Hi All,

On the way back from the Eastern Neck hawk watch Bob Ringler and I 
decided to look at Great Oak Pd. from 1:30 to 2:30 PM. There were 1100 
to 1200 Canada Geese at the pond, and numbers were still accruing as we 
left. Easily spotted among the Canadas were 9 white Snow Geese. Finding 
the other geese required more meticulous scanning but new names were 
called out with remarkable regularity. First Bob spotted a "Blue" Snow 
Goose at the west side of the pond, then he found an adult GREENLAND 
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE with a restricted white-front and a lot of 
broad black barring on the belly. We then located an escaped exotic 
Egyptian Goose, a handsome adult. This "goose" is actually a large 
shelduck from Africa popular in waterfowl collections. Then Bob went 
back to look at the white-front and spotted something else, an adult 
BARNACLE GOOSE. Based on the bird's mantle pattern I think this is the 
same bird seen here in October 2005 and January 2006. We wrapped up the 
goose  species tally with six CACKLING GEESE; one pair and a family of 
four (the latter also not far from the white-fronted and Barnacle geese).

Other birds at the pond were a PEREGRINE FALCON (passing through); the 
hen REDHEAD; the drake CANVASBACK; two Lesser Scaup; 5 Ruddy Ducks; 6 
Northern Pintail; 80 Green-winged Teal; 2 Lesser Yellowlegs; over 200 
Tree Swallows; and single Barn and rough-winged swallows. And to think 
we were just going to check the pond for a few minutes, this pond can be 
a La Brea Tar Pit for birders (it just sucks you in and won't let go).

[Great Oak Pd. is 2 miles west of the Melitota jct. of MD-514 and MD-298 
on Handy Pt. Rd. The pond is on the road to the Great Oak Landing resort 
via a left turn off Handy Pt. Rd (well-signed). To view the pond pull 
onto the grass on the right atop the hill and stay along the road. There 
is a high angle view and almost all birds (except on the near shore) can 
be seen from the road. The landowners are very protective of the geese 
and you should never walk toward the pond or flush the birds. If you 
flush the birds you probably won't see what you're after anyway.]

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"