Sightings for 3/27 & 3/28
Warblerick@aol.com
Sun, 28 Mar 1999 12:21:18 EST
Hi all,
I did get out a bit on Saturday and Sunday morning for some birding and found
the following nice birds:
Saturday, March 27; 17 Common Snipe at the Laytonsville pond, and a pair of
Green-winged Teal. Lake Needwood had another Green-winged Teal (unusual here)
and a few Common Mergansers (I can't recall ever seeing them here) along with
about a dozen female Hooded Mergansers. The pond on Zion Rd had lots of ducks,
best finds being a pair of Greater Scaup (m & f) and a pair of male Lesser
Scaups. Also here were Tree Swallows.
A quick stop at the intersection of Rt 108 and Brookeville Rd. to check a
newly plowed field yielded 3 very pretty Savannah Sparrows, in fresh plumage.
Triadelphia Reservoir had 2 Common Loons in breeding plumage along with
Common Mergs, and in the parking lot at Greenbridge Rd., Eastern Phoebe, both
kinglets, 2 Brown Creepers. Also on the water was the first Double-crested
Cormorant for me for the year. 49 species for the morning and home by 11.
Sunday morning, March 28 I retraced my steps backwards and found a few new
birds to add to Saturday's list. A few American Kestrels hunting from wires
and/or perches, 2 more E. Phoebes where yesterday I had the Savannah Sparrows,
a single Rough-winged Swallow swirling over Zion pond with the many Tree
Swallows (and only 1 male Lesser Scaup and no Greater today), a single
American Coot on Zion pond, and a few Black Ducks here also. Very little on
the reservoir and surrounding area, but the Laytonsville pond area produced a
pair of Horned Larks, which I found after much searching in the cold wind. I
was hoping for pipits, but settled for the larks, a bird I've always thought
should be here but never found until now. Snipe must've moved on though, as I
could only find 2 here today. A few Killdeer and a hunting Kestrel were also
present.
Things do seem to be jumping now, with new arrivals and departures every
day.If only the weather would start to cooperate...
Rick Sussman
Warblerick@aol.com
Ashton,MD
301-589-4848 (Tues. AM)