Hi Folks,

The Howard Co. Bird Club did its annual trip to Blackwater NWR and 
Dorchester Co. on Sat., 6 Dec.   No rarities, but highlights for the trip 
were CACKLING GOOSE (2), AM. WHITE PELICAN (4), and VIRGINIA RAIL (1) along 
the Wildlife Loop (the first part of which is currently closed, BTW); 
SHORT-EARED OWL (2) along Shorter's Wharf Rd.; and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (1 
dark-phase), SHORT-EARED OWL (3), and SEDGE WREN (1) along Cedar Creek Rd.

Waterfowl counts were as follows:

Choptank River Bridge (US 50) Talbot Co.:

Canada Goose--25
Tundra Swan--5 flyovers
Surf Scoter--2
Long-tailed Duck--50
Bufflehead--5
Co. Goldeneye--4
RB Merganser--2
Common Loon--1

Cambridge Waterfront, Dorchester Co. (Vis Ctr, Oakley St., Great _____ Park, 
Water St...)

Canada Goose--120
Tundra Swan--4 flyovers
Am. Wigeon--23
Am. Black Duck--1
Mallard--60
Lesser Scaup--5
Surf Scoter--85
Long-tailed Duck--40
Bufflehead--35
Co Goldeneye--23
Co Loon--13

Blackwater NWR Wildlife Loop

Snow Goose--5 flyovers
Cackling Goose--2
Canada Goose--3000+
Tundra Swan--90+
Am. Black Duck--4
Mallard--130
N. Pintail--170
Am. White Pelican--4
Great Egret--1

Shorter's Wharf /Robins Rd.

Canada Goose--40
Tundra Swan--1 in a front yard, awkwardly walking around near road
Am. Black Duck--6
Ruddy Duck--1 at boat ramp

On Friday, 5 Dec, I stopped by the ponds in the back of the Quarterfield 
Crossing Mall on Quarterfield Rd. and I-97.  I hadn't been here in several 
weeks.  I saw what appeared to be a dozen Mallards, spending most of their 
time with bottoms up.  When their heads were up, one of them looked really 
strange through binoculars and appeared to have a brown head, and I thought 
Pintail.  I got the scope out and saw a duck with a brown head (a bit 
smaller than the mallard's heads), a longer neck than that of the mallards, 
a white collar, a red breast, and a tail about intermediate in length 
between that of a mallard and that of a pintail.  The underside looked like 
the other mallards.  Certainly looked liked a male Mallard/Pintail hybrid.

Best to all.

Stan Arnold
Ferndale (AA Co.)