There were many ring-necked ducks on the old waste treatment pond at BARC (Beltsville Ag Research Center) this past week.  Perhaps these are the missing Lake Artemesia birds?

Michel


-----Original Message-----
From: Maryland Birds & Birding on behalf of Ryan Farrell
Sent: Sat 1/13/2007 3:34 PM
To: 
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Mergansers at Lake Artemesia
 
My first visit of the year to Lake Artemesia this afternoon.  Surprised to
not see any ring-necked ducks but judging from Elaine's post, it looks
like they may be over at Greenbelt Lake.

Did find two pairs of Hooded Mergansers in the larger half of Artemesia
and 6 of what I quickly concluded were common mergansers in the
other half.  However in consulting my field guide, I'm now pretty
certain that they were red-breasted mergansers.  I wasn't expecting
them so far from salt water... has anyone seen Red-breasted
Mergansers on a freshwater lake before?

Ryan Farrell
College Park, MD