MD Pelagics anf the Morning Star hosted another very successful pelagic yesterday (3/17/2012) out of Ocean City in MD waters.  Despite foggy conditions off and on all day, the skies cleared well enough to give us hours of superlative birding.  
 
Species list as follows: 
 
Red-breasted Merganser - 1 
 
Northern Fulmar - 7 (several birds quite close in chum). 
 
Manx Shearwater -112 (record MD by about a factor of >6x!!! Multiple large groups including a "flock" of 23).  I suspect this might be a record count for the East Coast south of New England.  State bird for at least two MD stalwarts.   
Red-throated Loon - 28 
 
Commom Loon - 11 
 
Northern Gannet -10 
 
Bonaperte's Gull - 53 
 
Little Gull - 1 (1st basic) (state photo species for Hoffman :)  
 
Herring Gull - 134 
 
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 3 
 
Razorbill - 11 
 
Large aclid (sp.) - 3 
 
Diversity was not as great as it might have been, as we were hoping for more alcids, but we certainly made the best of what started as a very slow day due to the limited visibility.   
 
The Manx show was amazing and something I don't think any of us ever expected to see in Maryland.  I've got 43 records on Manx in my data base for ever month of the year, but only one March record. The prior max set this past November, 18 on 11/19/2011 on the See Life trip out of Lewes.   
 
eBirds lists will be generated and distributed.   
 
Thanks again to the Captain, mate, co-leaders Hafner and Lutmerding,  and participants.  
 
A spring trip is in the works. Stay tuned.    
Calm seas, 
Mark Hoffman 
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry 
 
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