After work, I met my brother Mike at Riley's Lock to scan the Potomac. 
The BLACK SCOTER that Dave Czaplak found a couple days ago is still 
present. It was associating with a small group of scaup while we were 
there. Horned Grebes were everywhere (~30), and there was also at least 
one Red-necked Grebe. A big group of unidentified swallows (170, 
probably Tree Swallows) fed extremely high above the rapids next to 
Violette's Lock.

After sunset many waterfowl began moving upriver. Hooded Mergansers (29) 
were seen first, flying by in groups of 2-5. They were followed by a 
movement of Common Mergansers (28), which moved in groups of 1-15. After 
the mergansers were done, the Wood Ducks started up, almost always in 
pairs (42). The ducks finally gave way to the herons: 6 Great Blues and 
2 Black-crowned Night-Herons which flew out to the river to feed.

Full list:

Location:     C&O Canal--Riley's Lock
Observation date:     3/22/11
Number of species:     25

Canada Goose     8
Wood Duck     42
American Black Duck     2
Mallard     11
Ring-necked Duck     1
Greater Scaup     3
Lesser Scaup     6
BLACK SCOTER     1
Bufflehead     3
Hooded Merganser     29
Common Merganser     28
duck sp.     22
Common Loon     1
Pied-billed Grebe     2
Horned Grebe     30
Red-necked Grebe     1
Double-crested Cormorant     22
Great Blue Heron     6
Black-crowned Night-Heron     2
Bonaparte's Gull     1
gull sp.     14
Belted Kingfisher     1
Downy Woodpecker     1
Fish Crow     210
Tree Swallow     1
swallow sp.     170
White-breasted Nuthatch     1
American Robin     1

Rob Ostrowski
Crofton, MD


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