Hi Folks,

Elaine and I probably put more than 500 miles on the RAV-4 this weekend,
visiting the eight counties of the E. Shore along with southern Cecil Co.
Highlights of the trip include WOOD DUCK in Talbot Co., EURASIAN WIGEON in
QA and Worcester Counties, HARLEQUIN DUCK and AM. WHITE PELICANs in
Dorchester County, GREAT CORMORANT in Worcester and Wicomico Counties,
GOLDEN EAGLE in Caroline Co., MERLIN in Wicomico Co., BOBWHITEs in Somerset
Co., RUSTY BLACKBIRD in Wicomico Co., LAPLAND LONGSPUR in Cecil Co., and
some nice yard birds.

After a late wake-up during the rain on Saturday morning, 14 Jan, our yard
(Ferndale, AA Co.) was abuzz with acitivity.  We were delighted to see for
the first time in our yard a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER on our Apple Tree,
though we've been seeing evidence of the presence of this bird for over a
year.  It was a magnificently plumaged male, with deep red throat and
forehead, and a bright yellow belly.  Also visiting our yard at about the
same time were a BROWN CREEPER and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.

Once leaving home, our first visit was to the Phoenix area of northern
Baltimore Co., where we dipped on the White-fronted Goose reported there.
The pond had only a single male Ring-necked Duck, besides the usual Canada
Geese.  From there it was across the Bay Bridge where we stopped at Kent
Narrows for the usual assortment of bay ducks (Buffleheads, Oldsquaw, Co.
Goldeneyes, Scaup) and then to the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (aka
Horsehead) where we easily found the drake EURASIAN WIGEON among Am. Wigeon,
Gadwalls, and Ruddy Ducks, viewed from the blind not far from the parking
area, along the trail to the canoes (which are in storage for the winter).
From the boardwalk at the end of this trail, by the way, was a huge raft of
Canvasbacks, which I unsuccessfully scanned for Redheads.  A lone
Pied-billed Grebe was found in the mass of ducks.

From Horsehead, we headed to Cambridge, where we took the bypass to the west
of Easton (Rte 322), and upon crossing Hwy 33 (to St. Michaels) we stopped
and scanned the water on the east side of the road.  Here, among hundreds of
Canada Geese and several Mallards was a lone female WOOD DUCK, which we had
seen here about three weeks ago.  Proceeding to Cambridge, we easily found
the Cambridge Yacht Club marina, thanks to Les Roslund's detailed
directions, and after a bit of searching got some pretty good looks at the
HARLEQUIN DUCK there, a life bird for Elaine.  It was nice to see a pair of
Black Scoters up close, among the seeming hundreds of Surf Scoters.  We then
checked the large raft of Canvasbacks on Oakley St. and visited Great Marsh
Park, but nothing significant to report.  Then it was off to Blackwater NWR,
where we were very fortunate to see three of the AMERICAN WHITE PELICANs
from the final section of the Wildlife Loop, as reported in several other
posts.

Sunday, 15 January was tough for birding, and despite clear weather, the
howling wind kept us confined to the car during most of the day.
Nevertheless, we were determined to cover some territory in the northern
Eastern Shore, and our efforts were not in vain.  In northeastern Caroline
Co., in a field on the east side of Bee Tree Rd., about 1/4 mile south of
Mud Mill Rd. (very near Delaware line, Delorme p51 A5) was an adult GOLDEN
EAGLE standing on the ground, with its gold and brown plumage glistening in
the sun.  Despite the horendous wind, I got out of the car to attempt
getting the scope on it (this was a life bird for Elaine), but it took off
almost immediately, so the best we could do was watch it head away towards
the southwest.  A "gray ghost" NORTHERN HARRIER was flying over the same
field, but we lost track of it once we focused on the eagle.

We worked our way up through Queen Anne and Kent Counties, but bird activity
was depressingly low under the windy conditions.  However, in Cecil Co. we
wanted to check out a Horned Lark flock on New Cut Rd., a few hundred yards
northeast of Sandy Bottom Rd., and about a mile west of Cecilton.  We found
this flock a few weeks ago, but it was so scattered and active then that we
really couldn't examine it well.  This time we were a bit more fortunate, as
a large number of the larks were up close to the road (on the west side),
and here I was able to pick out one LAPLAND LONGSPUR from the car with
binoculars.  By the way, there is no shoulder along most of this stretch of
New Cut Rd.  Fortunately for us, traffic was non-existent, and we just
stopped in the road for a good ten minutes.

This morning (Mon., 16 Jan), we began at the other end of the E. Shore, at
the Ocean City inlet shortly after sunrise.  The Eiders were nowhere in
sight, and we learned later from Jim Stasz, who took his kayak around to the
other side of the jetty this morning, that the two Common Eiders were a good
half mile out.  Our best find there was a GREAT CORMORANT that flew to a
perch near the inlet motel.  We made the other requisite Ocean City stops
(4th St., Hooper's, W. OC Pond) but found nothing out of the ordinary,
though the Black-crowned Night Herons (three adults) at the pond are always
a treat.  One male EURASIAN WIGEON was seen among the numerous Am. Wigeons
at the Ealge's Nest Golf Course pond.  We worked our way west from Ocean
City through Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset Co.  By about 1 p.m. we had
reached Irish Grove in Somerset Co.  At the end of Rumbley Point Rd., the
huge raft of Canvasbacks (thousands) was fairly close, and I was easily able
to pick out three male REDHEADs among them in the excellent afternoon light.
Other ducks present were lots of Ruddies, Bufflehead, Surf Scoters, and a
few Greater Scaup.  As we passed back by the Irish Grove Sanctuary, heading
north, at 1:40 p.m., we flushed a covey of eight N. BOBWHITEs from the edge
of the road.  This was less than an hour after my telling Elaine that we
would not be finding any quail this time of day, this time of year.

Our final stops of substance were along the Nanticoke River in Wicomico Co.,
first in the town of Nanticoke at the end of Harbour Drive.  Few ducks could
be seen from there, and the jetties were bare, but a flyby GREAT CORMORANT
was a nice county bird for me.  Bivalve, a bit to the north offered a lot
more waterfowl such as Surf Scoters, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneyes, a few
Red-breasted Mergansers, and three Double-crested Cormorants, all juveniles.
At the Bivalve Marina, the cedar trees near the end of the parking lot were
alive with activity, and must have had half a dozen Brown Creepers!

Tyaskin and Wetipquin Marsh were quiet, but just north of the marsh, a small
raptor at the edge of the road turned out to be a MERLIN, which obligingly
allowed us to pull off the road and get some fabulous looks while it stood
on the ground for an extended time.  Then further along the Wetipquin Rd. a
small mix of blackbirds produced a single RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

An exciting weekend, despite some difficult weather.  Now we can look
forward to some good Midwinter counts.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie