Definitely a lot of waterfowl moving around the last couple of days. I too went to Thomas Point State Park today from about 3:30 - 5 pm and saw a similar, but slightly different assortment of species than reported by Ross and Warren et al. 

The Horned Grebe was still present as of 5 pm and was actually very close the rocks at one point on the south side of the point. 

Other than that I saw, conservatively, 600 Canvasbacks with a steady stream of birds still arriving as I left (north side). There were 300 - 400 Ruddy Ducks in several large flocks around the point and ~ 100 - 150 Buffleheads. I heard several Long-tail Ducks giving their rhythmic call from the fog in the distance but couldn't get the scope on any. 

I only saw 6 Lesser Scaup but found 4 different Greater Scaup (3 males, 1 female). At one point I had a Greater right next to a pair of Lessers, pretty close in good light, offering a good chance to study the slightly larger bill and more rounded head of the Greater as well as the broader, brighter white on the flanks and primaries. 

There were Cormorants on the lighthouse but with my scope and the light fog, I couldn't conclusively tell which species. My feeling was that at least some, if not all, were Great Cormorants because I could see a few juveniles with white from the throat all the way to the feet. I watched some fly up to the lighthouse from the water with a lumbering flight with relatively slow wingbeats, but . . . would have liked to been a little closer. 

Also present were 22 Tundra Swans, 4 Black Ducks, ~ 50 Mallards, and 1 Great Blue Heron. 

Good Birding,

Frank Marenghi
Annapolis, MD
 		 	   		  
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