Re: Conowingo- alas, no swans ... but there were gulls!
Edward Jendrek (aj97@bellatlantic.net)
Wed, 27 Jan 1999 16:21:16 +0000
I was at Conowingo on Tuesday, Jan 27 in the AM. The flood gates were open
and the water was roiling. No real good gull watching below the dam.
However, above the dam the birding was hot. The trash and ice that had come
down the rive had poiled up behind the dam, and hundreds of gull were
sitting on the floes, eating and loafing. When a floe would get too close
to a spillway, the gull would take flight and fly back up above the next set
of gulls, recycling themselves and offering excellent views of flying and
sitting birds. Up river, Bonapartes gulls were swarming, although I didn't
go up river (dummy). The best birds were a first -winter Thayer's gull, and
a second-or-third-winter Thayer's gull, with good views sitting and in
flight.
Brian Monk
Bel Air, MD
Harry Fisher wrote:
> Hi All:
> As Marcia mentioned, and a previous post predicted, the open flood gates
> at the dam have created tumultous conditions, and the violent waters
> have completely covered all rocky areas. There is literally just
> water. I spent some time sifting through the thousands of Ring-bill
> gulls, but came up with nothing more exotic than Greater Black-backed.
> Will try again tomorrow with Marcia.
> Did have 5 Black Crown Night Heron, 2 of these immature, all grouped
> together on the downriver end of the island. A very brief glimpse of a
> tern hovering into the same field as the herons, then could not find it
> again.
> Leslie Fisher
> Cecil County