[MDOsprey] Floyd report, DC area Potomac River

Dave Mozurkewich (dm@fornax.usno.navy.mil)
Fri, 17 Sep 1999 18:16:35 -0400 (EDT)


This was the first hurricane I've been in the area for in at least 5
years. Try telling a non-birder that this is not good luck.

Yesterday, Thursday, I spent some time watching the Potomac from its east
shore a couple miles north of the Wilson Bridge.  I watched for about an
hour starting as soon as it was light enough to see.  There was a pretty
nice flight of birds heading north which included

Forster's Tern 150
COMMON TERN  5
Caspian Tern 6
Blue Winged Teal 6
Mallard 10
Great Blue Heron 4
Herring Gull 10
Great Black Backed Gull 1
Yellowlegs 3
Canada Goose 110
Cormorant 15

Only the Common Terns seem out of place.  The viewing was better than I
expected since most of the birds were near my shore.

I also checked the river mid-day and evening for about a half hour each
and, except for a peep heading north, the birds were just milling around. 

In a 3 hour search this morning, I found nothing on the Potomoc, the
Anacostia or on the lakes I checked in northern PG county. 

Not much data, but it seems to suggest agreement with what Czaplak said
last year: "You want to be out before the storm hits or to the east of
where the eye breaks up."

Dave

David Mozurkewich
Seabrook, MD  USA
dm@fornax.usno.navy.mil