Peter Frechtel and I started off this morning in Ocean City and worked our way north to Cape Henlopen.  Highlights at the Ocean City inlet were a RAZORBILL (tough to see in the rough water at the mouth, but present for a while) and some 40 PURPLE SANDPIPERS (on the rocks on the near side, at times allowing amazing looks from straight overhead).  

Also present were both expected loons, a HORNED GREBE, just a few NORTHERN GANNETS, plenty of BRANT, around 15 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, and an AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER in the "flats" area seen from 3rd Street.  Prior to the inlet we visited the West Ocean City pond on Golf Course Road, and saw around 200 CANVASBACKS mixed with a variety of other ducks.  A drab dark mystery duck otherwise looked good for a female Harlequin but I could not make out any white spot on its head (which looked solid dark)--keep an eye out for this one if you go.

Moving into extralimital territory, at Indian River inlet we had better looks at 2 more RAZORBILLS (we couldn't quite match the 3 seen yesterday or the Common Murre from the day before).  Also of interest were 2 GREAT CORMORANTS, another GANNET, all 3 SCOTER species, around 10 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, and more BRANT.  At Assawoman we had a BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH and 2 FOX SPARROWS at Mulberry Landing.  Cape Henlopen was a bit of a bust, due to thick fog--we added nothing of interest there.

Jason Waanders
NW DC
jwaandersATstarpower.net