Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 20:18:50 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Robert Klarquist Subject: Golden Day at Blackwater NWR. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The participants in Bill Clark's raptor ID workshop (which occurred over the past weekend) had plenty of chances to try out their raptor ID skills during the class field trip to Blackwater NWR on Sunday, 12/3. The trip was highlighted by sightings of four Golden Eagles -- 2 immatures and 2 adults. The two immatures were both seen at the same time along Maple Dam Road about two miles or so north of Key Wallace Drive. The two adult Goldens were initially sighted together in a tree at the junction of Maple Dam and Key Wallace. The pair then lifted off and worked their way leisurely down Key Wallace Drive to the Refuge Visitor Center, where they lingered long enough to be seen by a number of observers at the Center. Bald Eagles were present in abundance throughout the Refuge, with 15 being seen from a just single location along Maple Dam Road south of Key Wallace. A Short-eared Owl was also out in the late afternoon along Maple Dam Road. Other raptors for the trip were N. Harriers, Sharp-shins, Red-tails, and Am. Kestrels, as well as Black and Turkey Vultures. Non-raptors included Am. Pipits, Greater Yellowlegs, Great Egret (2), Common Snipe, Hooded Mergansers, and a Delmarva Fox Squirrel, among the other, more usual, species (which included a flock of appx. 100 Cedar Waxwings feeding on the berries in the trees by the Visitor Center parking lot.) Bob Klarquist Arlington, VA clarquis@erols.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================