Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 06:18:30 -0800 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Frederick Atwood Subject: Re: canvasbacks and redheads? Comments: To: Virginia Birding In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii 1. This past weekend in Cambridge,MD my ornithology class had fabulous views of about 1500 canvasbacks, many as few as 30 feet away. When I went back by myself on Sunday and Monday to photograph them they were still there. Also present were 2 male redheads, 2 female redheads and one that might have been a female red-head/canvasback hybrid (head shape was between the two). Also present were 11 american wigeons and dozens of lesser scaup (their numbers varied from day to day.) The canvasbacks were feeding, doing neat head-raising displays, twittering, and moo-like calls. I don't know what the canvasbacks were feeding on but they appeared to be straining the surface water through their beak lamellae. What an interesting sound it was to hear the spattering sound of dozens of canvasbacks a few yards away filtering water through their beaks. I always think of canvasbacks as eating SAV vegetation. Does anyone know what they were eating? The birds were all rafted-up along the breakwater along the Choptank in the residential area S of Cambridge. The males were closest to the breakwater and this is where the filter-feeding was the most intense. The females, scaups, and redheads kept working their way into this area but ended up being gently displaced by the male cans. I got to this area by turning off of 50 onto Maryland Ave and then just turning right towards the shore wherever I could. I don't know the names of the roads but there is a road along the shore that has several side roads that dead-end at the breakwater. Using your car as a blind, approach slowly and look over the top of the barrier. There you will see the birds. It is quite an amazing sight! The best light is in the afternoon. 2. Redheads. We saw 250 redheads on Saturday near Fishing Creek between Upper Hooper Island(not Middle as I said on Saturday)and Barren Island. On Monday the numbers were up to about 450 Redheads. The best viewpoint was on Creighton Rd. Also present were about 100 canvasbacks, 75 american wigeon,and assorted buffleheads, goldeneye, red-breasted merganser. 3. Further down where the bridge crosses toMiddleHooper I were long-tailed ducks,common loon, horned grebe, lots of american goldeneyes. 4.Also present at the Cambridge Choptank shoreline were surf scoters (100 feet away)and excellent close-views (50 feet)of long-tailed ducks. I hope this helps you find what you're looking for Scott. Fred Atwood, Flint Hill School, Oakton, VA --- Scott Clark wrote: > Hello all-- > > We've been trying without success to find some > canvasbacks and redheads > before they head north. Does anyone have any > data on how long they're likely > to be around, or advice on strategies (best > habitats, weather conditions, > time of day, etc.) for finding them? > > Thanks > > Scott Clark > Charlottesville ===== Frederick D. Atwood Flint Hill School, 10409 Academic Dr, Oakton, VA 22124 703-242-1675 fredatwood@yahoo.com http://www.agpix.com/fredatwood __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================