I spent Tuesday 1/26 and Wednesday 1/27 in Dorchester and Worcester counties. On the evening of Monday 1/25 there were heavy rains and much of the area was flooded. For a while Bestpitch and Maple Dam Rd were completely under water. This seemed to drive more birds into Blackwater except for the missing shorebirds. The highlights were: 



Blackwater NWR - 1/26/10 

Ross's Goose 1 - near the Visitors Center with 3000 Snow Geese 

Rough-legged Hawk 1 immature light phase seen from the Wildlife Loop. 

Golden Eagle 2 - 2nd year and near adult - A refuge volunteer told me that they have seen 8 different individual Golden Eagles recently at Blackwater. There is a person who comes weekly and counts the Golden Eagles. 

American Woodcock 1 - Shorters Wharf Rd 

Short-eared Owl 1 - Shorters Wharf Rd 

Red-headed Woodpecker - Stop #5 on the Wildlife Loop 



Ocean City Inlet - 1/26/10 

The sun glare was bad around noon but the lighting was great around 3:00 pm. 

King Eider 1 - female. Her small dark bill showed up very well in the late afternoon light. 

Common Eider 60 

Harlequin Duck 2 

White-winged Scoter 1 

American Oystercatcher 2 

Ruddy Turnstone 40 

Purple Sandpiper 40 

Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 



West Ocean City Pond, Bayside Pond, and Castaways had all the usual ducks. The Redhead number at Bayside increased to 7. 



South Point - 1/26/10 

Horned Grebe 22 



Truitts Landing - 1/27/10 

No shorebirds. Too much water . All of the mud is on the road. Now I need a car wash. 

Tundra Swan 10 

Green-winged Teal 300 - They were too far to find the "Common" Teal. 

Great Blue Heron 24 

Great Egret 1 

King Rail 1 - Was less than 10 feet from us. 

Virginia Rail 1 - A very low count 

Bonaparte's Gull 1 



Rt 12 drainage pond just south of Robins Rd, Salisbury, MD - Wicomico County - 1/27/10 

Redhead 1 - male 

Hooded Merganser 2 - pair 



Barren Creen Pond - Wicomico County - 1/27/10 

Tundra Swan 12 

American Wigeon 1 

Ring-necked Duck 40 



Elliotts Island Rd - Dorchester County - 1/27/10 

Ruddy Duck 400 - At the end of the road 

Red-throated Loon 1 - At the end of the road 

Dunlin 210 - At the end of the road 

Boat-tailed Grackle 1 - near the end of the road before the fork 



Cedar Creek Rd - Dorchester County - 1/27/10 

No owls but a beautiful sunset. 



Good birding, 




Joe Hanfman 

Columbia, MD