Yesterday we added another 9 species to our weekend yard tally:

Boat-tailed Grackle (3)                       
American Black Duck (2)
Mourning Dove (8)
Double-crestede Cormorant (4)
Carolina Chickadee (3)
Belted Kingfisher (1)
Red-winged Blackbird (many)
Great Black-backed Gull (2)
Brown-headed Nuthatch (2)
Blue Jay (1)
Pectoral Sandpiper (1, our first for the year)

We went back to Assateague Island to explore the northernmost two dune crossings on  the OSV Zone.  The first was Tingles Island, a pleasant (no mosquitoes yet) walk through pine forests and open marsh areas to the canoe-in campsite.  Lots of ponies here, including one that came galloping along the path behind us until it caught sight of us.  Stepping hard on its brakes, I swear it skidded on all four hooves.  At that point it started to look around, pretending we weren't there.  If it coiuld have been whistling, I think it would have.  We both burst out laughing and, after giving us a dirty look, it meandered off to the side of the trail heading back into the marsh.  No warblers to speak of other than Pine and Yellow- throated.

Further south we came to the dune-crossing with another pleasant trail leading back to Hungerford House, and beyond the house a view of Hungerford Flats.  We encountered there a dozen GLOSSY IBIS feeding with 9 GREAT EGRET.  Plenty of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers here as well and one Louisiana Waterthrush.

This morning, Sunday, a sub-adult GLAUCOUS GULL turned up again at the Jetty, along with lots of RED-THROATED LOONS in the mouth of the inlet, a few PURPLE SANDPIPERS flitting around the south Jetty, and all the usual suspects except for the Peregrine on the water tower--he was nowhere to be seen.

Skimmer Island yielded a huge flock of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (250 or so) and one GREAT CORMORANT.  

West OC Pond yielded up 6 LITTLE BLUE HERON, 9 GREAT EGRET, 1 SNOWY EGRET, a big flock of GADWALL and lone samples of NORTHERN PINTAIL, CANVASBACK, and NORTHERN SHOVELER.  We were unable to find any Black-crowned Night Herons there this morning.

Best,
Norm & Fran Saunders
West Ocean City, MD