Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Black Hill birds

From:

Patricia Wood

Reply-To:

Patricia Wood

Date:

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 23:54:20 -0400

I had a day off yesterday, and went out to Black Hill RP despite the weather, hoping for those loons being seen.  My first stop, at 121, yielded lots of buffleheads and cormorants, but no loon. 

 There was an eagle in the dead tree just over the water opposite the parking area. A  local person out walking, with binoculars, stopped to chat--she had seen the scoter, on Monday, I think she said.  When we noticed the eagle had flown, she spotted it again at once, and pointed out the eagles' nest tree, in which it had just perched. Looking to the top of the tree line behind and to the right of the original dead tree, she said look for a v, then to the tall tree just right of that. The nest is too low in the tree to see.   If I were just reading the above description, I don't think I could tell which tree, as it's pretty far away, but with the eagle sitting there it was easy.  After this, I'll know to look for an eagle perched way over there in that tree, and know the nest is just out of sight below, which is kind of neat.  

I went to the Visitor's Center next--and was glad I'd gone Thursday, as  a sign said they are having some kind of event this weekend and might close access if it got too crowded.  It started to rain lightly as I got there, and I was glad of the shelter from the deck.  I got a good look at a woodchuck foraging right in front of me, saw lots of robins all over, plus plenty of birds around the feeders, but for a good while, not much else.  Just about the time I was going to leave, I noticed a large dark bird in the arm of the water on the far side of the Center, and raised my glasses expecting yet another cormorant--it was an electric shock to see instead a black and white checkered back.  I just had time to think "It's a loon!," when it disappeared and didn't come back in the half hour more I waited.  I think I was more excited over seeing a breeding plumage Common Loon than I would have been in seeing the more rare species still in winter drabness, tho that would have been nice too.

Patricia Wood
Silver Spring

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

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