Hi Folks,

Nancy and I spent the afternoon in western, central, and eastern Kent 
County looking for elusive longspurs but finding much consolation in 
lieu of the target. Some of the numbers of roadside open country birds 
were impressive. We located 635 Horned Larks; 405 juncos; 177 
White-throated Sparrows; 95 Savannah Sparrows; 89 White-crowned 
Sparrows; 51 cardinals; 49 Song Sparrows; and 17 American Pipits. Hot 
spots for white-crowns included 26 on Mary Morris Rd; 20 in 
Chesterville; and 36 in the Angelica Nurseries along Md-290 north of 
Chesterville. Our best pipit tally was 8 on Morgnec Road near its 
junction with MD-298.

Highlight species were many, headlined by a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE 
(probably Greenland based on its orange bill and dark head and neck) 
near Urieville Lake south of Kennedyville along MD-213. The goose was in 
a driveway on the east side of the highway just beyond the "lake" just 
south of the brick Calvary Church. We also had 21 Hooded Mergansers, and 
7 Ring-necked Ducks on Urieville Lake itself. There were 13 RUSTY 
BLACKBIRDS on Mary Morris Rd in freshly spread cow manure near the dairy 
farm. We had a GRAY CATBIRD on Buck Neck Rd near Buck Neck Landing on 
Worton Creek. There was a CHIPPING SPARROW among 80 juncos at Irelands 
Corner south of Galena just off MD-290. The mill pond at Quail Run 
Nursery north of Millington on MD-313 held 11 Common Mergansers, 6 
Northern Shovelers, and 4 Gadwall. It was a good outing despite the 
gloomy overcast weather.

Good birding,

Walter Ellison & Nancy Martin

23460 Clarissa Rd
Chestertown, MD 21620

phone: 410-778-9568

e-mail: rossgull(AT)baybroadband.net

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