Hi Folks,

Despite a bit of accumulated snow overnight we had a pleasant field trip 
with five participants to Eastern Neck Island today (8 Jan 2011). We had 
53 species on the island including 17 waterfowl species. Numbers of 
waterfowl were a little low but Calfpasture Cove (as seen from the road 
beyond the Tubby Cove lot) had a nice selection of ducks, geese, and 
swans and Durden Creek at Bogles Wharf had a nice raft of Canvasback. We 
had 177 Canvasback, 250 Tundra Swans, 2 REDHEAD (Calfpasture Cove), 2 
Hooded Mergansers (Durden Creek), 2 Long-tailed Ducks, a coot 
(Calfpature Cove), a Gadwall, a CACKLING GOOSE (Calfpasture Cove), 26 
bluebirds, 20 flickers (15 in the Lodge cornfield), 2 sapsuckers, a 
Hermit Thrush, Pileated Woodpecker (from the Tubby Cove lot), and 30 
turkeys in the trees south of Ingleside across Calfpasture Cove (always 
unexpected to see turkeys clambering around in the treetops).

After time we went to Chesapeake Farms to look for the GOLDEN-CROWNED 
SPARROW. We saw the bird twice in about 45 minutes and it was *not* 
being an exhibitionist as it kept in and close to cover in the 
honeysuckles on the west side of the road beyond its favorite pokeweed 
on the east side. Also present were 9 Cedar Waxwings, and 20 
White-crowned Sparrows. Along the highway (MD-20) just east of Bakers 
Lane we stopped to scan a flock of 1500 Snow Geese (12 blues) and also 
had 8 pipits, and 20 Horned Larks there.

Good birding,

Walter Ellison & Nancy Martin

Chestertown, MD

Observing Nature is like unwrapping a big pile of presents every time 
you take a walk.