I decided to spend this afternoon searching for waterfowl in Caroline
County.  Starting at Tuckahoe State Park, I took the trail along the eastern
side of the lake as far as the ancient abandoned car, which provides a nice
vantage point from which to scan the water below.  I was able to find 3
HOODED MERGANSERS and a RING-NECKED DUCK (both county birds for me) and a
single male WOOD DUCK.

Then I drove to the end of Coveys Landing Road (in Talbot County), where I
found a good collection of ducks in the marsh on the Caroline County side.
 I counted at least 18 NORTHERN PINTAILS and 6 AMERICAN WIGEON (two more
county birds) and 24+ GREEN-WINGED TEAL.  There were also many MALLARDS and
a few BLACK DUCKS in the marsh as well as in the main part of Tuckahoe Creek
in the distance.

Next I went to the end of Kingston Landing Road (also in Talbot County).
 Spread out on the Caroline County side of the creek were about a dozen
COMMON MERGANSERS, one of which turned out to be (upon closer inspection) a
female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (another county bird).

My last stop was the town of Choptank on the Choptank River.  There were a
few more Common Mergansers out in the river, but the Common Goldeneyes that
I've been seeing near the mouth of Hunting Creek (most recently this past
Monday) were not around today.  The goose flock that usually hangs out near
the intersection of Blades Road and Hunting Creek Road had settled into
Hunting Creek for the night.  After scanning the flock twice, I found one
bird that I was willing to call a CACKLING GOOSE (one more county bird!).
 Finally, on Skeleton Creek Road on my way to Choptank, I came across a
flock of 36 WILD TURKEYS in a corn field - the largest flock I've ever seen
in Caroline.

Good birding!

Elaine Hendricks
Greenbelt, MD  (PG County)