Hi All,

Saturday's trip to Ocean City and its environs brought back memories of 
another time for Nancy and I when we used to lead trips to Newburyport 
and Plum Island, Massachusetts in a cutting winter wind in order to 
concentrate on the hardy winter waterbirds leading to a list with few 
dickie birds. We tallied only 45 species on the trip proper, but many of 
our sightings were memorable.

We started our day at the Ocean City Inlet where there were surprisingly 
few sea ducks and loons. We manged to see both loon species (less than 
ten of each), Long-tailed Ducks, Red-breasted Merganser, Brant, and some 
Surf Scoters offshore. The rockpipers were cooperative with Ruddy 
Turnstones and Purple Sandipers providing at-our-feet looks at the end 
of the jetty, the local Sanderlings stayed across the inlet, as did a 
single American Oystercatcher. There were quite a few gannets, mostly 
far offshore, but some adults crossed the mouth of the inlet beyond the 
buoys and a second-calendar-year bird came very close to check out what 
had attracted a flock of Red-throated Loons and Bonaparte's Gulls just 
off the jetty. There were also 6 to 7 Forster's Terns passing in and out 
of the Inlet.

At Hooper's Restaurant we scanned the flats where there were many Brant, 
25 oystercatchers, Dunlin, Bufflehead, and large numbers of gulls. There 
was one second-calendar-year LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL snoozing amid 
Herring and Great Black-backed gulls. West Ocean City Pond was dominated 
by dabbling ducks of of seven species including several black ducks (and 
one hybrid BlackXMallard drake), Northern Shovelers, and three 
Green-winged Teal. Also present were 10 Great Blue Herons, and a half 
dozen coots.

At the Eagle's Nest Golf Course pond there were 120 American Wigeon, and 
36 Gadwall accompanied by the drake EURASIAN WIGEON back for another 
winter (presumably the windy weather caused the wigeon to flock in 
numbers here on Saturday). A sign of the mildness that preceded 
Saturday's winter winds during the last two months was a flock of 7 TREE 
SWALLOWS that passed over as we watched the ducks. Assateague Island was 
fairly quiet although there were good numbers of Common Loons, and 
scoters (Surf and Black) in the waves, and a very distant 
twinkling-white flock of 200 plunge-diving gannets; best appreciated 
through a spotting 'scope. There were a few Horned Grebes visible from 
the Bayshore boat landing. We also saw some of the island's signature 
ponies and sika deer.

We wrapped up our day at Indian River Inlet in Delaware. Nothing too 
much different than what we had seen at Ocean City - rockpipers, 
gannets, both loons, Long-tailed Ducks, and 70 Bonaparte's Gulls. It was 
a long blustery day, but it was a pleasure too.

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"