Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2002 02:50:30 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Frank Powers Subject: Bald Eagles MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Saw Great Black-backed Gull in the Tidal Basin and only Ring-billed and Herring Gulls at a very windy Hains Point, along with what appeared to be a Bald Eagle flying to the south over Maryland territory (by size, shape, color, and whatever that jizz is). No Loons, no Short-eared Owl the real hope for the trip. But over at Belle Haven Marina, looking back toward Maryland (and in Maryland waters? ...where is the boundary line? ...if you are on the VA shore looking east out into the river, at what point is a bird in MD or in DC?) saw FIVE 2nd or 3rd year Bald Eagles (1 with mottled white on head, chest and wings close to body; 4 with no white on head, but mottled white on bodies; none showed any white on tails). Two more adult Bald Eagles flew out over the river, both showing white on heads and tails (small size suggests male gender?). They appeared much smaller than another adult seen perching in a tree along the Dyke Marsh trail (definitely a VA bird; only included here for comparison to probable MD birds). Saw another probable Bald Eagle across the river clearly flying over MD territory. Too distant to make out characteristics. That would make it a 10 Bald Eagle day, most ever for me without going to Conowingo. Also of note in probable MD waters were 18 Great Blue Herons; 30 Pied-bill Grebes, all in one grouping; 2 Green-winged Teals; 5 Great Egrets; 7 Great Black-backed Gulls; 2 Osprey, both with fish in their talons; 10 Hooded Mergansers; 11 Bufflehead; 4 American Black Ducks; 7 American Coot; and 1 lonely female Belted Kingfisher. There must have been about 1,000 Ring-billed Gulls; 500 Canada Goose and around 100 Mallards. I won't mention the other birds seen, as they were all in VA (including the Fox Sparrow seen at the end of the Dyke Marsh trail). Good birding, Frank Powers Glen Echo, MD Montgomery County ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================