Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 18:28:36 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Kurt Schwarz Subject: Centennial Waterfowl, HowCo I went back to Centennial this afternoon in hopes of finding the putative small race Canada Goose of yesterday, and hopefully get a photo. The waterfowl landscape had changed substantially since yesterday afternoon. I was there 4:40-5:45. Tundra Swan - 1 Snow Goose - 4, 1 adult white, 3 sub-adult blue phase. Canada Goose - didn't count, 2 small ones. Notes below Green-Winged Teal - 2, females N. Pintal - 2, m&f, they're baaaaaack! Ring-Necked Duck - 16 Am. Coot - 2 No scaup, ruddies, or buffies (I left the two buffies I saw yesterday off the list) The Tundra Swan was toward the dam. There were very few waterfowl to the right of the boat ramp, the Tundra was the only interesting thing. All the action was in the wildlife area. The white phase Snow was at the east end of the 2nd island in the wildlife area. The blue phase were among the Canadas at the third island (the island furthest west). The Ring-necks and Pintails were between the 2nd and 3rd island. The teal were on the south side of the 3rd island. The coots were moving around. As for the small Canadas, I went in hope of photoing, but failed to bring up a back-up battery, so the camera crapped out as I was shooting the Tundra! Aaargh. They were at the west end of the westernmost island, among other Canadas. They had distinctly shorter necks, and a stubby bill. I would say the bill length was almost half that of the other nearby geese. The breasts were dusky, in distinct contract with the whitish of the neck strap. I noticed that there was a small, white margin between the black of the neck, and dusky breast. It was quite distinctive. Both birds had it. One of the bird's bills appeared a bit longer, but both were noticably shorter and stubbier than the other Canadas. The blue phase were roosting, and unless you look closely at the Canadas, or they raise their heads, they can be overlooked. These are brownish gray birds, that in a setting sun did NOT stand out from among the Canadas. The peepers were calling, and the Red-winged Blackbirds were displaying all over. It felt like spring. Be very afraid!!! Kurt Schwarz HowCo goawaybird@comcast.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================