This is my 4th attempt to post this information to the list. Last night while staying in a hotel in Aberdeen my Internet connection failed and could not be reconnected. This morning while at Lapidum I tried twice via my cellphone using my mobile Internet. The first time I had the wrong address entered for MDOsprey and the second time MDOsprey didn't like the format that my Mobile Internet browser uses to send a posting. So here is try number 4.
Yesterday, Jim stasz and I worked our way through Northeast Baltimore County, Eastern Harford and the Perryville area of Cecil to try to find waterfowl and gulls in Migration. Having never been to the Marshy Creek Wildlife preserve north of Martin State Airport near Bowleys Quarters, we stopped in and were pleasantly surprised. This place will be one of the premier birding locations on the western shore, if not in the state, when the master plan is completed. There are limited trails now, but some do allow freshwater marsh access and there are currently launching facilities for canoes and kayaks. Eventually, the master plan has extensive trails projected, some of which will go deep into the marshes of the area. Although birding was unspectacular yesterday, we did manage to find a fresh PINE WARBLER working the grounds in front of the building. It was a nice treat at eye level.
Next we headed to the lower end of the Gunpowder River near Joppatown to see if we could luck into the Sandhill Cranes that had been reported a week or so ago in the area. We checked the area as best as we could (including Jim wading across the river) but no cranes could be located.
From there we headed north into Harford where we dumped a car at Tidings Marina. The tide was up, so we headed over to Cecil to check Perryville for the reported Eurasian Widgeon that had been reported over the couple of weeks. Ducks were still present in fair numbers but all of the widgeon has left the area and we tanked on the quest here.
After spending time counting the waterfowl, we headed up to Conowingo. We checked the lake above the dam and it was pretty slow. Below the dam, the generators weren't operating but a couple of gates were open the water was flowing pretty well. Numbers of Shad could be seen along the shoreline, but gull numbers were very low. 
We worked out way down to Lapidum from there. A few minutes after arriving at Lapidum, we spotted first one, then two, adult LITTLE GULLS in the middle of the river. The birds were working their way up to just above the boat ramp where they would then set down on the river, ride the current down to near the bridge and then take off and fly over the river feeding. At one point the birds were seen near the cliff face on the far shore between the I-95 bridge and Port Deposit. The birds moved up and down the river several times.
We left the birds an hour before sunrise to go and see the Woodcock show on Chelsea Rd. near Perryman. We arrived at about 6:35, more than 30 minutes before sunset, although it was hard to tell due to the thickening clouds and were welcomed by a methane gas purger along one of the sewer lines next to the road. The sound in not quite like the sound of a jet engine, but the noise level is enough to cover most other sounds. It shut off and about 6:45 and about 15 minutes later a pair of Dueting Barred Owls could be heard. A little after 7:00, what sounded like a Coyote could be heard howling from out in the field, At 7:15, the methane gas purger kicked on and droned on for 30 minutes before turning off again at 7:45. Finally, with a lack of noise, we listened for the sounds we had come to hear. We listened...and listened...and listened some more, only to hear the sounds of Peepers and Wood Frogs. there were no Woodcocks on this evening from this usually reliable location.
This morning back at Lapidum, we met up with Matt Hafner and Tom Feild. We looked for some time but failed to relocate the Little Gulls from yesterday. Tom found a GLAUCOUS GULL on the docks at Port Deposit. Eventually the bird took flight and flew out over the river and then returned and sat back down. Then it took off again, flew up the river on the Harford side of the island above Lapidum before disappearing behind the trees as it continued upriver. We later headed over to Cecil to look at the lake above the dam on the Cecil side, checked below the dam and then returned to Lapidum and did not relocate the Glaucous Gull. On the last stop at Lapidum, Tom did find a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL on the river near the far shore below Port Deposit. However, we never did relocate the Little Gulls.
The last place in which we stopped was Swan Harbor where we picked up both Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, Pintail and a good number of Common Snipe.
Ed Boyd
Westminster, MD