Jay Sheppard sent this along to me for MDOsprey:

 

Subject: OC CBC early report--12/28

 

Norm--

 

For MDOsprey readership, here is a first cut at some of the better birds
found today (WED, 12/28) on the Ocean City Christmas Bird Count.  I regret
that I do not have details on some of the birds' specific locations...at
this time.  Preliminary total species observed (ie, subject to change) is
149 or exactly average for this count over the past 30+ years.

 

At the OC Inlet, all or most of the day:

Common Eider--72; an all-time high count for this CBC; incl. many adult
males in full plumage.

No King Eiders....sorry!

Harlequin Duck--4 (one male)

Peregrine Falcon--1 (@ water tower before sunset)

N Gannet--125 (incl ~100 seen from Assateague Is.)

Purple Sandpipers--100

    GOODIES (seen on less than 15% of the counts):

COMMON TERN--3 mixed in with >200 Forsters; first record in >25 years

ROYAL TERN--1: first record for this count in >30 years; 3rd record for
count

BROWN PELICAN--1 immature flying south; 5th rec. for this count

 

OTHER GOODIES seen elsewhere in circle:

MARBLED GODWIT--1 seen on Skimmer Island sand flats at low tide only
~7:30-8:30 AM

LARK SPARROW--Assateague St. Park (bird preent for many weeks); first rec.,
for this count.

CLAY-COLORED SPARROW--3 birds seen by 2 separate parties west of Berlin and
east of the Pocomoke River bottoms.

 

Other great species seen from very inaccessible sites incl. White Pelicans
upper reaches of Newport Bay, Golden Eagle on a private farm south and a
little east of Berlin, and Ross' Goose near Berlin mixed in with Snow Geese.

 

Jay


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