Hi Folks,

Elaine and I were able to spend some time birding Caroline Co. on Friday
(stopping in Talbot on the way) and Kent Co. today, with the pelagic trip on
Saturday.  Speaking of the latter, it was a very pleasant trip:  uncrowded
boat, nice weather, and actually some pretty decent birds (jaegers and
shearwaters) and more paserines than I've seen in my previous three dozen
pelagic trips combined.

Here's a rundown of what we saw on Friday and Sunday:

    Friday, 20 Oct, Easton WWTP, Dover Neck Rd., Talbot Co., small (lower)
pond (surrounded by vegetation):
Canada Goose--hundreds
N. Shoveler--25
Ruddy Duck--40
EARED GREBE--1
SORA--1, called several times

    Upper pond (large with gravel edge):
Killdeer--1
Lesser Yellowlegs--12
Spotted Sandpiper--1
peep, sp--1
Laughing Gull--1000
Franklin's Gull--0

    also nearby:
N. Harrier--1
E. Screech Owl--1

    Caroline Co., Poplar Neck Rd. (where road is closed) just west of town
of Choptank:
Opsrey--1
Am. Kestrel--3
Merlin--1
Virginia Rail--2
large rail, sp.--1 heard briefly
Swamp Sparrow--5

    Sewerage Ponds behind strip mall with Roses store, Denton, Caroline Co.
(the wind was picking up):
Canada Goose--gobs
Ruddy Duck--6

    Martinak State Park (the wind was getting bad)
Wood Duck--4

    Tuckahoe State Park, Caroline Co. side (the wind was vicious by now):
Hermit Thrush--2 gulping down poke berries
Chipping Sparrow--10
DE Junco--5

    Mud Millpond (NE part of Caroline Co.):
Pied-billed Grebe--1

    Sunday, 22 Oct; Kent Co.--No. 10 School Rd. (mostly near bridge on QA
Co. line):
Cooper's Hawk--1
Killdeer--about 40 flew over
YB Sapsucker--2
Black-throated Green Warbler--1 (up the road in Millington WMA)

    Millington WMA, Big Stone Rd. pulloff, east side of road:
Sharp-shinned Hawk--1 flyover
Barred Owl--1, returned my call
Hermit Thrush--2
G. Catbird--1
Brown Thrasher--2
(Yellow) Palm Warbler--1
gobs of common sparrows (Field, Song, Swamp, WT)

    Pond on N. side of Rte 290, about 1/2 mile east of Galena:
Gadwall--15
Am. Wigeon--8
Pintail--20

    Great Oak Pond:
Snow Goose (white)--1
Canada Goose--1000
Cackling Goose--1
Ring-necked Duck--4
Ruddy Duck--dozens

    E. Shore NWR:
GREAT WHITE HERON--in its favored spot at edge of Tubby Cove, viewed from
Swan Overlook at end of entry bridge
Am. Black Duck--1
Royal Tern--7 (both sides of entry bridge) and 4 on pound nets in bay,
viewed from bay overlook near butterfly garden
Caspian Tern--1 (flats on east side of entry bridge)
Forster's Tern--50+ around entry bridge
PILEATED WOODPECKER--2, along main road near entry to Boxes Pt. Trail; first
time I've ever seen this bird on the refuge (wanderers, or are they now
resident??? if the latter, then this sighting would be consistent with the
significant bayward expansion of these birds documented in Talbot Co. during
the current atlas project)
BH Nuthatch--2 (Boxes Pt. Trail)
WB Nuthatch--2 (ditto)

    Pond about 3/4 mile north of the refuge:
Canada Goose--ca 75
Lesser Yellowlegs--2

    Remington Pond:
Canada Goose--1000
Pintail--150
N. Shoveler--4
Ruddy Duck--8

    Lagoons, John Hanson Rd.:
Canada Goose--yep
Shoveler--ca 50
Ruddy Duck--ca 150

    Best to all...

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie