Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2003 15:59:01 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Michael Bowen Subject: Pipits, Lesser Black-back in DC Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Before going with Mary Paul on her regular weekly USGS survey this morning, I drove briefly into Kenilworth Park in NE DC around 9 a.m. Yesterday's rain left numerous puddles on the ball fields and I came across a group of 15 AMERICAN PIPITS in one soggy section of the park. Due to a combination of very high tide and heavy rains in the Anacostia basin, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens was one big lake this morning, with the wide paths around the lily ponds under a foot of water at 10 a.m. The contractors working on the boardwalk extension (and their vehicles) were effectively marooned until low tide! Incidentally, the extension is scheduled to be complete by the end of the month or shortly thereafter. Hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls were on the fields in Anacostia Park. Among them was a single adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL that was in full alternate plumage. No dark streaks on head or neck, full yellow legs, bright yellow bill, and a nice long red blotch on the lower mandible. The Anacostia "wetlands" had at least 3 WILSON'S SNIPE and a skulking SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 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 ======================================================================= =========================================================================