Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 17:00:08 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: John Hubbell Subject: Mont. Co. (C&O Canal/Great Falls), 12/1 A beautiful morning to take the new Montgomery County site guide out for a spin. Started at Lock 6 on the C&O Canal. The book (pp. 6-7) said I could see gulls. At first, all I saw was fog, but as the fog lifted shortly before 9 am, I saw gulls -- Ring-billed, Herring, and Greater Black-backed - - the latter two being county firsts for me. The only other birds of note at this location were a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Belted Kingfisher. No waterfowl other than Mallards and Canada Geese. Next stop, Great Falls. The book (pp. 15, 103) said I could see Bald Eagles. Before I even got to the end of the observation platform, I could see one perched at the top of a tree on the Conn Island shoreline downstream from the nest site. Superb. Waterfowl were plentiful on the riverside trail starting north of the observation platform -- Tundra Swan, Canvasback, American Wigeon, Gadwall, American Black Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, and many Ring-necked Ducks. Also seen over the river: Turkey and Black Vultures, Red-tailed Hawks, and possibly a Peregrine Falcon. This bird was soaring overhead with the hawk and vultures. It was slightly smaller than the Red-tail, with pointed wingtips, and I thought I could see that the head and face had the dark markings of a Peregrine when it turned the right way. I don't have much experience with Peregrines, and I just didn't observe the underside of the bird well enough to feel confident. I wouldn't normally report something I'm unsure of, but there seemed to be many birders at Great Falls today and I was hoping maybe someone else saw it, whether it was a Peregrine or something else. John Hubbell Chevy Chase, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================