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PG highlights

From:

David Mozurkewich

Reply-To:

David Mozurkewich

Date:

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:26:39 -0500

Prince George's Audubon/Patuxent MOS held a field trip this morning (Nov
29, 2008) to Piscataway Park to look for waterfowl.  We were successful,
with perhaps 2000 individuals representing 18 species of ducks(16),
geese(1) and swans(1).  The most abundant were Ruddy Ducks and Gadwalls.
The diving ducks were present, but not yet in big numbers; we found only
15 Ring-necked Ducks, 1 Canvasback and 2 Redheads.  One participant
claimed a Greater Scaup among the 200 or so Lessers.  The only
Mergansers were Hooded (10); the Commons have not yet migrated down from
the other side of DC.  A raft of about 300 Coots, a Common Loon and 9
flyby Bonaparte's Gulls rounded out the waterbirds.

The field that hosted the Mississippi Kites this summer kept her
meadowlarks hidden, if indeed they are there this winter.   The field
did show us about 25 Savannah Sparrows (expected) and a dozen pipits (a
surprise).  The group identified about 55 species.

After the trip, on the way home, we stopped at Bladensberg Waterfront
Park to look through the loafing gulls.  There were 9 Laughing, 5 Great
Black-backed and about 100 Herring Gulls mixed in with the more common
Ring-Billed Gulls.  Also present was a bird that looked superficially
like an adult Herring Gull but its bill was small and just the tiniest
black tips were visible on the outer primaries of its spread wing.  It's
head streaking and yellow eye *suggest* Thayer's and Iceland
respectively.  I'll probably never know if this bird was one or the
other or just an odd Herring Gull but anyone birding along the Anacostia
tomorrow may want to look for it.

Dave
-- 
David Mozurkewich
Seabrook, PG MD