Hi all --

Went out this morning somewhat late to look for the Sandhill Crane at the
NIH facility in Poolesville, with no success. We drove pretty much all the
roads in the area several times and could not even find any Canada Geese.
Met some other birders who had had the same lack of success. That doesn't
mean it's gone -- it could easily be missed if over the brow of a hill or
behind buildings. One consolation were the 6 WILD TURKEYS along Elmer School
Road between the road and the NIH fence -- great looks before they flew
away!

Afterwards we checked out the Potomac at both Riley's and Violette's Locks.
There was a good number and variety of waterfowl above Seneca Breaks, as
well as scores of Ring-billed Gulls moving upriver. We looked in at
McKees-Beshers but it was full of folks training their dogs so we gave it a
miss.

On the way home we stopped at the former "National Geographic" Pond off Rt.
28 which held quite a few geese and some ducks. We saw one very small goose
which may or may not have been a Cackler but it went out of sight before we
could be sure. 

Waterfowl observed: RL = Riley's Lock; VL = Violette's Lock, NG = Nat. Geo
Pond

Double-crested Cormorant - 6 RL
Pied-bill Grebe - 8 VL
Canada Goose -- ~100 NG
Cackling Goose (maybe?) - 1 NG
Hooded Merganser - 3 RL
Common Merganser - 4 RL
Bufflehead - 8 RL & VL
Ringnecked Duck - 35 NG
Lesser Scaup - 30 VL
REDHEAD - 45+ VL and 5 NG
Canvasback - 1-2 VL
Mallard - 4 RL
AMERICAN WIGEON - 40 RL & VL
Ruddy Duck - 3 VL

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD