Scanning the Potomac from White's Ferry around noon today, there were a
decent amount of ducks and Canada Geese about a 1/3 of mile downstream (near
where the upsteam tip of Harrison Is. begins). Included among them were 3
Northern Shovelers (2 males and a female). Not an easy bird for me in Mont
Co in January.
Dave Czaplak reported a shoveler at Black Hill on Jan 11. I could not find
this bird when I tried earlier in the month.

Walked down the canal a bit and cut across lower portion of hunt and fish
club property to the river and found a nice gravel bar from which to scan
further downstream. Flushed my FOS Killdeer off the gravel bar. Notable
sightings downstream included a Mute Swan (possibly the same bird that's
been seen for past 5-6 months around milepost 24?) and 5 Redheads.

Full list below:

Canada Goose     175
Mute Swan     1
Gadwall     15
American Wigeon     7
American Black Duck     1
Mallard     65
Northern Shoveler     3
Redhead     5
Ring-necked Duck     3
Bufflehead     5

Hooded Merganser     17
Common Merganser     22
Great Blue Heron     2
American Coot     1
Killdeer     1
Ring-billed Gull     5
Herring Gull     1
Belted Kingfisher     1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     1

crow sp.     5

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Also, with foliage gone, was able to count 38 separate GB Heron nests on the
small wooded island at the upstream tip of Harrison Is. Did not see any
birds working on them.

And in a non bird related weirdness observation, while traveling west on Rte
107 towards White's Ferry, came across a raccoon roadkill but it was only
the animals head, which was propped perfectly upright and looking right at
me as I went over it. Freaky!

White's Ferry was closed for some reason.

Andy Martin
Gaithersburg