Date: 3/24/13 5:26 am
From: Dave Roberts <droberts50...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Violettes Lock - merganser day


I spent Saturday am hiking above and below Violettes Lock. Immediately upstream a female common merganser was with 12 young hatchlings in tow. I was able to photograph up to three of them riding on her back.

Upstream of Reilly's there was a group of 7 hooded mergansers and two male red-breasted. Seven more common merganser females were napping on an exposed rock in the rapids at Blockhouse Point. Some common merganser males and one red-breasted were with a large group of scaup and a few bufflehead farther downstream.

Horned grebe are still abundant with 29 for the day. One tundra swan was at Reillys and one upstream. Green winged teal, wigeon, and shovelers are still at the Dierssen WMA impoundment.

Dave Roberts
Bethesda

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