I took an ANS waterfowl i.d. class over to the Eastern Shore on 
Saturday, 11/22, and we found enough variety to be quite satisfying, 
although numbers are not very large yet.

Highlights:

at Kent Narrows, QA County:  2 COMMON GOLDENEYE hens and a 
LONG-TAILED DUCK hen in with some BUFFLEHEAD.

at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (Horsehead), QA County:  80 
TUNDRA SWAN and about a dozen MUTE SWAN; a few AMERICAN WIGEON and 
NORTHERN PINTAIL in with Mallard and Black Ducks; about 200 RUDDY 
DUCK and a few LESSER SCAUP. On the walk down to the viewpoint over 
the channel we were royally entertained by half a dozen active 
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHes.

at the Chestertown WWTP on John Hanson Rd., Kent County, the ponds 
were pretty empty but we picked up a hen NORTHERN SHOVELER and 2 
GREEN-WINGED TEAL drakes.  2 BONAPARTE'S GULLS were in with Ring-billed Gulls.

at St. Paul's Millpond, NE of Rock Hall, Kent County, we saw our only 
RING-NECKED DUCKS -- 8 drakes.

Eastern Neck NWR, Kent County, was pretty slim pickings for water 
birds apart from numerous Canada Geese and fewer than 100 TUNDRA 
SWAN.  One of our group picked out a COMMON LOON far off Bogle's 
Landing, and we found 6 KILLDEER and 6 DUNLIN in the mud at the inlet 
at the north end of the island.  Here also we had 2 LAUGHING GULLS 
and 2 FORSTER'S TERN in with Herrings, Ring-bills and Great Black-backed Gulls.

Passerine excitement centered around the WESTERN KINGBIRD (reported 
yesterday) near the Visitor Center.  Other birds sheltering from the 
Wind behind the Visitor Center included a HERMIT THRUSH, RUBY-CROWNED 
KINGLET, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, and numerous juncos and sparrows, 
including a SWAMP.

Principal drama of the day was a ten-minute show given by an adult 
BALD EAGLE, which methodically quartered into the wind and harassed a 
female Mallard, causing it to dive repeatedly.  Eventually the eagle 
caught hold of the hapless duck, submerged and drowned it before 
flying away to eat it.  It was the only time ANS Naturalist Stephanie 
Mason or I had ever seen a Bald Eagle actually catch its own 
prey.  Usually we see eagles harassing Ospreys to get them to 
relinquish fish, but of course the Ospreys round here are basically all gone.

Did I say it was cold on Saturday?  The temps. were in the thirties 
and a strong and relentless NW wind made it seem much colder. One of 
the many fascinations about watching wintering waterfowl is to wonder 
how these birds not only survive immersion but thrive in freezing water.

Mike Bowen
MOS and ANS
Bethesda, MD

D.H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD  20817
Telephone: (301) 530-5764
e-mail:  dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom