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Re: Blue-winged teal

From:

Kurt Gaskill

Reply-To:

Kurt Gaskill

Date:

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 22:02:31 -0500

MDOspreyers & VA BIRDers,

I received a late report for the Fort Belvoir CBC (after posting my brief
summary) of 4 Blue-winged Teal at Huntley Meadows on count day.  Blue-winged
Teal have been reported on this CBC for the last 10 out of 20 years.
Although not directly related to a Maryland location, the data is an
indication that this species is present to a limited extent in our DC metro
area in late December.

To suggest to the reader opportunities to look for Blue-winged Teal, please
consider the following.  A few years ago, Erika Wilson had shared her
Blue-winged Teal data with me and the combined data set for Northern
Virginia showed that the nadir of presence was roughly from the middle of
January to the middle of February, with only one report in-between; the
latter is often the coldest portion of winter (with the most ice
formation... and also one of the least birded!) for the DC metro area.
Based upon this information, coupled with CBC data, I would suggest
Blue-winged Teal are mostly rare during Dec and early January, not yearly
from mid-Jan to mid-Feb, then mostly rare throughout the balance of Feb;
appropriate habitat locations near the Potomac enhance presence during the
low abundance periods.  The species migration becomes obvious near the
beginning of March and it peaks in the first half of April. Presence extends
to the end of May in isolated locations with breeding suspected in at least
one case. There is one July record of which I am aware (Dyke Marsh).  In the
fall, migration starts just after the beginning of August, beginning to peak
in the second half of August and continuing with significant showings into
September; by mid-October large flights have passed.  Representatives have
mostly left the piedmont by mid to late November with only a very small
number of December records.  Along the Potomac, lingerers are noted through
December, etc.

Of course, there may be additional data on the east side of the Potomac
which may help to further clarify the picture I painted above!

Incidentally, initial Ft B CBC reports for this past count indicate that
American Kestrel numbers were up by a small amount.  Certainly local habitat
destruction is playing a role in the overall reduction of CBC count numbers
over the last decade or more.  Yet, the species is findable in appropriate
habitat - I observed 5 in the course of 6 hours of car travel today looking
for hawks in the piedmont and near Northern VA's Blue Ridge.  (Admittedly,
not a big number.)

Kurt Gaskill, compiler, FT B CBC

-----Original Message-----
From: Maryland Birds & Birding [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Bob Ringler
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 1:47 PM
To: 
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Blue-winged teal

Richard,
   Both Blue-winged Teal and Kestrel have declined as local breeders which
accounts for part of the situation. Obviously there is also a problem in
other parts of the breeding range because the number of reports of migrants
in Maryland last fall was the lowest on record. Kestrels have been declining
as migrants in recent but I would have to analyze the data from the
hawkwatches for this fall to make any further judgment.

--
Bob Ringler 
Eldersburg MD 


-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: RICHARD JILL WOOD <> 

> Hi all,I am wondering where the Blue-winged Teal were last year. Did
anyone of 
> you see any, and if so, where? I certainly didn't see any and I was
surprised. 
> I also didn't ee any Kestrels last year, either, though my Merlin l;ast
week 
> makes up for it.Good birding,Richard 
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