Mikey Lutmerding and I set out for the Saturday Pelagic trip early 
Friday morning with 4 target birds for the day.  The Saturday trip 
didn't go out but we had great success land-birding both Friday and 
Saturday.  The birding was absolutely fantastic.  The targets were the 
Black-chinned Hummingbird in WV, Rufous Hummingbird and Cackling Goose 
in Frederick County, and Eurasian Collared Dove in Dorchester County.

We started in West Virginia with the BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD in 
Shepardstown.  That was a success so we went to Kershner's Pond where we 
had 1 CACKLING GOOSE, 3 Common Mergansers, Buffleheads, Ruddy Ducks, 
Coot, Ring-necked Ducks, Gt. Blue Heron and Belted Kingfisher.  Heading 
up Rt. 340 we spotted a PEREGRINE FALCON flying towards a field on the 
west side of the road.  We tried Zion Road for the Eurasian Collared 
Dove that had been around awhile back with no luck.  We stopped at the 
previously posted Hummingbird feeder at Bethel Road in Frederick County 
and got the RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD.  Then we travelled East and didn't stop 
until we got to Caroline County.  We birded Sparks Road and other Roads 
near Ridgley, MD with a few sparrows at Tuckahoe SP (several Chippies 
and some White-throats and a very nice FOX SPARROW).  We were anxious to 
try for our 4th target species.  On the way down Egypt Road, we stopped 
to look through a large group of blackbirds about a mile North of the 
NWR and found an adult male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD.

We spent at least one half-hour walking up and down and driving up and 
down the short stretch of the southernmost end of Upper Hoopers Island 
(near #2363) but never did find the Collared Doves.  It was very windy 
and cold and we decided that the birds could be hunkered down in some 
conifers or some other type of sheltered area.  When we left it was 
getting dark.

Then Saturday came and we birded at Assateague Island National Seashore 
where the highlights were a SALT-MARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW at the "Life 
of the Marsh" trail and two COMMON EIDERS at the Ocean Parking near the 
end of the blacktop.  We also had one GREAT CORMORANT flying with a 
group of smaller Double-Crested Cormorants and a few Black Scoters and a 
single Northern Gannett.  Later the Peregrine Falcon was at the tower at 
the Inlet, a few Bonaparte's Gulls, Forster's Terns, both Loons, Horned 
Grebes etc. etc.  We stopped at Hoopers Crab house to look at some gulls 
loafing and found Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlin etc.  We looked up and 
saw a huge Black and White bird.  An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN circled 
overhead.

We brided West OC pond where there were lots of good ducks.  We 
continued on to the Salisbury landfill where the best birds were a 2nd 
Winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and a 1st Winter ICELAND GULL.  We 
returned to Frostburg with grins and high fives.

J.B. & Mikey

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J. B. Churchill
Frostburg, Maryland

webpage: http://www.jbchurchill.com/
webpage: http://www.westernmdbirding.com/