Too late to include in this weeks ANS Voice, I received word of 
Thick-billed Murre from the same birder who has the Yellow-breasted Chat 
coming to her backyard.  She sent some photos (not as crisp as Clive's) 
and Norm sent them off to some folks that could help confirm the id.  
Matt Hafner and Paul O'Brien felt confident that it was indeed a photo 
of a TB Murre.  I believe its the same bird.

Maybe another place to check for this bird would be where she found it 
on 2-17 in the canal on the SW side of the Rt 50 bridge in West Ocean City.

Andy Martin
Gaithersburg, Mont Co.


Clive Harris wrote:

>   
>  I then noticed an alcid had come in close to the wall on the incoming tide.  Thinking it would be a Razorbill I raised my bins to look at it and was very surprised to see it was a THICK-BILLED MURRE.  I got a few pictures, not good ones since it was moving in very fast and I had to run to keep within range:
>   
>  http://www.harrisbirds.com/Murre.htm
>   
>  This was a life bird for me - first in Maryland for quite some time - so I had to phone a couple of people to check on the ID.  It moved very fast into the inlet and disappeared.  I searched from the 4th st flats and a few other points but could not find it.  I went back to the inlet and couldn't find it but did turn up a HARLEQUIN DUCK, a subadult male.
>  
>