Hi All,

I did not do any birding today save for from the back porch and looking 
out at the feeder in our back yard; however, I did have one good bird. 
At about noon I was seeing Nancy off on an errand to town and I noticed 
that we were having a strong Snow Goose flight over the yard. So, as is 
my wont, I scanned the flock for smaller birds. Unlike every other time 
I have done this I actually found a lilliputian goose, only 
three-fourths the size of its companions, with narrower wings. The first 
ROSS'S GOOSE for our yard list. Of note for other birders was the 
flock's heading. The geese were flying towards the fields around Great 
Oak Pond. It appears there is still a chance of finding ROSS'S GOOSE by 
combing the Snow Geese that sometimes loaf at Great Oak Pond.

Speaking of Great Oak Pond; we had 13 waterfowl species there on Sunday 
(3 December) including 2000 Snow Geese, a Richardson's CACKLING GOOSE, a 
hen REDHEAD, 22 American Wigeon, 90 Green-winged Teal, 12 Northern 
Shovelers, and 5 Tundra Swans. The cold air of Sunday facilitated our 
scan through the Snow Goose flock netting us six neck-collar codes. One 
of the neck-collar numbers belonged to a bird we saw back on 4 November, 
so flock composition has been fairly constant for the last month it seems.

Good birding,

Walter Ellison & Nancy Martin

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"