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Subject:

Glen Burnie Black-bellied Whistling Duck details (long)

From:

Phil Davis

Reply-To:

Phil Davis

Date:

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:33:44 -0400

MD Osprey:

06/25/2007

So, by chance, I happen to open the original message from Steve 
Schueman only a few minutes after he sent it, saying that he had seen 
two Black-bellied Whistling Ducks at a rain retention pond next to 
his office and that they had been there all day. He had borrowed a 
point-and-shoot camera and forwarded me an image of the two birds.

So, I immediately forwarded the message to MD Osprey and then head 
out the door around 7 pm. I tried to call a few people (Stan Arnold 
and Leo Weigant) that live close by to let them know, but only got 
answering machines.

At 7:40, I find the pond (after going to the wrong one first) and 
find the ducks. They seem to be in the exact same spot as they were 
in Steve's picture.

I navigate to the closest roadway near the ducks, ensuring that the 
sun was behind me, and fire off some shots with my digital SLR with a 
400 mm lens.

The parking lot around the pond was mostly quiet; the birds took note 
of me but did not move. With the scope, I could see that as they 
lifted their feet to roost and stretch, both halluses on both birds 
seemed to be "natural" - i.e., long and with a full black nail. 
(Exotic waterfowl sometimes have a clipped hallux, rear toe.) Neither 
bird was banded.

The birds stayed in the same location, the far one seeming more 
sleepy, occasionally closing its eye(s). They alternated standing on 
two legs and lifting one foot. The plumage appeared to be healthy on 
both birds, with no signs of unusual wear.

Hans Holbrook arrived around 8 pm. He noted that the birds were wary 
of the trucks that were moving around the parking lot and that they 
did seem to note our presence. At one point, there were about five or 
six other people with us who were leaving work, so things did get a 
bit noisy with all of the people present. At this time, the birds 
moved out the water and up a bit higher on the bank. At this time, 
they appeared to getting a bit antsy. The local people then left.

Hans had connected earlier with Glen Burnie residents Stan Arnold and 
Elaine, on their cell phone (rather than the other number that I 
called earlier!) and gave them directions. Hans called them again and 
we realized that they were on another pond in the industrial park. He 
gave them better directions. Hans and I then both turned to look at a 
car that was turning in to the road leading to the pond, thinking 
that it was Stan and Elaine (It wasn't them, however). All of a 
sudden, a vocalization caught my attention and I turned to look and 
saw that the birds were gone ... unfortunately, neither of us saw the 
birds fly, so we don't know which direction they headed. About 30 
seconds later, the "real" Stan and Elaine turned the corner in their 
car and had missed the birds by less than a minute! The time was 8:51 
pm and dark was setting in.

We checked the other local pond and did not see them. Hans suggested 
that they might be tree roosters, and the BNA online account confirms 
that ... they can sleep either on a wetland shoreline or in trees.

There are a number of ponds in the area, it might be well worth 
checking in the morning.

Specific directions to today's location:

Either Mapquest this address:

         502 McCormick Drive
         Glen Burnie, MD 21061

Or ... from I-97, take MD 176 west towards BWI airport. Follow MD 176 
for about 2 miles. From MD 176, directly on the south side of BWI 
airport, at a traffic light, take McCormick Drive south (the only way 
it goes) into the industrial park. The first building on the right is 
502, the second building on the right is 504, next is an unnamed 
roadway with a pipe over it and two yellow pipes hanging from it to 
check truck heights. Take this roadway and go straight for less than 
1/4 mile until you see the pond on the right. (You can actually see 
this pond from MD 176 if you approaching from the east.) The second 
pond, mentioned above, can be found on the right by staying straight 
on McCormick Dr.

If you find the ducks, I would advise to not get too close. The BBWD 
from Gaithersburg last year spoiled everyone on how close you can get 
to this species (!)

Hans forwarded me a message from PA Birds that two birds were 
reported on the Susquehanna River just above the MD line on Sunday 
(8/24). I understand that other birds have been seen in the region, also.

I had wondered if the massive forest fires in GA and FL earlier in 
the spring were going to drive anything interesting north. Hans 
mentioned the earlier southern droughts, which would have also 
contributed to fires, would have also dried up some ponds.

Good luck!

Phil


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Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland     USA
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