Walter (or any other MDOspreyer), 
 
How does one get to Great Oak Pond? I would be coming from the west (DC area). Thanks! 
 
Tom Stock 
Silver Spring, Md.  
 
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry 
 
-----Original Message----- 
From: Walter Ellison <> 
 
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:40:46  
To: 
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Five (wild) goose species at Great Oak Pond (Kent Co) 27 
 Oct '07 
 
 
Hi Everybody, 
 
After the rains had passed I went to look at Great Oak Pond from 12:40  
to 1:25 PM (27 Oct). Loafing geese were there in good numbers including  
over 1000 Canadas and 1500 Snows (55 blue geese). Among the common goose  
species were 12 ROSS'S GEESE broken up into family groups of four (2  
juvs and 2 ads still present) and six (4 juvs and 2 ads), and a pair of  
adults. The family of four prefers to loaf in the northwest corner of  
the pond, the others were on the far (south) shore. Among the Canada  
Geese were an adult CACKLING GOOSE, and an adult BRANT (pale-bellied  
Atlantic). Other waterfowl present included the continuing twosome of  
white domestic Greylags, at least 20 Green-winged Teal, 8 Northern  
Shovelers, Ruddy Duck numbers have risen to 105, and two Lesser Scaup  
were new for the autumn. Around the pond were a few American Pipits,  
Horned Larks, at least four Tree Swallows, and an American Kestrel.  
Brant was a new species for the pond and my home atlas block  
(Hanesville-SE; I use the block to define a local patch). It appears  
loafing geese use the pond from mid-morning to around 4 or 5 PM. During  
this time birds come and go as they move out into the fields and back to  
the pond, so it pays to hang around to see what shows up. I managed to  
read nine neck collars on female Greater Snow Geese today (plus one  
unreadable), the first ones I've been able to read this fall. Kevin  
Graff has gotten some codes during earlier visits to Great Oak Pond this  
fall. Birds wearing yellow neck collars with black alphanumerics are all  
from southwestern Bylot Island in Nunavut, Canada. 
 
Good birding, 
 
Walter Ellison 
 
3460 Clarissa Rd 
Chestertown, MD 21620 
410-778-9568 
 
rossgull (at) baybroadband.net 
 
Observing Nature is like unwrapping a big pile of presents every time  
you take a walk.