Hi Folks,

    Elaine and I met Charlie Kucera and Brian Sykes at the Halethorpe Ponds
(Ponds 4 & 5, located in Baltimore Co. at the  south end of Halethorpe Farms
Rd., off of Washington Blvd [Alt US 1]) on Friday evening (3/17), and though
the waterfowl was a bit disappointing, we met our primary objective:  to
view the Bald Eagle nest in the scope, which will only be possible for a few
more days, as the foliage begins to fill out.  The nest is actually across
the Patapsco River in Anne Arundel Co., but fairly easily seen from the
gravel road along the big pond, and we watched the female on the nest
through the scope, after which we watched the pair of eagles flying together
ever so majestically.

Waterfowl included:

Gadwall--8
Am. Wigeon--2 females
Common Merganser--3 (1m 2f)

    This morning (3/19) at Southwest Area Park (SE Balt. Co.), Elaine and I
noted the following:
Canada Goose--4
Am. Black Duck--4
Mallard--2
Merlin--1, flew over us, and landed in a tree where we were able to put the
scope on it
W. Snipe--31, in the flats on the left (tide was out) as you drive towards
boat ramp
B. Kingfisher--1
Savannah Sparrow--3

    Also this morning, we visited the following ponds in Anne Arundel Co.:

    Pond 14 (easternmost of ponds on Bellegrove Ave., from VFW club):
B. Kingfisher

    Pond 12 (westernmost of the Bellegrove Ponds):
Canada Goose--14
Mallard--1
Pied-billed Grebe--3
Great Black-backed Gull--1 overhead

    Pond 11 (Nursery Rd., just west of B&A Blvd):
Canada Goose--4
Mallard--4
Green-winged Teal--31
GB Heron--3
Killdeer--1
W. Snipe--6

    Pond 10 (take Barkwood Ct. off of Nursery Rd. and follow to end):
Wood Duck--5 (3m 2f)
Mallard--5
GB Heron--1
Ring-billed Gull--31
Herring Gull--2
B. Kingfisher--1

    Pond 9 (viewed from back of Oregon Business Park, off of Nursery Rd.
near I-695):
Wood Duck--pair

    Pond 6 (mistakenly called Pond 7 on previous posts; easily seen from
several pull-offs along River Rd.):
Wood Duck--1 male
Mallard--3
Red-shouldered Hawk--1 heard

    We also checked the pond along the BWI Trail where Broadview ends at
Andover Rd. in Ferndale and found five Hooded Mergansers (1m 4f).

    Yesterday in our yard in Ferndale (AA Co.), our resident Red-breasted
Nuthatch was tooting in the spruce trees.  This morning upon returning from
the ponds, one of our resident Cooper's Hawks fussed at us with its
high-pitched call as we stepped out of the car.  Perhaps we disturbed the
bird's plans of nabbing one of our feeder birds.  So far this winter we've
discovered four little piles of Mourning Dove feathers in our yard, and can
almost certainly attribute them to our resident pair of Coops.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie