Hi All,
After a successful chase for the Tropical Kingbird in Somerset Co. this
morning I headed back to Dorchester Co. to look for pelicans and what not.
Highlights were 3 Cackling Geese among the hundreds of Canada Geese
grazing close to the road between US 50 and Egypt Rd, 23 Am. White
Pelicans at Blackwater NWR, resting on a mudflat opposite of the first
pond after the forest Trail parkinglot (pond 2?), and a Rough-legged Hawk
and 3-4 short-eared Owls hunting along Shorters Wharf Rd at dusk.

A huge blackbird flock near the Cambridge end of Egypt Rd was checked for
yellow-headed blackbird without success, but I only got to see a fraction
of the birds before they dissapeared into the trees in the park next to
the school. I tried to relocate them later in the afternoon, but they had
moved to the back of the northern fields and shortly after started
trickling down toward their night-time roost in the marshes. The flock(s)
were still seen swarming across the skies as I drove down Shorters Wharf
Rd. at dusk.

Elliott Island Rd (11:00-12.15pm):
Tundra Swan 5
Bald Eagle 4
Northern Harrier 4
American Kestrel 2
Greater Yellowleg 14
Killdeer 40+
Brown-headed Nuthatch 3
Hermit Thrush 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10+
Swamp Sparrow 6
Savannah Sparrow 2
Eastern Meadowlark 2

Egypt Rd (12:45-2:00pm):
Tundra Swan 3
Cackling Goose 3 (closer to US 50)
Bald Eagle 3
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 2
Great Horned Owl (pair calling at dusk)
Belted Kingfisher 2
Horned Lark 20+
Red-winged Blackbird/Grackle 100,000+ (enormous flock moved down to
Blackwater NWR to roost at dusk)

Blackwater NWR (2:00-4:00pm):
Tundra Swan 10+
Snow Goose -
Great Blue Heron 8
American White Pelican 23 (single flock outside pond 2)
Bald Eagle 10
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Northern Harrier 3
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Belted Kingfisher 1

Shorters Wharf Rd (4:30-5:30pm):
Great Blue Heron 6
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK 1 hunting over the marshes near dusk
Northern Harrier 2
Bald Eagle 1
Greater Yellowleg 5
Dunlin 2
Great Horned Owl (pair + 1 calling at dusk)
SHORT-EARED OWL 3-4 hunting at dusk
Swamp Sparrow 1
Blackbirds Sp. 100,000+++ (too dark to check for Yellow-headed, but I bet
he's in there somewhere...)

Good Birding,
Frode Jacobsen
Baltimore, MD