I joined Debbie Terry, Nancy & Elliot Kirschbaum for a walk on the C&O Canal towpath in Washington County this morning. We walked upstream from Lock 31 to Dam #3. Early in the walk we saw the pair of adult Bald Eagles with one on the nest and the heronry occupied by about 20 pairs of Great Blue Herons. Later in the walk at Maryland Heights we saw at least one Raven carrying food. Along the river between the US340 bridge and Lock 34 we saw at least three Great Black-backed Gulls, two fourth-winter/summer and one first-winter/summer, and about 25 Herring Gulls. Ducks seen included Wood Duck, Gadwall, Baldpate, Black Duck, Mallard, and Common Merganser. Birds along the towpath were common resident and wintering species.
   After the walk Debbie and I drove to the mouth of Antietam Creek to look for the Lesser Black-backed Gull seen yesterday. There were no gulls there but we could see several Herring Gulls downriver at the first available rocks for perching. We walked down the towpath to this point just below milepost 69. There were four immature Herring Gulls here. A few minutes later two more Herring Gulls came flying upriver and joined them. These were followed shortly by the Lesser Black-back. We watched it fly around, land briefly a few times, and interact with some of the Herring Gulls before continuing upriver out of sight. We hoped it had landed near the mouth of Antietam Creek but when we returned there it was nowhere to be seen and we did not see it again. This was about 2PM or later. The Lesser was a fourth-winter bird probably changing to fourth-summer. The plumage was adult-like with a completely white tail and lightly streaked head but there was a prominent blackish spot on the bill.
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Bob Ringler
Eldersburg MD