My husband Peter and I birded Mile Posts 120-124 today for the C&O Canal Midwinter Bird Count.  We live 1-1/2 hours away in Front Royal, so we got an OK to do our count today because of the weather forecast for  yesterday in the Hancock, MD, area.  Today was beautiful -- sunny, calm, and in the upper 40's and low 50's.

Mile Post 120 is down river from Hancock, and just below the parking lot for Little Pool.   Little Pool had several highlights, most significant being a single Greater White-fronted Goose that was with a number of Canada Geese.  We were able to observe it for quite awhile, including using a scope, so we are fairly confident of the ID.  With another group of Canada Geese was a single Scaup.  We also had an opportunity to observe it closely, comparing it to the Sibley drawings, and we believe it was a Greater Scaup.  There were also 5 Hooded Mergansers at Little Pool (1 male, 4 females) and 64 Canada Geese.

Other highlights of the day were 11 Eastern Bluebirds, 7 Pileated Woodpeckers, a Hermit Thrush,  two Red-shouldered Hawks, and four Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Sandy Z. Wilson
Front Royal, VA

 


Sandra Wilson

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