Hi All,

Apologies for the belated report. Nancy and I checked Great Oak Pond on 
Sunday (16 March). The flock of 1000 Snow geese was still there (the 
time was 2:30 to 4:00 PM). I am reasonably confident this was the same 
flock I had on 13 March because among the five neck-collars that we read 
was PU93 again. We did not re-locate the adult Ross's Goose on Sunday, 
but we did see a bird that was likely a ROSS'SXSNOW GOOSE hybrid. A 
young bird with a dark bill and some gray on the neck and mantle. The 
bird was not as white as a young Ross's but much whiter and smaller than 
its neighbors with a small bill intermediate in shape between Ross's and 
Snow with a narrow grin, and some convex feathering onto the base of its 
bill. Also present was a RICHARDSON'S CACKLING GOOSE among the Snows, 2 
Tundra Swans, 70 shovelers, 34 Green-winged Teal, 2 Canvasback, a 
Ring-necked Duck, 12 Lesser Scaup, and 14 Ruddy Ducks. While we were 
watching the ducks and geese my first local Tree Swallows came through 
(15 total), and a flock of 9 Bonaparte's Gulls visited for a while. The 
local Osprey pair that nests on the silo at west end of the fields is 
back as well.

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.