Hi Folks,

What normally would be a treasure trove of fabulous winter birds is just the
same old stuff here in AA Co.  Here's a rundown:

On Tue., 15 Feb Sandy Point State Park hosted a single SNOW BUNTING largely
transitioned into breeding plumage.  The bird was mostly black and white,
with just a bit of its winter tan color.  It was in the grass, just off the
north beach.  Many digiscopes made.

On Friday, 18 Feb I saw the HARLEQUIN DUCK from the north dyke of the Swan
Creek/Cox Creek property, and also had a NORTHERN PINTAIL in the north
dredge cell--a new bird for the property and my 199th species personally
seen there.  I later met Charlie Kucera, and we headed over to Fort
Armistead to see if we could refind the Harlequin.  While we were looking
south towards the concrete pier I looked over my shoulder and there was the
duck steaming toward its favorite hiding place behind the rocks in
Baltimore.  Charlie and I jumped in the car and drove for a better look,
getting five seconds of viewing before it disappeared behind the rocks.  We
waited a while and were rewarded with some good scope views once the bird
emerged from its hiding.  A life bird for Charlie.  Back at Swan Creek, we
had a single flyby WOODCOCK at about 6:20 p.m.

On Sunday afternoon, 20 Feb, Charlie once again joined me for some birding
in southern AA Co., with our best find being ten PURPLE SANDPIPERs at the
end of the north jetty at Herrington Harbor.  Charlie got a lot of
digiscopes; another life bird.

This morning, 21 Feb, I was alone for a three-hour survey of Swan Creek.
The HARLEQUIN DUCK was nicely viewed in the fairly placid water on the Swan
Creek side of the concrete pier bordering Fort Armistead.  Over at Fort
Armistead I could see a birder out on the wooden pier with scope.  I'm not
positive of my ID, but I believe it was a KIETH ERIC COSTLEY.  He was
looking in my direction, but would not have been able to see the Harlequin,
which was with six Canvasbacks and out of view from the Armistead vantage
point.  If he stayed long enough, he likely got to see it.  Also at Swan
Creek, among 400 gulls in the north cell was a first cycle ICELAND GULL and
two LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLs, one adult and one very ratty third cycle that
looked almost like it had been oiled.  The year's first Ring-necked Ducks,
Green-winged Teals, and Gadwalls were seen in the wetlands, among 13 species
of waterfowl for the property.

Stan Arnold
Ferndale



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