Sorry for this late posting.  Our home Internet access was down for 
several days and was just restored last night.

My first birds of 2008 were a flock of robins, silhouetted against the 
eastern sky in the neighborhood tulip poplars, as the dog and I set off 
for a brisk walk at sunrise around Greenbelt Lake.  There continues 
to be good numbers and a variety of waterfowl on the lake.  Besides 
the usual Canadas, Mallards, and Ring-necked Ducks, we have 10 
or more HOODED MERGANSERS on a regular basis.  The female 
COMMON GOLDENEYE first reported in mid-December is still here, 
along with a female LESSER SCAUP which showed up more recently 
(a few days ago she was accompanied by a male, but I did not see him 
on Tuesday).  I also saw a couple of PIED-BILLED GREBES, a GREAT 
BLUE HERON, and a BELTED KINGFISHER.

After taking the dog back home, I headed to Lake Artemesia in College 
Park, where I added RUDDY DUCKS and AMERICAN COOTS to my list.  
Other highlights were a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER which popped up 
from some brush for a few seconds and a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 
perched on the other side of the train tracks.

Next I decided to go over to Black Hill Regional Park in Montgomery 
County.  Since I am temporarily without a spotting scope, I'm sure that 
I missed some waterfowl on the lake.  However, I was able to pick out 
several COMMON MERGANSERS, AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, and 
a couple of AMERICAN WIGEONS (in the Ten Mile Creek area), in 
addition to the many coots and BUFFLEHEADS.  Two TUNDRA SWANS 
(apparently asleep) were visible from the north side of the Rte. 121 bridge.

I ended the day with a short walk along the C & O Canal, upstream from 
Violette's Lock.  The highlight here was a small flotilla of 6 or 7 
RED-NECKED GREBES, actively feeding out in the middle of the river.

Happy New Year and Good Birding, everyone!

Elaine Hendricks
Greenbelt, MD  (PG County)



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