Date:         Wed, 15 Mar 2000 18:39:43 -0500
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Sherry Peruzzi <bookworms@HOME.COM>
Subject:      Re: Wilde Lake 3/15
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

We were there between about 1:00 and 3:00 pm today ... we couldn't find
the horned grebe this afternoon, but we did see *two* pied-billed
grebes.

One of the mute swans is one of a pair that arrived at Wilde Lake last
spring. One of the pair had a broken leg and couldn't walk, and the
other had damaged feet -- the webbing was gone from between two of the
toes on each foot.

I believe the one that could walk was the male, because I saw him
display in defense several times -- once I watched him display fiercely
at a helicopter flying overhead, which he successfully chased away. ;-)

The one with the broken leg was eventually caught and taken to the swan
refuge in Airlie, VA, leaving the (male?) without a mate. He hung out
with the ornamental trumpeters, following them around wherever they
went. They simply ignored him. Then last fall another mute showed up on
the lake. It is believed that the newer mute came and went between Wilde
Lake and Centennial lake all winter, spending some time at each.

Last week the two mutes were on the grass, and one was obviously
the original one with damaged feet that's been there for about a year.
On Sunday three mutes were reported. Yesterday and today there were only
two.  One of them consistently hung around the trumpeters, while the
other one did its own thing. It would appear that one is the (male?)
with damaged feet, while the other is probably the one that's been there
on and off all winter. I believe that extra mute on Sunday was probably
a visitor, and is gone now.

By the way, I've been told by an employee of the Columbia Open Space
division that the swans on Wilde Lake are purebred trumpeters. There
have never been tundra swans on Wilde Lake. The previous pair were
trumplings, a specially bred hybrid. I was told that those were
relocated to Lake Elkhorn a few years ago and replaced with the purebred
trumpeters.

Sherry

"Wilkerson, Jordan T." wrote:
>
> MDOsprey,
>
> Quick trip around Wilde Lake in Columbia at before noon.
>
> Highlights include the
>
> HORNED GREBE (still present)
> BALD EAGLE Adult (wandering flight across the lake toward the SSW)
>
> All of the regulars...
> Ring-Neck Ducks
> Ruddy Ducks
> Mallards
> Canvasback Ducks
> Canada Geese
> Tundra Swans (domestic)
> Mute Swans (Does anyone know the status of these Mute Swans?)
> Ring Billed Gulls
> Blue Heron
> Cardinals
> Carolina Chickadees
> Carolina Wrens
> Tufted Titmice
> Song Sparrows
> House Sparrows
> House Finches
> American Robins
> White Breasted Nuthatch
> American Crows
> Mourning Doves
> Blue Jays
>
> =======================================================================
> To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com
> with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey
> =======================================================================

=======================================================================
To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com
with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey
=======================================================================
=========================================================================