Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

The Lake Artemesia MYSTERY DUCK

From:

"Derek C. Richardson"

Reply-To:

Derek C. Richardson

Date:

Mon, 16 Jan 2006 17:35:49 -0500

A fine day at the lake in Berwyn Heights near College Park, 
and our favorite duck was busily diving in the north end 
while mingling with some AMERICAN COOTS.  I'm still of the 
opinion this is a LESSER SCAUP (female? immature male?), but 
I've got *MUCH* better photos (SLR digital camera through 
Leica scope) for the experts to peruse:

    http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/xfer/MysteryDuck/

Cast your votes!  Also of note today: a female BUFFLEHEAD 
was present (same one as from a while back?), as well as a 
GRAY CATBIRD, a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and a female PILEATED 
WOODPECKER (to name some highlights).  Complete report 
below:

Report Details
Location name: Lake Artemesia
Observation date: 1/16/06
Duration: 3 hour(s) 15 minute(s)
# of people in birding party: 2
Are you reporting all the species you identified? Yes
Total # of species: 32
Observation type: Stationary Count
Start time: 9:30 AM
Distance covered: N/A
Area covered: N/A
Weather had a negative effect on my ability to collect 
birding information: No

Checklist diary notes:
A trip to the lake to look for last week's scaup, and it 
was still there! (ID may change based on expert testimony.)
Started out mostly sunny, then clouded over by midday; cold; 
winds light and variable. Heard the catbird first; got a 
good look at it later. Nice (distant) looks at female 
Pileated Woodpecker. The Bufflehead (female) was also still 
at the lake. May have heard Belted Kingfisher.

Species Details
Species Name Number Reported
Canada Goose 400
Mallard 6
Lesser Scaup 1
Bufflehead 1
Ruddy Duck 45
Pied-billed Grebe 1
American Coot 13
Ring-billed Gull 100
Mourning Dove 7
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 6
Northern Flicker 4
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 6
Fish Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 8
Tufted Titmouse 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Eastern Towhee 3
Song Sparrow 6
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 5
Dark-eyed Junco 65
Northern Cardinal 10
American Goldfinch 2

Good birding!

D

-- 
Derek C. Richardson, Ph.D. (CANTAB) ________
Astronomy, U Maryland, College Park MD 20742
Tel: Office 301-405-8786 Fax 301-314-9067 __
Home page: http://www.astro.umd.edu/~dcr/ __