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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