This weekend I went camping with my wife Mary and our dogs on Assateague
Island and we got a pretty sheltered site at Bayside although the wind
tapered off throughout the evening. after setting up camp we headed to the
Ocean City Inlet to do a seawatch in the strong offshore winds. The
horizon was filled with migrating and foraging Northern Gannets and flocks
of gulls and loons headed south. Within 10 minutes I spotted a dark
immature (1st cycle) jaeger powering south about halfway to horizon.
Judging by the size, strong built, large white bases on primaries, and
overall uniform dark coloration without any cinnemon/brown tones I quickly
concluded that I was dealing with a POMARINE JAEGER! It was clearly a
passing migrant in a direct flight south.

Back at Bayside on Assateague Island I listened for owls after dusk but
without luck. During the night a pair of GREAT HORNED OWLS called
repeatedly and uttered calls I have never heard before. Fascinating! We
were awaken by a very optimistic BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE in full song display
and he was soon joined by a band of four others. The campground was quite
birdy with lots of sparrows and yellow-rumps but nothing too exciting.
Strings of TUNDRA SWANS and SNOW GEESE passed overhead, as did a flock of
5 AMERICAN PIPITS. I did a sweep across the saltmarshes to the north of
the campground and kicked up two Savannah Sparrows, one of which was
strikingly paler than the other. I pushed them towards a clump of water
bushes and got excellent looks and photos of a IPSWICH SPARROW! Not often
seen off the sand dunes along the seashore. Closer to the forest edge of
the marsh I flushed two SALTMARSH SPARROWS
and detected two very vocal SEDGE WRENS. On my way back to the road
through the pine woods I flushed one of the GREAT HORNED OWLS. While
scanning the nearby trees for its mate a handsome RED FOX came strolling
through the woods looking for an easy meal. It completely ignored me as I
watched it make several attempts on ground feeding yellow-rumps and
marking its territory.

On our way home we swung by Blackwater NWR and Shorter's Wharf Rd. and saw
three SHORT-EARED OWLS amongst the numerous NORTHERN HARRIERS and BALD
EAGLES. We also got interrogated by a very hostile DNR officer for why we
used the emergency blinkers while stopping along the road? I don't know if
they have a problem with poachers or what, but he never gave us an
explanation for why being cautious and signaling passing traffic was such
a crime! He reluctantly accepted our excuse of owl watching as "good
enough"!???

Photos of some highlights are posted to flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frodejacobsen/

Bird with caution and have a great week,

Frode Jacobsen
Windsor Mill, MD 21244