Folks

I took part in the Fairfax Audubon Soc. Waterfowl count yesterday.  I did the Charles County sector.  I visited several area including Pomonkey Creek (thanks to the Staples for the boat ride), Mattawomen Environmental Area (MEA), and Cobb Island.  During the day I saw maybe 5000 ducks along the way.  Birds of note were:

Pomonkey Creek and area:
1 Pied-billed Grebe
180 Tundra Swans - on the river
270 Canada Geese
60+ Black Ducks - up the creek
~40 Mallards - up the creek
156 Bufflehead - on the river
26 Hooded Mergansers
3 Bald Eagle
1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk
12 Greater Yellowlegs
8 Killdeer

Marshall Hall
2 Common Loon
1 Double-crested  Cormorant
50 Bufflehead

Mattawomen - full of ducks
14 Pied-billed Grebe
18 Tundra Swans
~75 Gadwall
~300 American Wigeons
~270 Black Duck
~525 Mallards
18 Northern Shoveler
~425 Northern Pintail
~55 Green-winged Teal
~325 Ring-necked Duck
~85 Hooded Mergansers
12 Coot
1 Bald Eagle

Breeze Point Sewage Treatment Plant - north of Cobb Island
63 Canada Goose
2 Gadwall
34 Mallard
15 Ring-necked Duck
10 Lesser Scaup
60 Bufflehead
1 Common Goldeneye - female
20 Hooded Merganser
~340 Ruddy Duck
4 Forster's Tern
40 Bonaparte's Gull
1 Laughing Gull

Cobb Island pumping station
27 Common Loon
22 Double-crested Cormorant
6 Surf Scoter - 4 males, 2 females; write-up being mailed.
2 Black Scoter - both females; write-up being mailed.
32 Long-tailed Duck - I still prefer Oldsquaw
47 Bufflehead

Like I said, lots of ducks.  Also, I picked up a few Golden-crowned Kinglet and several Red-headed Woodpecker at MEA.  I did not find any Cave Swallows anywhere.  If anyone finds another, please call 301-752-9240 (cellphone).  Maybe Gwen and I are the only people in the state to have missed them.

Friday at the house I had a male Pine Warbler eating split peanuts.  Also around the house was a pair of Fox Sparrow, and a young male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  The Red-shouldered Hawk continues to feed in the back yard as well.  

Go birding.

George