A group of birders from Patuxent MOS and PG Audubon Society went to the 
Eastern Shore and birded from Ocean City Inlet to Indian River Inlet 
(Delaware).  Highlights included the following:

At Ocean City Inlet, we saw a large group of Northern Gannetts just off 
shore (which gradually dispersed), 2 or 3 Common Eiders, large numbers of 
Surf Scoters, close views of some Ruddy Turnstones and American 
Oystercatchers, several Common Loons (no Red throated), a distant flock of 
Purple Sandpipers on the far jetty, and good numbers of Brant.

On the bayside of the inlet, we got good looks at a Great Cormorant on on 
piling, as well as some close Brant and a Red Breasted Merganser.

A stop at the 4th Street Mudflats yielded mostly large numbers of the 
common gulls, large numbers of distant Brant, and several more 
Oystercatchers.

We also stopped behind the Convention Center, but were unable to 
definitively locate the Eared Grebes.  We did see a small group of Horned 
Grebes, and several lone Horned Grebes, but they were quite distant and 
between the wind, rough waters, and diving birds were unable to confirm 
anything else.  Large numbers of Bufflehead were also present.

I won't dwell on Delaware's Indian River Inlet, but myself and several 
others in our group got brief views of the Razorbill among the huge numbers 
of Surf and Black Scoters.

Fred Shaffer
Patuxent MOS