Hi all

I sent this message yesterday but for some reason it didn't arrive on the listserve. I'll try again

With a meeting in Ocean City, I got a little time to explore nearby bird sites

Highlights:

Skimmer
 Island - Monday afternoon - a flock of basic-plumage black skimmers. 
I've not often seen them in basic plumage and I was surprised how motley
 they looked.
                       - Tuesday noon - three Marbled 
Godwits were flying back and forth between the island and the flats on 
the west side of the bay.

All further notes are from Monday afternoon - 
Assateague
 - I was happy to spot at least ten Northern Gannets feeding off the 
coast (way off - almost to the limits of my scope to see clearly). Also I
 saw two Brown Pelicans (again a good distance off shore). Scoters were 
flying. Most were too far out to identify. Once, though I saw a large 
flock of Black Scoters flying in formation - all males, it seemed! - 
each with the bright yellow-orange knob gleaming. (Later I saw a flock 
of what appeared to be female Scoters. Do they often separate for 
migration?)

Eagles' Nest Camping Grounds (Or whatever it's called these days...) I saw a (late?) Osprey flying and then a Northern Harrier.

West
 Ocean City Pond - among the regulars I spotted a Wood Duck skulking in 
the grasses, and wondered whether it was a bit late to be seeing him.

O C Inlet - over thirty Sanderlings and (only) two Dunlin on the rocks across the water.


Don Burggraf
Baltimore