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
>>
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