St Mary's Birding
Steve Sanford (tanager@bcpl.net)
Sun, 29 Nov 1998 09:56:54 -0500
I made a quick run to St Mary's Co yesterday (11/28), mainly to Pt
Lookout. There was nothing unexpected.
At Pt Lookout there were hundreds of Oldsquaw, hundreds of Surf Scoters,
about 25-50 Black Scoters, no White-winged Scoters that I could
identify, (Most of the Scoters were immatures or females), several
hundred Buffleheads, but no Goldeneye(!), one Gannet, only 2-3 Horned
Grebes, 4 Common Loons. Due to the rare lack of wind and waves, the
"owl-omlette" calls of the Oldsquaw were quite audible.
At Beauvue Ponds there were several Hooded Mergansers, about 25
Ringnecks, 3 Tundra Swans, Black Ducks and Mallards. Almost all were in
the pond closest to the main road (Rt 244). (No Harriers, no Short-eared
Owls.)
Note: On the way down I stopped at Schoolhouse Pond, Upper Marlboro. It
was about as devoid of interesting waterfowl as I've ever seen it. Just
Canada Geese, Mallards, and a few Gadwall. Too bad.
Steve Sanford
tanager@bcpl.net
Randallstown, Baltimore Co, Md