We arrived at Sandy Point State Park around 1:45pm (after counting 13 cattle egrets along Whitehall Rd, just west of the park and south of Rt 50).  With one brief interlude to nearby Pleasant Plains Turf Farm, we were there until dusk (about 7:30pm).  Unfortunately, we did not see a Sabine's Gull.  We did manage a flock of 7 Sooty Terns around 6:45pm that first appeared above the bridge and on the south side, heading toward us.  After circling and quickly rising to above the height of the tallest bridge towers, the group split briefly, apparently balking at crossing the bridge, and shot downward to the southwest, making a hasty retreat.  A number of other folks were present and saw the group of terns to varying degrees of satisfaction, including Phil & Barbara Davis and Fred Shaffer.

Also found were 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (1 adult & a 3rd-year bird), about 35 Caspian Terns, 2 Royal Terns, 1 Common Tern, about 100 Forster's Terns, 1 Black-bellied Plover, and hundreds of Laughing Gulls.  Earlier in the day we had 2 chimney swifts and 1 martin fly by. 

Hal Wierenga & Lynn Davidson
Arnold, MD