Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 08:05:56 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Paul Woodward Subject: McKee-Beshers 3-05-00 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit 5 March 2000 Came out mainly to look for woodcocks, but since I had almost 3 hours before sunset I walked a small loop of the area to see what was around. Started at the impoundments, then east on Hunting Quarter Rd to the middle parking lot, then south through the fields to the towpath, west to the hiker-biker, and then back to the impoundments through the fields. Afterwards went to the Sycamore Landing parking waiting for darkness. On the way out I stopped at several points along River Road listening for woodcock. In general it was a pretty quiet day with few birds around. Ended up with 33 species. The highlight for me was the female Common Goldeneye feeding in the large impoundment- I think this is the first time I have seen this species away from the river. Other highlights were a brief visit of 5 Tree Swallows( 3 days later than my earliest arrival date), 1-2 adult Bald Eagles( saw one at 1455 flying high to the NW over the impoundments and one 3 hours later flying upriver near the east end of Maddux Island), 2 Hooded Mergansers, 18 Lesser Scaup, 4 Tree Sparrows (along Sycamore Landing Road) , and a calling Barred Owl. While waiting for woodcocks, I had a total of at least 120 Wood Ducks flying to the west-probably headed for the western buttonbush swamp. Earlier I had recorded 44 in the impoundments. No woodcocks were calling along Sycamore Landing Rd, but I had 3 (2 displaying) along River Road. Spring Peepers were out in force. Paul Woodward Fairfax City, VA grackling@worldnet.att.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================