Karen Stewart called me around 3 PM to say that she and Lydia Schindler had 
followed up a report to the Voice of the Naturalist that there was a 
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck seen yesterday in the large pond at Rio, aka the 
Washingtonian Center.   They found the bird, as did I later, hanging out with feral  
Canada Geese and Mallards.   The bird is somewhat wary if you approach it, has no 
bands on the legs and is possessed of hind toes on both feet.   Captive birds 
often either have bands or have the hind toes clipped.   The origin is 
uncertain, but 20 were found at Altamaha WMA in Georgia on 5/28, with the number 
increasing to 38 on 6/4.   On 6/1 four were found in Bucks County, PA and were 
still there yesterday.   The location is just north of Philadelphia and is a few 
miles from the place where a   Fork-tailed Flycatcher was found on 6/4.   The 
winds swung around to the south over the weekend and could have facilitated a 
movement of both the Flycatcher and the Whistling-Ducks.

The Washingtonian Center is just west of I270 in Gaithersburg where it is 
joined by I370.   The mixed use property is bounded by I270, Sam Eig Highway and 
Fields Road.   The pond is located in the midst of the commercial zone along 
Washingtonian Blvd.

Paul O'Brien
Rockville, Mont. Co., MD