Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2003 21:56:39 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Robert Ringler Subject: Eared Grebe & Phalarope 9/27 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Today I birded the central Eastern Shore with Debbie Terry and Bill = Ellis. In the morning we made a detour north to Chestertown to see the = grebe and phalarope that were reported yesterday. We saw both in the = same locations of the first pond as noted by Walter. The Eared Grebe stayed in the southeast (or southern) corner of the = pond and disappeared from view against the near shore. However, to me, = it appeared more like a molting adult than a bird of the year. It = appeared to have remnants of the fan-shaped ear patches on the side of = the head, and the neck looked very dark. The phalarope was in the southwest (or western) corner of the same = pond. Twice it went to the shore and virtually disappeared against the = grass. We studied this bird for a long time between 10 and 10:30 AM. = It did not appear to have the dark crown and back or the distinctive eye = patch of a Red-necked Phalarope. The color appeared to be more of a = gray on the crown and back while the eye patch was very indistinct. The = bill looked long and thin. I would have called it a Wilson's but my = opportunities to look at phalaropes, especially Red-necked, are limited = and Walter may have had a better view. Viewing conditions this morning were not the best. It was overcast = and hazy. Consequently, I hope we can get some more observers out there = to see these birds. I would appreciate some other opinions. We also spent some time driving back roads in the Oak Grove area = looking for Collared Dove without success. We also looked for migrant passerines at Terrapin Nature Park, Tuckahoe = State Park, Martinak State Park, and Pickering Creek Sanctuary. The few = highlights were a Black-and-white Warbler and Gnatcatcher at Terrapin = and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Pickering. The water level at Pickering = was high and the only shorebirds we saw were a Greater Yellowlegs and = about 20 Lesser Yellowlegs. Green-winged Teal were numerous in the = grass and there was one Ruddy Duck. At Chestertown the Shovelers and = Caspian Terns were abundant plus there were some Ruddy Ducks, = Green-winged Teal, and Blue-winged Teal. Tree Swallows were working = many of the fields in southern Caroline County. Central Sod Farms had a = lot of human activity and the only shorebirds we saw were Killdeer. The = Horned Lark flock there numbered 20+. Bob Ringler Eldersburg, Md ringler@qis.net =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================