Birding by the Potomac River, Sandy Hook in Washington Co - Lock 34 west of
Sandy Hook (trail west from where the river road turns north thru the gap.

Ok - now i'm entirely curious on what the non-descript diving duck - about
the size of black duck - could be. Today's visit shed no light for me on
it - just looks brown / dark.  Any duck experts out there?  Otherwise:

BLACK DUCK - 4 sunning with
MALLARD - couple with Bk ducks
CANADA GEESE - 25 or so in groups of 5-8, all sunning
BLACK VULTURES - 2 overhead with
T. VULTURES - 10 or so
RED TAIL HAWK - saw first with vultures then it flew west over the
ridgeline alone
CROW - both Amer. and Fish
CARO. CHICKADEES
A SINGLE RED BALLOON - possibly filled with helium - way above the treeline
such that I, a complete UFO-skeptic, thought maybe it they might exist for
just a second. Most unusual sighting of the day! Possibly a Valentines Day
migrator but couldn't make out the markings...

Kevin Caldwell
Knoxville, MD