What a difference a week makes! Last Friday the Choptank was full of
whitecaps with only a little ice on the shoreline; this week at a balmy 27
degrees and no wind, the river had a thin glaze of ice with slivers of open
water here and there, and the shoreline was iced over everywhere I saw ducks
last time. 

 

I arrived at the marina parking lot just as several birders were packing up
their scopes. They kindly pointed me to where the Tufted Duck was swimming,
in the basin formed by that L-shaped concrete pier. After locating it I
walked onto the pier a ways and sat down for a good look. The Tufted Duck,
after standing me up last time, was delightfully cooperative, even swimming
toward me at one point. He also stretched up and flapped his wings for me,
shaking his tuft dry. 

 

I went to Oakley Street (full of ice) and the park, where the Canvasbacks
and Wigeons were hanging out. The other birders told me they had the other
wigeon at the visitors center, but when I got there the only birds were Song
Sparrows. (The town is full of Robins, though.) There were some ducks on the
river, and a nice birder from Ellicott City let me look through his scope,
but the only Goldeye we saw was a Common. On my way out of town I stopped by
Sailwinds Park and saw two more Common Goldeneyes. I also got gas and
elevenses at the Wawa to do my bit for the local economy.

 

On the way home on Route 301 I saw five perched Red-tails, including a very
pale one I'd noticed on the way down, who had not budged in over three
hours. The last one I saw just before turning off onto 313 left its perch
and flew over the median, parallel to my car and just above eye level, which
was a treat.

 

I also saw two very dumb deer who were lying in a stubble field, hiding in
full view with their heads sticking up. I don't know if it's still hunting
season in Queen Anne's County, but if it is, the deer might as well have
painted targets on their heads. 

 

Thank you, everyone who emailed directions! They were very helpful.

 

Pat Valdata

Elkton, MD

 

"The natural function of the wing is to soar upwards and carry that which is
heavy up to the place where dwells the race of gods. More than any other
thing that pertains to the body it partakes of the nature of the divine."
--Plato