Hi Everybody: I left early Sunday morning 1/24) and headed to western MD. Mt first stop was Finzel Swamp in eastern Garrett County, but the road was still iced and snowed in. I wondered around a little bit but not much to show for it. I then worked my way east through Allegany & Washington Counties. I stopped in Cumberland at the Terminus; other than 4 Hooded Mergansers the only other sighting was a pair of OSTROWSKIS, subspecies were Robert & Michael.  I checked the Courthouse for the Peregrine Falcon but came up empty. Heading east I stopped at Rocky Gap. Here in the open water (though both end of the lake were still solidly frozen) were:

17 Canada Geese
2 Mallards
5 Redheads15 Hooded Mergansers
4 Ruddy Ducks

My remaining stops were all in Washington County. Little Pool was still completely frozen. At Big Pool (Ft. Frederick St. Pk. I walked up the C & O Canal towpath just past mile marker #113. I had most of the same species that Jim Moore reported yesterday with the exception of the Red-breasted Merganser. (Thanks, Jim for the nice report).

My numbers here were 360 Canada Geese
181 Mallards
169 Black Ducks
2 Gadwall
4 N. Pintail
1 Canvasback (female)
2 Redhead (a pair)
4 Bufflehead
29 Common Mergansers
2 Hooded Mergansers
3 Ring-billed Gulls

I also stopped at Four Locks Road (10 Mallards),  McCoy's Ferry Road, Dam #5 Road and Williamsport (2 Mallards) to scan the Potomac River. Other than the mallards there was nothing else on the River. I then headed home to watch football.

Jim Green
Gaithersburg,  MD

Work in moderation, BIRD IN eXCESS!!!