In order to avoid the worst summer crowds I did some midweek birding at
Assateague National Seashore, OC and southern Worcester Co. yesterday. I
arrived at the start of the ORV Zone (as far as my car can take me...) at
7:00 AM and spent two hours scanning for terns and other seabirds. No
Roseate Terns in sight but I did spot a southbound dark gannet-like bird
that caught my attention. It was completely uniform dark brown without the
distinct white rump of a Northern Gannet. I took some distant photos and
reviewing them in consultation with Bill Hubick, Ron Gutberlet, and
Marshall Iliff it now appears to rank as a strong candidate for Marylands
first BROWN BOOBY!!

Other good birds at Assateague Is. were an adult ARCTIC TERN seen twice
(first heading S then came back and hour later heading N.), a WHIMBREL
flying N as I arrived, 3 S bound PIPING PLOVERS at Bayside, a calling
COMMON NIGHTHAWK at "Life of the dunes" trail and a calling GREAT HORNED
OWL at Bayside.

A second attempt for rare terns at Castaway Campsite after a quick loop
around Skimmer Is. and OC Inlet (Highlights: two close to shore WILSON'S
STORMPETRELS flying casually among the terns) finally produced a SANDWICH
TERN roosting amidst a dozen Royal Terns (also a few PIPING PLOVERS but
now heavily outnumbered by Semipalmated P.). With the repeated sightings
of Gull-billed Terns at Vaughn in mind, I headed south.

A stop along Truitt's Landing Rd. produced a flying LEAST BITTERN, several
calling VIRGINIA RAILS, one KING RAIL in the cattail marsh on N side of
the road and a CLAPPER RAIL in the saltmarsh further out. I also saw and
heard several SEASIDE SPARROWS and MARSH WRENS. The heat shimmer prevented
me from identifying most of the many shorebirds in the pond.
My final stop at E. Vaughn WMA along Taylor Landing Rd. first seemed
futile, until suddently a S. bound CASPIAN TERN flew by. I ran out onto a
pier to see if it turned and came back around but could not relocate it.
THEN, up from the south came two largish terns heading straight for me and
I got the bins on the lead bird -- GULL-BILLED TERN!!! And indeed, right
behind it followed a second GULL-BILLED TERN!!! They casually flew past
the boathouses and made a wide loop around the marsh (flying at treeline
level with Laughing Gulls) and turned back south and dissapeared behind
the trees. That was the last I saw of them, so I never got a chance to
photograph them. Still -- what a day!
PS. heard a NORTHERN BOBWHITE and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT at the nearby pond
and saw a 4' black racer along the trail.

Keep your eyes peeled to the horizon for those terns and boobies:)

Good birding,

Frode Jacobsen
Windsor Mill, MD 21244