Hi Folks,

Elaine and I met Charlie Kucera late this afternoon for a couple hours of
migrant searching at UMBC.  All of our migrants were warblers found in the
vicinity of Pig Pen Pond:

Nashville--1 (new bird for the UMBC list)
Magnolia--1 or 2
Prairie--1 or 2
Black-and-White--2

While walking around the north edge of Pig Pen Pond, the dozen or so
Mallards on the water flushed, but one hen remained behind, and we saw it
steadily paddling on the water with its wings, while something held it in
place.  The only conclusion we could come up with is that a Snapping Turtle
was holding a leg of the duck.  The duck would stroke and stroke and make a
little progress in one direction, only to be pulled backwards, causing it to
turn around facing in the opposite direction.  We watched this for five,
ten, maybe fifteen minutes, just knowing that at some point in time the duck
would succumb to exhaustion.  I'm not against a snapping turtle getting a
meal, even if a Mallard, but this was terribly uncomfortable to watch.   It
was like watching a child helplessly flailing about out in the water.
Charlie threw some stones in the direction of the duck hoping to cause the
aggressor to break its hold.  I threw some large sticks in that direction,
with the thought that maybe the duck could get some kind of hold onto a
floating object with its wings, but it was too far for me to get close.
Charlie and I decided that we would attempt the same tactics from the
opposite side of the pond, and while we were negotiating the numerous
obstacles to get there, Elaine announced that the duck had broken loose, and
flown for a short distance.  We all then watched the duck slowly paddle off
to the edge of the pond, disappearing into some vegetation.  We had no idea
how many legs and feet the duck was using to paddle with.  It would be
interesting to see if anyone finds a one-legged hen Mallard there sometime.

Back on the homefront, it was the first good day of migrants in our yard in
Ferndale (Glen Burnie), AA Co.  Some of the less-than-usual sightings today
included:

Black Vulture--4 circling together overhead
Laughing Gull--only seen here in September, we had nearly 100 flying east in
small groups during much of the afternoon
Yellow-billed Cuckoo--breifly seen in a tree; yard bird #96 for the year
Great-crested Flycatcher--perched briefly on one of our dead snags
Red-eyed Vireo--first of season
White-breased Nuthatch--also here yesterday--a scarce visitor in this yard,
and much less common than Red-breasted Nuthatch (which was resident in our
yard last winter)

Also, we've had Common Nighthawks flying over regularly since 15 Aug, but
last night (9 Sep) we had, for the first time, a nighthawk hawking insects
at tree-top level right over our house just before 8 p.m. when it was quite
dark.

Stan Arnold
Glen Burnie