About 30 minutes before sundown this evening we started to get lots of 
reports of 'geese' flocks flying north below 3,000 feet from pilots 
while I was in the tower at BWI this evening. With a front approaching 
over the next 36 hours, winds were out of the south at 10-20 MPH. 
Numerous tracks were showing up on the radar scope but I was unable to 
observe any of the flocks out the tower windows. Previous experiences 
have shown that this behavior is more likely to be that of ducks and not 
geese since geese (at least Canada Geese) are predominantly daytime 
migrants and I usually see those big flights starting early in the day. 
Previous March evenings with the right conditions have produced 
beautiful showings of duck flocks lifting off of the bay and its 
tributaries as these birds begin their annual pilgrimage back to their 
breeding grounds. This date seems a bit earlier than for some of the 
flights in recent years, but with skies being partly cloudy and the 
winds being inviting for a flight, perhaps this year's movement is 
taking advantage of the near perfect conditions that this day's weather 
provided? Also, there is a new moon tonight. Does anyone know if ducks 
have a preference of moving with the company of a moon or without? If 
new moons are preferred than this would be another reason why this 
year's flight seems a tad on the early side.

Ed Boyd
Westminster, MD

############################

To unsubscribe from the MDOSPREY list:
write to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
or click the following link:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MDOSPREY&A=1