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Subject:

Fort McHenry 2/2/05 - 3 scoters

From:

Bob Ringler

Reply-To:

Maryland Birds & Birding

Date:

Wed, 2 Feb 2005 16:23:07 -0500

   I joined Jim Peters, Elliot Kirschbaum, and Mary Chetelat for the monthly Baltimore Bird Club walk at the fort this morning.  There is lots of ice in the harbor but the shipping channels get cleared regularly and there is a lot of open water around the fort.  Consequently many of the ducks wintering in the harbor have congregated there affording close views.  Here is a list of the birds I saw.  It is not complete.  Jim was there earlier and saw additional species.

Canada Goose  300
Gadwall  5
Baldpate  20
Black Duck  2
Mallard  200
Shoveler  4
Canvasback  400
Redhead  2 males
Lesser Scaup  1,200
Ring-necked Duck  3 males
Surf Scoter  1 male
White-winged Scoter  1 female
Black Scoter  1 female
Bufflehead  50
Red-breasted Merganser  1 male
Ruddy Duck  1 female
Double-crested Cormorant - 17
Ring-billed, Herring, & Great Black-backed Gulls
Pigeons, Doves, & Starlings
Song, Swamp, White-throated, & House Sparrows
Red-winged Blackbird - 5, some singing but not on territory yet; marsh is frozen

   Every time we looked at the duck flock something else seemed to appear.  Jim has seen one Red-necked Grebe there during the past week.  He also said that the Prairie Warbler that had been wintering was last seen on Jan. 18 after the recent cold spell started.

Bob Ringler
Eldersburg MD