Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2002 17:57:40 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "George M. Jett" Subject: Eurasian Wigeon in Charles County Comments: To: md-smas@yahoogroups.com Comments: cc: Jim Stasz , miliff@aol.com MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Folks Gwen and I took a couple hours this afternoon to visit the Mattawoman = Natural Environmental Area (MNEA) off of Rt. 224 in Mason Springs (De = Lorme, Map 36, D2; ADC map 7, A8). The top bird for the visit was a = male Eurasian Wigeon in amonst the 600+ American Wigeons. It is hard to = find the entrance since it is not marked. The entrance is approximately = 1 mile south on Rt. 224 (Chicamuxen Road), south of the light at Mason's = Springs. The easiest way to get to Chicamuxen Rd. is to take Rt. 210 = south from the beltway toward Indian Head. At the light on the north = side of Indian Head, turn onto RT. 225 (Hawthorne Rd.). Go 1.5 miles to = the first light. You will pass Rt. 224 on your left at about 1 mile, = but ignore it until you come to the light. At the light turn left onto = Chicamuxen Road (Rt. 224). Drive down Chicamuxen Road for about one = mile. Lackey High School will be on your left on Chicamuxen Road. = Shortly past the high school is a small parking area on the right. The = entrance has dirt mounds to prevent ATM's from trespassing the trail. = Take the only trail (at the entrance) to the Mattawoman Creek. The = trail is marked by white blazes and is about 2/3 of a mile. The trail = will split shortly after you are on it. Take the left fork. It is the = shortest way to the river and where Gwen and I found the Eurasian = Wigeon. The trail is a loop. Lots of waterfowl are along the entire = Creek now. =20 This is a very lovely spot for waterfowl. Lots of SAV. We had between = 3000 to 4000 birds during our two hour visit. Other birds of note as I = can remember them were: 1 Great Egret - flushed by the regular visit of Bald Eagles cruising the = marsh 6 Great Blue Heron 6+ Bald Eagles 1 Male Wood Duck tons of Mallards. Many Black Duck 400 Northern Pintail 200 Northern Shovelers 30 Green-winged Teal 6 Scaup Sp. =20 70 Ring-necked Duck 50 Hooded Mergansers 2 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 3 Red-bellied Woodpeckers 1 Hermit Thrush Numbers of waterfowl are estimates. Got to eat. Enjoy. George Jett =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================