After attending Kevin Graff's seawatch at Ocean City Inlet, Pete Webb 
and I did a little birding on the way home. The highlight, by far, was 
an American Bittern in excellent view and perfect light at the pond on 
Riggin Ridge Road (just a little north and east of West Ocean City 
Pond).

Third Street had some Boat-tailed Grackles. There wasn't much of 
interest on the flats except about 100 Brant. Two Oystercatchers flew 
over us on the Rt 50 bridge out of town.

West Ocean City Pond had a typical variety of waterfowl including 
Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, 
Green-winged Teal, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, and 
Ruddy Duck. Since it was mostly cloudy, the birds were a lot easier to 
see in the afternoon. A Brown-headed Nuthatch investigated a hole on a 
telephone pole across the street, and we saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 
There were groups of Tundra Swans along the road in Wicomico and Talbot 
Counties.

The Easton Sewage Lagoon, with dusk approaching, had Northern Shoveler, 
Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, and lots of Ruddy 
Ducks. (Note the usual absence of American Wigeon!) Hundreds of Laughing 
Gulls flying east passed over us like a river of blackbirds. We saw a 
Harrier, but missed our hoped-for Short-eared Owl.

Steve Sanford
Randallstown MD
scartan ^at^ verizon ^dot^ net