Hi Everyone,
Dan Small and I started the morning by checking the gulls at Conowingo Dam in the fog. Although we didn't pick out anything unusual, there were about 800 gulls present. We also did a quick check of Lapidum, finding small numbers of Common Mergansers.
We moved on to North East Town Park, where Sean McCandless has done well with rare gulls recently. Jim Brighton met up with us here, and we were joined for part of the morning by Monroe Harden, Jared Fisher, and Sean McCandless. The highlight of the morning was a second-cycle KUMLIEN'S (ICELAND) GULL that spent about 15 minutes bathing with the closest gull flock. There were also 2-3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls around. The turnover was pretty good, and I'm sure that continued checks will produce additional rare gulls this winter. The heavy concentration of Great Black-backed Gulls kept Slaty-backed Gull on our minds.
After the lunchtime gull commute started to slow down, we headed south. Jim and Dan decided to chase the Purple Sandpipers at Herrington Harbor. I had planned to do stuff around the house, but finally couldn't bear letting them chase those birds without me. It was bad enough that my nemesis John Hubbell had already been there. Of the five Purple Sandpipers found by Dan Haas, Chris Murray, and Warren Strobel on 12/22, one lingering bird was eventually tracked down during a break in the fog. It was working the far end of the north jetty and difficult to spot. I actually heard it call first, then saw it fly around to the south side of the tip of the jetty. Aside from it being a great county bird, I especially liked Jim Brighton and Dan Small giving up and heading home before it was found. Making people turn around after they try to leave is one of the true joys of birding if you ask me. It's even better than telling newly arrived people that the rare bird
just flew off. Fortunately they did get back there in time to enjoy it. Great bird, and a first on the western shore for all of us. Good find, Dan & Co. Thanks.
Good birding,
Bill
Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland
http://www.billhubick.com |