Just wanted to add to my unknown swallow story, that on the way home, as the adrenaline surge of the Black Skimmer sighting and the possibility of having seen a Cave Swallow waned, I deeply regret my disturbance of habitat in quest of a bird. While in the moment, I let my excitement get the better of me and am glad in hindsight that nothing flushed out. Would have been a bogus and unethical way to get a bird.
Andy Martin Gaithersburg
On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 10:17 PM, Andy Martin <apmartin2...> wrote:
> I was not able to get out to Violette's Lock until about 12:30 today. Upon > arrival, Dave Czaplak, Dave Powell and Jared Fisher put me on the Red > Phalarope that was over near the VA shore near the start of the rapids. > > The Arctic and 2 Common Terns, Pomarine Jaeger and Red-necked Phalarope > reported and seen prior to my arrival failed to re-show again. I did get a > Black Scoter, 13 Brant in flight, Laughing Gull and a Bonaparte's. Also, > 2-3 flocks of Dunlin were flying about. > > Most exciting moment occurred in late afternoon when Tim Guida yelled out > "Black Skimmer"! and directed us (Dave Czaplak, Brendan Lanpher and I) to > the bird perched on a large debris raft floating downstream. Dave quickly > phoned Rob Hilton and Lisa Shannon to come back as they had just left to go > home. They got back just in time to view the bird in flight as it had > lifted off the debris raft when it went over the Seneca Breaks. We even got > to see the bird skim a bit in the muddy Potomac. Not sure but think this > might be a Mont Co 1st record. Dave Czaplak could not recollect a skimmer > in Montgomery. Only some sightings from DC years back. I don't see any > mention of Black Skimmer in the abridged MD data base on the MOS Website > and there are no records of Black Skimmers in Montgomery in eBird. eBird > does have a couple inland records from PA in 9/03 in the wake Hurricane > Isabelle. A great county bird that was never even on my radar. > > While in the Violette's lock parking lot just before leaving, I looked up > (bare eyes) to see a stout looking swallow fly over about 20 feet above me. > Bad lighting did not allow me to get any color. Its tail had couple short > blunt lobes on either side. Not a sharp forked tail like a Barn. Did not > look Tree Swallow-ish either. It dipped low and flew down and out of sight > in between two stone walls that make up the C&O canal lock structure. I did > not see it fly back out from between the walls (but it may have). Dave C, > Brendan and Tim helped me look for it for about 10 minutes but we saw > nothing. Probably should not admit this but after the others left, I > stomped on the two small bridges that cross the canal and jostled the lock > doors to see if I could scare something out, but no luck. Maybe it was just > a late Tree or Rough-wing but with Cave on the brain and the time of year, > had to try. Like fishing, there's always the one that gets away. > > Back at home, earlier in day had a Purple Finch, Eastern Towhee and an > newly arrived Junco at my feeders. > > An outstanding day of birding! > > Andy Martin > Gaithersburg, MD > > > > > On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 4:31 PM, Lanpher, Brendan < > <BLanpher...> wrote: > >> Black skimmer at Violettes now. Skimming just upstream of rapids. >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Oct 30, 2012, at 12:39 PM, "Mary Ann Todd" <maryatodd2...> wrote: >> >> Dave has also had Brant, red-necked phal, and a still present red >> phalarope. >> >> Mary Ann Todd >> Germantown, MD >> <maryatodd2...> >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Jim Moore <epiphenomenon9...> >> To: Maryland Birding <mdbirding...> >> Sent: Tue, Oct 30, 2012 11:23 am >> Subject: [MDBirding] Violette's Lock (C&O Canal--Mont. Co.) >> >> Just wanted to let people know I was here this morning with Dave >> Czaplak. Dave spotted a tern that flew upriver fast and that I never >> got on; he believes it was an Arctic. There was also a flock of >> Laughing Gulls on the Virginia side on the golf course; occasionally >> some flew over the river giving me a long-awaited county bird. >> >> Dave remained when I left at 9:45am, and may have seen more. Road to >> Violette's was fine this morning, but I believe there's supposed to be >> a chance of flooding this evening and tomorrow morning, so use >> caution. >> >> Good Birding! >> Jim Moore >> Rockville >> >> -- >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group >> 'Maryland & DC Birding'. >> To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the >> web at http://www.mdbirding.com >> Posts can be sent to the group by sending an email to <mdbirding...> >> >> -- >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'. >> To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on >> the web at http://www.mdbirding.com >> Posts can be sent to the group by sending an email to >> <mdbirding...> >> >> >> >> -- >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'. >> To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on >> the web at http://www.mdbirding.com >> Posts can be sent to the group by sending an email to >> <mdbirding...> >> >> >> > >
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