Hi Folks,
I got a call from Brian Sykes late this afternoon, who reported he had seen
a male Surf Scoter at the Halethorpe Farms Pond today (2/25). With just a
bit of daylight remaining, Elaine and I zipped over there and found the bird
near the west end of the pond (the closer end from the primary entrance).
Also present were a couple dozen Common Mergansers, a handful of Hooded
Mergansers, a Double-crested Cormorant, and a Bald Eagle.
The Halethorpe Farms Pond is accessed by taking Washington Blvd (exit 10?)
south from I-695 for a mile or so, then turning left onto Halethorpe Farms
Rd. Go to the end, and park along the crossroad prior to the entrance to
the Maryland Food Bank (where there are now no-parking signs). Walk through
the park gate along the gravel path to the ponds. The scoter was in the
larger pond to the left.
Also, Charlie Kucera reports finding a woodcock at the Research Park of UMBC
last evening. This has traditionally been a good place for viewing woodcock
displays, some spectacular, but we are concerned that the timberdoodles may
find other places to show off, since their former display areas are now
occupied with new buildings. If anyone wants to try their luck there, UMBC
can be accessed by taking the last exit off of the west end of I-195, and
taking the first right into the research park. The best place to park is
probably the USGS parking lot, by the last building on the right. If you
haven't been there in a while, there has been a lot of change.
Stan Arnold
Ferndale (AA Co.)
|