Hi All,

Nancy and I took advantage of yesterday's nice weather to go to Eastern 
Neck NWR. I walked the Bogles Wharf road from the wharf almost to Duck 
Inn Trail, and we walked the Boxes Point Trail near dusk. Birds were a 
bit thin over the ground and were generally not in mixed flocks,  the 
latter presumably due to the pleasant weather. Nonetheless we located 52 
species. Boxes Point trail featured 4 BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES adjacent 
to the salt pond near the end of the trail, a Hermit Thrush in the big 
holly stand near the salt pond, a good look at a Great Horned Owl, eight 
towhees, and a MARSH WREN in the reeds near the salt pond. Best birds 
along Bogles Wharf Rd. were a Winter Wren, three Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 
a pair of calling Great Horned Owls, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk. We saw 14 
waterfowl species on the Chester River, plus one Horned Grebe at Boxes 
Pt. Most of the ducks were scaup, we were able to ID 700 Greaters and 
170 Lessers, with the distant bulk going down as 4000 scaup (sp). There 
was also a Belted Kingfisher hunting Eastern Neck Narrows when we 
arrived on the island. Swans were surprisingly scarce yesterday with 
just six Tundras and five Mutes visible.

Good birding,

Walter Ellison & Nancy Martin

23460 Clarissa Rd
Chestertown, MD 21620

phone: 410-778-9568

e-mail: rossgull(AT)baybroadband.net

Observing Nature is like unwrapping a big pile of presents every time 
you take a walk.