Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2003 08:54:03 -0700 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Clive Harris Subject: Double-crested Cormorants breeding at Cabin John In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii After a gap of almost 2 months I went down to the C&O Canal this morning to find out how the Double-crested Cormorant colony (in an island in the Potomac opposite Cabin John) had done. Only 6 nests were visible: there was a lot of vegetation in the way, and the high water meant it was not possible to change position to view the other nests. However, the birds have done rather well - around 10 young birds visible, the smallest half grown and the largest as big as the adults. They are all rather dark, yet to acquire the browner tones of 1st years, but with whiteish-yellow skin on the throat, much paler than the adults. When there was less foliage, at least 10 nests could be seen, so this means there could be as many as 20 young hatched from this colony. Are there other colonies along in the Potomac in Montgomery County? If anyone is interested, this can be reached either by the path to the canal from the small lot on the s/w side of the single lane bridge on MacArthur just before Cabin Joh (head n/e up the canal) or from 79th street (head s/w along the canal). The site is right next to mile marker 8 - follow a short track into the woods and look through a space in the foliage to sycamores halfway across the river. A scope is required. Regards Clive Harris Cabin John, Md --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================