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Subject:

Ocean City: Eared Grebe, King Eider, Ispwich Sparrow 7March2009

From:

Daniel Jason Lebbin

Reply-To:

Daniel Jason Lebbin

Date:

Sat, 7 Mar 2009 18:25:21 -0500

Erin and I drove from Baltimore to Ocean City to chase birds reported from
last weekend by Steve Collins (thanks for the tips!).

We first went to the Ocean City Inlet, where we had dolphins but no good
looks at eider.

Next we continued to 32nd Street, where we had great close looks at the
EARED GREBE, with several Horned Grebes nearby for comparison.

We then returned to the inlet and scoped the rafts of scoters behind the
south breakwall from the elevated platform on the north breakwall under
the loud beeping tower at the end. On my last scan, I spotted 1 female
KING EIDER.

After getting two other birders on the eider, we left for the Shantytown
Rd area to search for Ipswich Sparrows. Trying to find this road we went a
little far, ending up on Old Bridge Road which we explored. We worked on
grassy empty lot and found 3 Horned Lark, a tail-less American Pipit (that
was at least bobby its rump), and a nice flock of Savannah Sparrows (no
obvious Ipswich, one pale bird just seemed to heavily marked).

We finally found Shantytown Rd and took it to the undeveloped lots at the
end. There we found a flock of Savannah Sparrows with ~3 typical birds and
about 6 IPSWICH SPARROWS. I was surprised by how much variation was shown
by the half dozen Ipswich Sparrows in markings on back, belly, flanks, and
the lack or presence of yellow in the lore. .

I took lots of photos of the Eared Grebe and various Savannah/Ipswich
Sparrows. eBird reports below. Other birds seen from the causeway or
driving to Ocean City included Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Belted
Kingfisher, Snow Goose, Wild Turkey (4 toms), American Oystercatcher,
Common Grackle….

Good birding,
Dan Lebbin
Baltimore, MD


Location:     Ocean  City Inlet
Observation date:     3/7/09
Notes:     perhaps glimpsed the female King Eider and a Black Scoter but
unsure (got 'em later though).
Number of species:     15

American Black Duck     X
Lesser Scaup     X
Surf Scoter     X
White-winged Scoter     1     1st winter male; dark bill and face, white
wing patches
Long-tailed Duck     X
Bufflehead     X
Red-breasted Merganser     2
Red-throated Loon     X
Common Loon     X
Northern Gannet     X
Ruddy Turnstone     X
Purple Sandpiper     60
Ring-billed Gull     X
Herring Gull     X
Rock Pigeon     2

Location:     Ocean City--33rd Street
Observation date:     3/7/09
Notes:     Observationations were from 32nd St. (Not 33rd) but covers same
area. Photographed Eared Grebe.
Number of species:     9

Long-tailed Duck     X
Bufflehead     X
Red-breasted Merganser     5
Horned Grebe     5
Eared Grebe     1
Ring-billed Gull     X
Herring Gull     X
Great Black-backed Gull     X
Rock Pigeon     X
Location:     Ocean  City Inlet
Observation date:     3/7/09
Notes:     Female King Eider was beyon south jetyy breakwall, seen with
scope from within fog horn signal tower.
Number of species:     18

Brant     7
American Black Duck     X
Lesser Scaup     X
King Eider     1
Surf Scoter     X
Black Scoter     4
Long-tailed Duck     X
Bufflehead     X
Red-breasted Merganser     X
Red-throated Loon     X
Common Loon     X
Northern Gannet     X
Ruddy Turnstone     X
Purple Sandpiper     X
Ring-billed Gull     X
Herring Gull     X
Great Black-backed Gull     X
Rock Pigeon     4

Location:     Ocean City, Old Bridge Rd.
Observation date:     3/7/09
Notes:     Photographed Larks, Pipit, and Savannag Sparrows
Number of species:     7

Bufflehead     X
Red-breasted Merganser     1
Herring Gull (American)     X
Fish Crow     1
Horned Lark     3
American Pipit     1     missing tail, but still bobbing
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)     9     No obvious Ipswich in the flock

Location:     Ocean City, Shantytown Rd
Observation date:     3/7/09
Notes:     Photographed several Ipswich Sparrows varying from pale to
brighter, along with typical Savannah Sparrows (also variable) in same
flock.
Number of species:     7

Canada Goose     3
Killdeer     2
Herring Gull     X
Great Black-backed Gull     X
Savannah Sparrow (Eastern)     3
Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich)     6
Song Sparrow     2