Hi Everyone,
 
I had the pleasure today of birding around Dorchester Co. with Jim Brighton, Mike Walsh, and my friend Adam Goold, who was visiting from NYC. Our highlights were great looks at one ROSS'S GOOSE, as well as the three AMERICAN WHITE PELICANs, at Blackwater NWR. The Ross's Goose was found amid several thousand Snow Geese near the beginning of the Wildlife Loop. As I expected, this long-overdue life bird for me jumped out at me immediately when it hit the scope. Also, before we'd found the proper Ross's, we observed a probable SNOW x ROSS'S HYBRID, a bird much smaller than the surrounding Snows, but perhaps not quite small enough. It had a short neck and a stubby bill that was not quite triangular enough, as well as a small grin patch. The pelicans were alternately resting and feeding at the same location reported near the end of the Wildlife Loop. We also spotted 6 GREATER YELLOWLEGS in the pond just before the Marsh Trail.
 
Also noteworthy, we spooked a flock of at least 50 BLUE-WINGED TEAL (!!) and 3 WILSON'S SNIPE along Elliott Island Road. A lone RED-SHOULDERED HAWK on Decorsey Bridge Road was a county bird for me. Golden Eagles were reported in the Blackwater Visitor's Center log book from Decorsey Bridge Road today and yesterday, but we were not successful in that regard. We also stopped by the Harlequin spot in Cambridge, but did not locate the bird. The Cambridge waterfront west of Great Marsh Park held a raft of several thousand CANVASBACKs, with at least 3 REDHEADs, plenty of SCAUP, and no Tufted Ducks.
 
I've posted some documentation-type shots of the Ross's Goose and pelicans to my site at http://billhubick.com/new_set.html. If distant shots of geese and pelicans don't do it for you, check out the Great Blue Heron trying to eat a fish the size of its head - definitely the novelty shot of the day. If interested, please also check out the link at the bottom of the page regarding the critically endangered Junín Grebe. George Jett has been working hard to raise money for the American Bird Conservancy to begin work on behalf of this vanishing Peruvian endemic, and I hope you'll consider joining me and others in contributing to the cause. More info on the site. Thanks!
 
'Til next time,
 
Bill
 
Bill Hubick
Elkridge, MD
bill_hubick at yahoo.com
www.billhubick.com