Hey Kurt: Interesting sightings, as always. Haven`t been out and about too much lately myself. Xmas and all that, you know. KurtCapt87@aol.com wrote: > Folks, > > Well, I managed to wake up early today AND get out of the house early (8 am, > do tell!). So, I headed over to Huntley. As I made my way to the boardwalk, > the Winter Wren by the visitor center started calling; as I reached the > boardwalk the seep and tsep call notes of Song and Swamp Sparrows became > clear. Looking up, I saw a quickly moving bird flying north from the south > side, almost bill-on. MoDo? Looking through my bins I saw the Merlin fly > past, somewhat leisurely I thought. No outright 60 mph powered flight, it > occasionally went into a glide! It flew past, circled back to the south and > perched on a high snag about 300 yds away. I thought it may be carrying > something as twice it lowered and raised its legs, somewhat like a Red-tail. > Some nearby birders called me over as the bird was in their scopes. Viewing > the Merlin through the scopes, I could see it hold the sparrow somewhat like > we would hold an ice cream cone Mmmmm, a sparrow icecream cone. Your description gave me a laugh. > - not straight up though, at an angle - > grasping with one claw the bottom portion of the sparrow. The sparrow's head > was gone, and the falcon was feeding from the shoulder area down. Nothing delicate about these falcons!! > Later, the > bird flew to another perch (an Am. Crow tried to harrass the Merlin, taking > the falcon's new perch, but the Merlin merely circled from the perch and > charged the crow (it powered up, if you know what I mean); the crow flew off. > >From this new spot, I could see that the falcon was now down to about mid- > breast. Interesting. And how!! Another chuckle. > As I walked back, another Winter Wren went chit-chit > chit, chit chit... > > For lunch I ate my hot dog at Accotink Bay, Ft. Belvoir. The usual umpteen > hundred Can I use umpteen hundred as an accurate asessment on my Xmas count area? > of Black Ducks and Mallards were scattered about the mudflats (the > tide was quite low). As I scoped across the bay to the opposite side (passing > a dozen or so Great Blues) I chanced upon a brick red duck. Ah, the Cinnamon. > Still here. His escort of other Blue-wings were absent - gone south? west? > Perhaps the CBC for Mason Neck will shed some light. Still, its great looking > at a Red Duck. On the east coast. Real close to home. > > Its been a good year. Yes, it has. Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all you Ospreyers out there in cyberspace. > > > What will show up next year? > > Kurt Gaskill, kurtcapt@aol.com Leslie FisherNorth East MD