This morning (~7:45 am) there were two ravens in a recently cut alfalfa
field at BARC (Beltsville Agricultural Research Center) at the SE corner
of the intersection of Research and Beaverdam Roads. Field marks:

 

1.	Very large body.
2.	Large beak.
3.	Wedge-shaped tail.

 

Unmistakable.  These must (?) be the same two reported on MDOSPREY about
a week ago at BARC?  They were more skittish than crows and flew as a
pair rather than individually (or as a mob) as crows often do.  I
stopped my bike to look at them and while a crow would have not minded
(they were ~75 ft away), they flew off and headed NE toward the
intersection of Powder Mill and the BW Parkway where I believe the
previous report was from.

 

On Monday, an unusual thing happened: an osprey flew by me and my crew
in the field (between Powder Mill and Beaverdam Roads near Edmonston
Rd), carrying some prey.  My crew stopped to ask me what that cool hawk
is and told me they saw it pounce on some kind of mammal in a recently
cut grass pasture and pound on it.  This is the first time I have seen
an osprey at BARC and the first I have heard of them taking terrestrial
prey.  However, it has been suggested that perhaps he dropped a fish and
was picking it up...

 

Happy Birding.

 

Michel

 

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Michel A. Cavigelli

Research Soil Scientist

Sustainable Agricultural Systems Lab

Animal and Natural Resources Institute

Bldg 001, Rm 140

BARC-West

10300 Baltimore Ave.

Beltsville, MD 20705

 

301-504-8327 office

240-304-9480 cell

301-504-8370 fax

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