Paul,
   Ed Smith reported the young Ruddy Ducks at Druid about two or three weeks ago.  I don't have the exact dates but he is writing it up for me.  We can put his information together with yours and have a more complete picture of the nesting activity there.


>
> From: Elise Kreiss <>
> Date: 2004/07/19 Mon PM 12:51:52 EDT
> To: 
> Subject: [MDOSPREY] Ruddy Duck Confirmed Breeding at Druid Hill Park, Baltimore City
>
> The following is posted at the request of Paul Kreiss:
>
> A ruddy duck family: male, female, and three downy young
> is now at the Droodle (Druid Hill for non-Bawlmer speakers)
> Park reservoir (Baltimore West, Center East in the breeding
> bird atlas project).  The ruddy ducks in the reservoir tend
> to hang out on the south side, and towards the east end.  The
> family was seen close to the eastern-most bed of reeds on the
> south side of the reservoir, just west of the round tower
> out in the water.  If driving to see them, park on the north
> side of the reservoir and walk around the east end.
>
> All were diving; the young sometimes put their tails up,
> exposing the white rear.  Males were first seen on the
> reservoir on April 23; numbers were as high at 7: mixed males
> and females on May 14 during the migration period.  Numbers
> stabilized at 2 males by May 25; on June 10, the safe date
> for this species, a female showed up. Incubation is 24
> days; first flight at 42; the young do not look nearly ready
> to fly yet, so the nest was probably started around June 20.
> The female was not seen in during three visits in June and
> early July, and so was probably on the nest.  The two males
> stayed together during this period; today however, one male
> was with the young and female, the other was at the north and
> west sides of the reservoir.
>
> The summer range for ruddy ducks is west of the Mississippi
> and around some of the great lakes; Peterson's 4th ed, which
> has the best range maps of the various field guides, has
> scattered sightings along the east coast as far down as
> Delaware, but his data are 24 years old.  Ruddy ducks are not
> listed in Robbins and Blom: Atlas of Breeding Birds of
> Maryland, although the handbook for the current breeding bird
> atlas says they formerly nested in Dorchester / Wicomico /
> Somerset / Worcester counties; so far in the atlas project,
> single sexes have been reported for the Church Creek center
> east block  in Dorchester, and Pocomoke City center east and
> west blocks in Worcester.  Breeding ruddy ducks are therefore
> a bit unusual in Maryland.    Unfortunately for the atlas
> project, it is unlikely that I will be able to find them in
> the other three quarter blocks.
>
>
> Paul Kreiss
> Baltimore, MD
> 
>

Bob Ringler
Eldersburg MD