Hitting The Delaware And Maryland Coasts 1/13/06

On Saturday I awoke early and headed to Dover, Delaware in hopes of photographing a Red-necked Grebe that was being seen regulary throughout the previous week. Red-necked Grebes are annual on the Delmarva Peninsula but only in very small numbers so I needed to chase this bird. Chasing rarities can be a very frustrating endevour. A lot of the time you come up empty having spent a lot of money and time only to have the day end up in frustration. It is a problem that birder's deal with on a regular basis. And I have had to deal with it on all my chases in Delaware so far this year. I have missed the Northern Shrike at Prime Hook NWR and now the Red-necked Grebe at Dover. But that's alright, it was a good day anyway. I went to many places that I had not been to in many years. Ted Harvey WMA, where I had seen the Whiskered Tern back in the early ninties. Little Creek, which held a White-winged Black Tern at the same time as the Whiskered Tern. Bombay Hook, where I had gotten so many life birds like Ruff, Cinnamon Teal, and Northern Lapwing. Port Mahon, with it's legendary shore bird flocks that amazes everytime I have gone during migration. Even though I did not see anything of note on the Delaware coast it was great to go back to some of these places that I have ignored in the past few years. I stopped by Silver Lake in Rehobeth Beach on my way south and photographed a willing Double-crested Cormorant and the Bonaparte Gull flock at Indian River Inlet was accommodating as well. At Ocean City Inlet the Common Eider flock was briefly seen but they were on the south side of the jetty and were to far away to get any photos. In the parking lot at the inlet I took photos of Ring-billed, Herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls. On the flats along side Hoopers Restaurant on the bayside an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen but I didn't like the photos so I'll have to wait on this species. It was getting late on the ride back to Oxford but I couldn't resist the urge to stop at the Salisbury landfill and maybe get an Iceland or Glaucaus Gull pic. Many Gulls were present but no rarities were seen. It is always nice to end the day with the heavy aromas of a city dump wafting around inside the car.