Took the family for a winter picnic at Lake Frank and Meadowside Nature
Center today.

 

8 tundra swans

9 hooded-mergansers

4 green-winged teal

2 american widgeon

1 lesser scaup

17 ringed-billed ducks

2 yellow-bellied sapsuckers

 

a few score of Canada geese

a dozen or so mallards

mixed flocks at the feeders and at various points along lakeside trail of
downy wps, red-bellied wps, house finches, white-throated sparrows, juncos,
titmice, chickadees, cardinals, bluejays and carolina wrens.

 

On a side note, I was surprised by an error in the nature center's outdoor
display of raptors and habitats.  There is an interactive board in front of
the rehab raptors that matches the raptors to their likely habitat.  The
label for a short-eared owl has a picture of a saw-whet owl.  

 

That said, my kids are always more enthusiastic about seeing wild birds when
they have recently visited the raptors at Meadowside.  So, bravo for the
nature center.

 

Another surprise was the co-caging of the rehab barred owl with a rehab
turkey vulture.  There are four rehab raptors and four cages.  I wonder why
they have two in one.  Perhaps these birds rehab better with company.

 

Happy New Year!

 

David Gersten

Silver Spring, MD