Today I visited Fort Armistead between 1:30 and 2:30, hoping for another
look at the Harlequin Duck. I did not see it during that hour, in fact ducks
were scarce -- 1 Mallard, 1 Canvasback, 3 Greater Scaup, 5 Ruddy Ducks and
8 Bufflehead.
Late this afternoon I ventured out for the Short-eared Owls at Blue Mash
in Montgomery County, arriving around 4:50 at the Zion Road entrance and
walking back to the pond behind the fence. A couple of NORTHERN HARRIERS
hunted over the landfill as it got darker, and at 5:15 a pair of GREAT HORNED
OWLS hooted back and forth in the woods. A pretty Red Fox trotted across the
pond as the ice heaved and creaked. Finally, at 5:40 I picked up some
movement and a flash of color against the darkening mass of the landfill mound.
One, then a second SHORT-EARED OWL soon appeared above the horizon. To my
surprise they soon began making a beeline toward the edge of the woods on my
left where, I noticed, a Great Horned Owl was perched. Both SEOW's swooped
and dived around the GHOW for a couple of minutes, one of the birds barking
occasionally, before they disappeared back over the landfill. It was a
nice little show. I don't think I've ever seen one owl species harassing
another. Both owls were county birds for me.
One the way back to the car I played a few bursts of Screech-Owl tape but
got no reply.
Joel Martin
Catonsville, MD |