Greetings,

My wife and I made a quick (20 hour) trip to the beach yesterday, returning 
today...  Not too much time was spent birding but I did scope the horizon for 
about an hour each; yesterday and today. Yesterday's finds included loads of 
Red-throated Loons, a few Northern Gannet (all adult), a handful of 
Bonaparte's Gulls, three or four Forster's terns, Two White-winged Scoters 
among 100 or Black Scoters, and 20-30 Surf Scoters, and a couple of 
Laughing Gulls.  

This morning I found roughly the same species and numbers minus the White-
winged and Surf Scoter which were no-shows. Add 50 or so Ruddy Ducks and 
a handful of Common Loons as well. Highlight today was a lone Long-tailed 
Duck (inlet), and a nearly adult Lesser Black-backed (Skimmers). Also had 
twenty or so Purple Sandpipers at the inlet with one Turnstone, one Black-
bellied Plover, two Oystercatchers, and of course Sanderling(S)...Bufflehead, 
Red-breasted Merg, Brant, and Common Loon were all over the bayside as 
well...

West OC Pond was loaded, as expected: Coot, Shoveler, Tundra Swan, 
Hooded Merg, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, A. Wigeon, C. 
Goose, Pied-billed Grebe, Pintail, and Ruddies

I added Gadwall at the Golf Coarse but could not locate (the?) Eurasian 
Wigeon. LOADS of myrtles at Eagles Roost… 

REALY high tides everywhere.  The storms of late seem to have stirred up the 
sands as well. My in-laws found ten or more large whelk shells on the OC 
beaches this week!

Good Birding,
Chris Starling
North East, MD