Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 19:48:23 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Scott Michaud Subject: Piscataway Park Redux Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I went back to Piscataway Park today (MD, along the Potomac), after last weekend's disappointment with searching for the Greater White-fronted Goose. Once again, no luck. In fact, today all the Canada Geese were huddled up in the middle of the Potomac, away from the ice. Not a single goose in the fields. Still, got some great looks at an immature bald eagle over the marsh, and a definite Canvasback out by the fishing pier. And, although I'm not 100 percent on the ID, I think I saw a Peregrin (or a Merlin on steroids) over the marsh as well. It flushed from the trees, gave me a quick look at a bluish, flat-winged, rufus-bellied profile and ducked (pardon the pun) behind some trees. Here's a question for the list. I picked up the "Checklist of the Birds of the National Capital Parks-East" at the visitor center. For Piscataway Park, under Ducks, it lists every single variety of duck (except Lesser Scaup and Bufflehead!) as uncommon, rare, or transient for all seasons! Even Mallards are listed as uncommon. Is this a reflection of infrequent birding at the park or are there really that few birds there (except the two days I've been there!!!)??? ;) Here's the list: Canada Geese Mallard Wigeon Gadwall Ruddy Duck Common Merg. Lesser Scaup Canvasback Belted Kingfisher Bald Eagle Hermit Thrush White-breasted Nuthatch White-throated Sparrow Tufted Titmouse Eastern Bluebird Turkey Vulture Mockingbird Cardinal Robin Red-bellied Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Flicker (Yellow-shafted) Am. Crow Carolina Wren Carolina Chickadee Ring-billed Gull Greater Black-backed Gull Starling Great Blue Heron -- Scott Michaud Arlington, VA _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================