A Day at the Beach

Rog (rogs@erols.com)
Fri, 27 Mar 1998 17:06:33 -0500 

First of all.....Thanks a bunch to everyone who gave me directions to the
Ocean City hot spots!  (Gee, a few years back that would've meant bars.) 
We're sure lucky to have a terrific resource like MDOsprey!  I had a great
day and saw five lifers.  It was awfully windy, and unfortunately neither
the Peregrine nor the Harlequins made appearances at the jetty while I was
there from 9 to11 and again at 4.

Norm was sure right about needing a scope!  Most of the birds were on the
other jetty, and since my life-list is still a Piper/Plover-free zone, I'll
bet it would have benefitted quite a bit with a scope (and an expert to
interpret what we were seeing.)  So Norm, next time can I borrow you and/or
your Hubble?  <grin>

The highlights of the jetty and inlet were Common and Red-necked Loons, Am.
Oystercatchers, DC Cormorants, RB Mergansers, the common gulls and about a
gazillion Brants.  There were birds out in the ocean but I couldn't make
them out.  Also, a Coast Guard helicopter hovered for a long time out there
trying to help a boat in distress.  (Didn't see how it worked out, since
time was tight and Copters are already on my life-list.)

Lots of birds on the 4th Street Flats -- couldn't see 'em with only binocs.

West OC Pond yielded (now I really sound like a "regular") Canvasbacks,
both Scaups, Mallards, Black Ducks, Gadwalls, Shovelers, Canadas,
Black-crowned Night-Herons, and a shirtless guy with a dog who chased me
off his property.  (Oops, in my enthusiasm I missed the sign!)

The Indian River Great Cormorant was absent, but in his place were a large
number of Oldsquaw(s?).  They were in mid-plumage and I tried valiantly to
talk some of the funkier-lookin' ones into being Eiders or Scoters, but
they were having none of it.  There was also a nice couple collecting conch
shells.  As they were leaving, they came up and gave me one - wasn't that
neighborly!  (Confession time - I passed it on to a woman who asked me
where I found it.)

The path through the marsh behind the North marina was sparse, but there
were a number of Scaups, Buffleheads, Canvasbacks, RB Mergansers, a
Flicker, a weird Grebey-lookin' thing and a Great Blue Heron who did a
"kiting" maneuver, then opened the bomb-bay doors (if you get my drift). 
This path looks like it might be better on a less windy day.

After that I raced back to OC for a quick look (I really wanted to see that
Peregrine and the Harlequins - oh well,) then a mad dash back for a 7:00
commitment in Olney.

Whew!  Thanks again for the advice - and good birding y'all!

Roger Stone
rogs@erols.com