geese.  An Eclectic group made up of individuals from Wisconsin, Virginia, Ohio, and California (the leader) were there.  The leader said that he had a female Red-head in his scope.  When we looked we did not see it nor could he put it in our scope.  
 After finding out how to reach the Eastern Parking Lot, we hit a bonanza at Indian River Inlet.  On the jetty were Brant, Purple Sandpipers, and Ruddy Turnstones.  In the light tower were both Great  and Double Crested Cormorants.  In the distance were Gannets.  At the mouth of the Inlet were Surf and Black Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, both loons, and Common Eiders.  There we also Bonaparte Gulls, and a Forster's Tern.   We had our best looks ever at Common Eiders, both male and female.  [Getting to the Eastern Parking area was difficult for us.  We exited the highway into the inlet as we normally did and found everything blocked.  There is massive construction.  We located an individual, who was very helpful, and asked him directions and about the construction.  He said that they are replacing the bridge and it would be a 4-5 year project.  To reach the Eastern Parking Lot, we had to return to the main road, drive south about a quarter of a mile to a detour sign, turn left onto the north lane, and drive back toward the bridge.  Before reaching the bridge there was an opening that took us into the parking lot.  Upon returning to the highway, we drove north over the bridge and about a fourth of a mile further to an exit that let us onto the south lane.] 
 Driving south we pulled into a public beach area where we saw Surf Scoters and Buffle-heads in the Bay area,  and Sanderlings along the shore. 
 It was late when we got to Ocean City and drove directly to the Jetty where we had Brant, both Loons,  Surf Scooters.  Purple Sandpipers and Turnstones were on the rocks.  The next morning we began at 4th Street looking at Skimmer Island.  There were lots of gulls and Brant.  From the Hooper's Restaurant Side we saw a single Oyster Catcher.   
 At West Ocean City Pond we added Black-crowned Night herons and  Gadwall to our list.  We drove on to Eagles Nest Golf Course where we saw both a male and female Eurasian Widgeon.   Back on Route 50, we drove to the ponds off Route 589 and as we turned on the road to them we saw a Phoebe and Chipping Sparrows. 
 We made a try for a Snowy Owl at Elliot Island Road.  We drove the length of it seeing little but did have nice looks at a mature Bald Eagle.  From what we could see, the waters in Fishing Bay were empty.  
 We then drove to Blackwater NWR.  As we neared Bucktown,  there was a large chicken enterprise.  It also was Vulture heaven as they covered the ground.  In the field across the road were seven Bald Eagles.  In fact it was a Bald Eagle Day as they seemed everywhere.  We counted over twenty during the drive at Blackwater NWR including two that put on a prenuptial performance.    We stopped at the Visitor's Center and in the fields surrounding it were Tundra Swans and flocks of Canada Geese.  Looking out the back door of the Center was the resident Bald Eagle on the bare tree trunk.  
 We drove to Cambridge and found very little.  In the drive along the Choptank we saw the usual group of Canvasback Ducks.  In the distance we got Common Golden Eye, and at the park very close looks at a male Surf Scooter.  What a beautiful bird.  I always look for the white on the back of the head but noticed for the first time that its forehead was white as well.  A very nice way to end our trip.  
 Again, most of our birding was done from the car.  We tallied 76 species.  

Ben Poscover
Towson, Maryland 


Benjamin Poscover
Parkville, Maryland