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Subject:

Eastern Shore 2/28: King Eider, Eared Grebe, Ipswich Sparrow, Thayer's & Iceland Gulls

From:

Steve Collins

Reply-To:

Steve Collins

Date:

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 13:58:54 -0500

Some highlights from a great day on Delmarva.  I spent most of the day 
birding with an Ocean City birder named Scott H (I suck at last names - 
sorry!).

I posted photos of the Thayer's and Iceland Gulls - which can be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/odephoto/sets/72157614543639181/detail/

Ocean City, 33rd St
8am-8:20am
1 Eared Grebe - seen distantly to the south.  I've been told a much 
better view can be had from 32nd St.
2 Horned Grebe
15 Atlantic Brant

Ocean City Inlet
8:30-9:20am
3 King Eider (2 female and 1 imm. male - the male is showing some adult 
plumage, including green and blue-grey on the head)
80 Long-tailed Duck (large flock on the south side of the south jetty 
briefly took flight)
100 Surf Scoter
4 Greater Scaup
1 Great Cormorant (breeding plumage bird on south jetty)
6 Purple Sandpiper
50 Ruddy Turnstone

Old Shantytown Area
9:40-10am
5 'Ipswich' Sparrow (with nearby typical Savannah Sparrows for a great 
comparison)
2 Horned Lark

Truitts Landing
10:30-11:10am
1 Northern Harrier
150+ Green-winged Teal
2 Am. Black Duck
20 Gadwall
15 American Wigeon
6 Hooded Merganser
20 Greater Yellowlegs
2 King Rail
1 Marsh Wren

Taylor's Landing
11:20-11:30pm
30 Tundra Swan
10 Swamp Sparrow

Vessey's Orchard
12-1:30pm
We didn't find the Lark Sparrow.  The Field Sparrow flock, containing no 
large birds, flew towards the dairy buildings, so we didn't pursue it.
4 American Wigeon
2 Mallard
5 Bald Eagle (one distant perched imm. was curious)
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Am. Kestrel
1 Wilson's Snipe
3 Horned Lark
15 Dark-eyed Junco
30 Field Sparrow
25 Song Sparrow
10 Savannah Sparrow
20 White-throated Sparrow
4 Eastern Meadowlark

Salisbury Landfill
2:20-3:50pm
1 Thayer's Gull (same bird with the short right P8)
1 Iceland Gull (1st winter)
4 Lesser Black-backed Gull (all first winter)

Cheers,
Steve Collins
Towson, MD