A few highlights from Saturday (~35mph N winds) and Sunday in Ocean City 
and Assateague:

Ocean City Inlet, 11/5:

American Woodcock - 1 - Planning to use the building as a wind block, I 
parked at the Oceanic Motel, and as I was getting out of the car, I saw 
a Woodcock waddling away from me in the parking lot! I pretty much had 
to drop my scope because the tripod legs weren't locked in yet and I 
didn't want the bird to get away without getting a better look and 
photographing it. At this point, the bird picked up and flew to a 
different wall of the motel, nearly alighting on a windowsill (it 
might've been trying to go through the window, but thankfully didn't 
make impact). It dropped down to the sidewalk where it sat, huddled 
close to the brick wall. A fisherman noticed me taking photos and asked 
what the bird was, but I don't think my answer made anything clearer for 
him. He said he had noticed the bird earlier in the small brick 
enclosure that houses the ice machine. It's possible the bird spent the 
night there. It would've provided good protection from the cold and 
strong wind, but I shudder to think how it got there. Hopefully, it was 
just displaced and not a building strike victim. As far as I could see, 
the bird appeared to be in good health. Here's a photo: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35144142@N04/6321633585/in/photostream

Harlequin Duck - 6 - one stunning male with five females
Scoter sp. - 4,500 - nearly constant stream headed south. This total is 
from about 90 min spent at the inlet, only half of which was spent 
scoping the horizon for flybys. They were still going by when I left. If 
you extrapolate that out to a whole day, or most of a day, the number of 
passing scoters must've been quite impressive, in the mid tens of thousands.

11/6:
Assateague--Causeway:
Black Skimmer - 1 - Photo: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35144142@N04/6321633557/in/photostream

Assateague--Ferry Landing:
Common Goldeneye - 1 - not commonly seen this early or from the island

Casataways Campground,
Marbled Godwit - 7
Western Willet - 6 - Photo of one: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35144142@N04/6322157326/in/photostream

Rum Pointe Golfcourse, 11/6:
Common Gallinule - 2 - continuing, found by Jim Stasz in late Oct.
Western Palm Warbler - 1 - the minority race of Palms in November, but 
yet my only non-Myrtle Warbler of the weekend. Photo: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35144142@N04/6322157384/in/photostream

Rob Ostrowski
Crofton, MD


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