Hi all,
No Cave Swallows here either P:-)
Not a whole lot of activity, but still lots of Fox Sparrows around, many
still singing. I had 5 in view at once, with others flying for cover. Ducks on
the big pond included 18 Green-winged Teal and 3 Hooded Mergs (and a Great Blue
Heron), and a pair of Mallard on the smaller pond. Highlight of my morning
was a MINK, seen both swimming and diving at the edge of the small pond,
between the beaver lodge and the overflow structure. It came ashore once while I
was fairly close, allowing me great looks at its face (small features; nose,
eyes and ears, pink nose), its body (length, girth and tail length), and its
overall look. At first we (there were 2 others present) thought it was the
beaver, as we saw just some movement in the water, followed by bubbles. Then
upon closer looks (still from a distance) we thought it was an otter, but to me
it appeared too small, without the big rear end of an otter. I walked in much
closer for better looks, and it came ashore just below me at the edge of the
pond. It stayed mostly in the water though, and disappeared by
swimming/diving away, and we lost sight of it.
I've seen both otter and mink before in Montgomery County, but I have never
seen one in the water both swimming across the surface and diving under. The
Audubon Guide to the mid-Atlantic States says they do swim a lot. Also saw a
dead Meadow Vole along the trail, which appeared to have a broken neck, with
blood, etc. like a hawk or owl had caught it but had been disturbed and left
it lay there in the middle of the trail.
Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD
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