I birded Harford/Baltimore yesterday, then AA/PG/Harford/Baltimore today. Some highlights:
Yesterday:
Lakeside Ponds, Home Depot Pond, Clubhouse Road Pond (Harford) held the usual suspects, but Perryman Park offered a nice surprise in the form of a "gray ghost" Northern Harrier. It flew so close to me I didn't even need binoculars.
I then picked up Heidi Trasatti and we found the Ross's Goose in Owings Mills and the Eurasian Wigeon in Peerce's Cove at Loch Raven Reservoir. A Barred Owl called consistently at Loch Raven. We did not hear Great Horned when we stopped to listen at Cromwell, though I did have them there earlier this year. Ross's/Eurasian were lifers for Heidi.
Today:
Did a quick warmup in Patterson Park where I found 4 American Wigeons (all drakes), 6 Ring-necked Ducks (all drakes), and the resident Cooper's Hawk and Merlin.
Headed to Patuxent North Tract to kill time while waiting for Heidi/DJ Trasatti to make it up to the South Tract. Nothing notable at the North Tract in the 10-15 minutes I was there. Got the Trumpeter Swan almost instantly at the South Tract, and quickly found the Red-headed Woodpecker as well. Swan was a lifer for all 3 of us.
It was insanely windy at Oxbow Lake and the police cars and distant gunshots (?) did not make us any more comfortable birding there. No teal were found in the 5 mins we were there. Disturbing to read about the discovery of human remains mentioned in Kurt's earlier post. (We didn't have any idea about that when we were there...)
Heidi and I went up to get the Bullock's Oriole, which appeared at 2:52, roughly 5 minutes after we arrived. No Cackling at the nearby pond.
I then made a quick solo trip to White Marsh. 8 Green-winged Teal were new (or at least hiding during recent visits) and there were 36 Gadwall and 2 drake Hooded Mergansers as well.
Good weekend!
Tim Carney
Baltimore/Anne Arundel
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