Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 15:03:06 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Michael Bowen Subject: Waterfowl cramped at Black Hill Comments: To: Voice of the Naturalist Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Open water is getting hard to find on Little Seneca Lake, Black Hill Regional Park, Montgomery County. Fortunately - for birders if not for the birds - the two small open stretches are close and easy to 'scope, one west and one east of the usual vantage point by the bridge on Route 121. Apart from a group of about 60 TUNDRA SWAN that was sitting on the ice about a mile up the western part of the lake, all the waterfowl were concentrated in the two open-water areas. Here's a rundown of birds seen today, January 19, around midday: PIED-BILLED GREBE 8 CANADA GOOSE 200 AMERICAN BLACK DUCK 10 MALLARD 100+ AMERICAN WIGEON 2 CANVASBACK 20 REDHEAD 20 RING-NECKED DUCK 50+ BUFFLEHEAD 10 HOODED MERGANSER 20 RUDDY DUCK 20+ Most of these numbers are way down from what was in the lake before Christmas. I don't do this area on the Sugarloaf CBC, and it would be interesting to know what waterfowl were seen at this spot on January 5, the day of the count. The weather has been almost consistently freezing since then. A brisk walk in the Ten-Mile Creek area of the park was pleasantly bracing. Best birds in this section were 23 EASTERN BLUEBIRD, 3 HERMIT THRUSH,and 2 EASTERN TOWHEE. I was almost hit by a marauding Sharp-shinned Hawk when I was trying to whistle in one of the Hermit Thrushes, bringing to mind George Jett's admonition to Stan Arnold (on MDOsprey) about being careful in the presence of birds of prey. I saw Turkey tracks in the snow, but saw no Turkeys. Mike Bowen Bethesda, MD D.H. Michael Bowen (Mike) 8609 Ewing Drive Bethesda MD 20817 Tel./Fax: (301) 530-5764 e-mail: dhmbowen@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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================