Cinnamon Teal & Franklin's Gulls [VA]
SSUTER (ssuter@aaas.org)
Mon, 16 Nov 1998 17:07:13 -0500
During the midday low tide Sunday the Hunting Creek flats west of the
George Washington Parkway bridge had c 470 gulls including 2
Franklin's (adult, basic plumage). Observed while resting is
scattered mixed flock of Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls, and briefly
seen in flight on a couple of occasions when parts of the flock took
to the air for 30-60 seconds before dropping back onto the flats.
There were far fewer Laughing Gulls among the 700+ gulls on the flats
in the Potomac off the mouth of the creek; searched them for
Franklin's and found no candidates but might have overlooked some.
These flats also held a small flock of c 40 Bonaparte's Gulls, 2
Caspian Terns and 6 Forster's Terns. And between 1130 and 1225 there
were 14 Bald Eagle present as well: 2 adults, 4 1st year, and 8
"white-bellied".
Single Forster's and Common Terns were feeding over the Potomac off
the Belle Haven picnic grounds at 1240.
Further South along the Potomac: The drake Cinnamon Teal was present
in the marsh W of the overlook at the end of the Great Marsh Trail,
Mason Neck NWR. I was present from 1350 to 1510, scoping the ducks
resting and feeding in the marsh but had the bird in sight only for 5
minutes around 1450. With the bright sun, the lighting was far from
ideal and the bird was never closer than an estimated 115 m. It was
loosely accompanied by a similarly sized female, but I lost them
behind vegetation before getting a good look at it. With the distance
and lighting, the Blue-wing vs. Cinnamon distinctions might not have
been discernible in any case. There were 1 drake and at least 4
female Blue-wings present. (And several hundred ducks scattered among
the more distant vegetation.)
Sherman Suter
Alexandria VA