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Subject:

Big Pool to Violette's Lock

From:

Bill Hubick

Reply-To:

Bill Hubick

Date:

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 06:44:01 -0700

Hi Everyone,

Tom Feild and I spent most of Sunday (3/8) checking water areas near the Potomac River between Big Pool and Violette's Lock. Highlights included great water bird diversity in Washington Co. and Red-necked Grebes in three counties. We began the day at a promising spot for woodcock in my old Washington Co. atlas block. 

Appalachian Trail near Rte. 77 

Killdeer--1
American Woodcock--4; peeanting and displaying; two flushed off the trail

Rte 66 north of Mt Aetna

Great Horned Owl--On nest in a large sycamore; last summer there was a Red-tailed Hawk on this nest; I think Hans Holbrook said GHOW have used this nest in the past

Blairs Valley Lake

Canada Goose--34
Mallard--2
Ring-necked Duck--7
Hooded Merganser--1
Killdeer--2
Red-winged Blackbird--65
Common Grackle (Bronzed)--18; each bird we saw well enough to call was a Bronzed Grackle; first substantial flock we'd seen that appeared completely composed of this form
Common Grackle--10 (more distant)

Fort Frederick SP---Big Pool
Noteworthy duck diversity here today. I checked my notes to see when the last nice Aythya collection was at Big Pool and, not surprisingly, I last saw them here on 3/9/2008.

Canada Goose--155
Mute Swan--1; continues; found by Hans Holbrook

* County lister note: Many people count the Hagerstown park swans, and I ultimately caved and went to see them. However, now that many of us have one from Big Pool--clearly 100% wild and countable--we'll certainly start rolling our eyes at the Hagerstown birds. "Oh... you count THOSE?" ;) Rule #27 of county listing: Defame the competition. 

Wood Duck--26; large, skittish migrant flock
Canvasback--1 drake
Redhead--7; 6 drakes, 1 hen
Ring-necked Duck--8
Greater Scaup--19; all seen well, including extent of white in wings when flying in, head shape, nail shape
Bufflehead--11
Common Goldeneye--1 drake
Killdeer--3
Ring-billed Gull--15
Common Raven--2
Common Grackle--65

C&O Canal--McCoys Ferry

American Black Duck--2
Mallard--9
Hooded Merganser--2
Common Merganser--10
Belted Kingfisher--1
Eastern Phoebe--3
Brown-headed Cowbird--1

C&O Canal--Dam #5

Double-crested Cormorant--1
Red-shouldered Hawk--1
Killdeer--5
Eastern Phoebe--1
Non-avian: One of about five Woodchucks today (one ran from the roadside into a metal barn)

C&O Canal--Cushwa Basin

Canada Goose--134
Mallard--21
Ring-necked Duck--2
Greater Scaup--1 drake; head shape and nail shape clearly observed
Eastern Phoebe--1

C&O Canal--Dam #4

Canada Goose--220
Wood Duck--4
Common Merganser--1
Common Loon--1; hunting upstream of the dam; good bird in Washington Co.
Red-necked Grebe--1; hanging out above the dam, loosely associated with the loon
Eastern Phoebe--1

Shaffer Road

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker--1
Eastern Phoebe--1
Golden-crowned Kinglet--1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--1
Song Sparrow--3
White-throated Sparrow--12
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)--6
No WCSP at my previously 100% reliable spot
Pine Siskin--3

C&O Canal--Dam #3

Canada Goose--18
American Black Duck--11
Mallard--27
Common Goldeneye--4
Common Merganser--38
Double-crested Cormorant--1
Winter Wren--1
Golden-crowned Kinglet--1

Weverton (Washington)
Great collection of Ring-billed Gulls feeding on flying insects, presumably a caddisfly emergence. The migration of gulls is an under-appreciated migration phenomenon. This was an awesome sight!

Cackling Goose (Richardson's)--1; flyover with large Canada flock
Canada Goose--340
American Wigeon--2
American Black Duck--5
Mallard--27
Bufflehead--16
Common Merganser--23
Ring-billed Gull--249; see note above; many roosting on rocks and bathing; others flying over at great height
Herring Gull--1 adult spotted far downstream; watched it fly upstream and continue right past us; county closeout for me and Tom
Common Raven--1

Weverton (Frederick)

Wood Duck--1 drake
Red-necked Grebe--1; just downstream from the Frederick line
Ring-billed Gull--10
Herring Gull--1; spotted flying upriver; county bird for Tom, and a closeout for both of us when it crossed the Washington line

Kershner's Pond

Cackling Goose (Richardson's)--1
Canada Goose--350
Tundra Swan--22
American Black Duck--2
Canvasback--13
Ring-necked Duck--7
Bufflehead--2
American Coot--2
Killdeer--2

C&O Canal--Riley's Lock

Canada Goose--20
Surf Scoter--1; continues
White-winged Scoter--3; continue
Bufflehead--25
Common Merganser--20
Pied-billed Grebe--1
Horned Grebe--2
Red-necked Grebe--1; continues
Ring-billed Gull--80
Herring Gull--3
Eastern Phoebe--1
Non-avian: Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers calling, Eastern Painted Turtles sunning.

C&O Canal--Violette's Lock

American Wigeon--15; cool to see migrants on the Potomac
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)--2
Rusty Blackbird--5; singing

Olney--Random Duck Pond

Random pond east of Rte 182 on Rte 108. Its a small, fenced-in pond that was covered in ducks this afternoon. The presence of a large feeder in the back explained the presence of many presumably wild ducks, including 30 ABDUs; worth checking in the future for migrant ducks with low standards. 

Swan Goose--1
Graylag Goose (Domestic type)--5
Canada Goose--80
American Black Duck--30
Mallard--100

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com