Hi All,

We finally ransomed our beleaguered car from the Hyannis (MA) Subaru 
dealer's service department and got back to Maryland late last week. 
Nancy and I managed a little birding over the weekend, not a lot, but a 
few of the birds we saw were of general interest.

On Friday (25 Aug) we had an afternoon errand in Georgetown (the one 
north of Galena). On our way home we noticed some large waterbirds in a 
shallow farm pond on the north side of the MD-298 a half-mile east of 
the junction with MD-292. Among the birds present were an adult TUNDRA 
SWAN and a Great Egret.

On Saturday (26 Aug) we went to Eastern Neck NWR to mind the store at 
the Lodge for the afternoon. We checked Tubby Cove and the Narrows on 
the way out. No Great White Heron in sight alas. We did have a 
Pied-billed Grebe, and 15 Wood Ducks in Calfpasture Cove, and 40 Caspian 
Terns and two juvenile Royal Terns at the Narrows. At the Green Lane 
Landing in Rock Hall we had 3 Great Egrets.

On Sunday (27 Aug) I checked Great Oak Pd. and was pleased to note that 
the summering CANVASBACK, and eclipse drake LESSER SCAUP were there, 
plus a hen REDHEAD. The latter was almost certainly the hen I last saw 
at Great Oak Pd. on 22 April, the bird shared that bird's (seemingly) 
unique arrangement of pale spots on its face. Where she has been betwixt 
late April and now I have no idea; maybe she has been dropping into 
Great Oak Pd. when I haven't been looking. There were also a few 
shorebirds at Great Oak Pd. - 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, a Killdeer, and 6 
Least Sandpipers. There were more shorebirds at the Worton Treatment 
Plant off Chinquapin Rd. (near Velsicol) yesterday including 19 Lesser 
Yellowlegs, 6 Semipalmated Plovers, and a Pectoral Sandpiper. Gosh it's 
nice to be back and birding in Kent County again.

Good birding,

Walter Ellison

23460 Clarissa Rd
Chestertown, MD 21620

phone: 410-778-9568

e-mail: rossgull(AT)baybroadband.net

"Nothing is as easy as you would like it to be, and nothing is as hard 
as you might fear"