Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 17:49:24 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Michael Bowen Subject: Montgomery County 12/12 Comments: To: Voice of the Naturalist Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed All: Well, looks like we'll have plenty of open water for the Christmas Bird Counts starting this weekend. Only problem: where are the ducks? On a scouting trip today to our sector of the Seneca CBC (basically north of River Rd. and south of Poolesville, Montgomery County, MD) no waterfowl were seen except for the ubiquitous Canada Geese and Mallards. Sparrows were out in good numbers, with FOX once again a standout. They seem more numerous this year. FIELD SPARROWS were also very visible. I found one RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH in a stretch with pine trees where they've been found in previous years. Outside my own sector, but in an area that is both within the Seneca circle and much visited by local and other birders, I am happy to report that the Kiwanis Camp area just east of Sycamore Landing Rd., Montgomery Co. at 2 p.m. this afternoon had 3 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS -- an adult and 2 sub-adults and 2 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS. 10 minutes later I had another 2 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS just south of the main impoundments of Hughes Hollow. These latter birds, sub-adults beginning to assume adult plumage (red on head, white on secondaries) have been reported from this location for several months. It's exciting for us Montgomery birders to see that RED-HEADEDS seem to be making a comeback in this some locality. 25 years ago we could depend on 5-10 birds when we took trips out here. Mike Bowen Bethesda, MD D.H. Michael Bowen 8609 Ewing Drive Bethesda MD 20817 (Montgomery County) Tel.: (301)530-5764 dhmbowen@yahoo.com _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================