Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Re: Where are the Birds?

From:

harry lotis

Reply-To:

harry lotis

Date:

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:21:49 -0500

I live in Calvert County near the Bay. I also noticed that as of Nov , most
of the summer birds finally left, but no winter ducks  yet. The 30 tundra
swans have arrived though. My feeder also seems deserted most of the time.
I have seen no recent hawk activity at my feeders. I clean them after every
rain.
No sea ducks either. In the last year or two there was heavy hunting on the
Bay at North Beach, so maybe they are taking a different path.

Harry Lotis
Owings, Md

On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 10:27 AM, Steve Long <>wrote:

> There seems to be a substantial reduction in birds in my usual haunts.
>
> About 2 weeks ago, I noticed that the feeders in my yard and  my mother's
> yard seemed to have little traffic and were not decreasing in level
> anywhere close to the usual rate.  About that time, others began posting to
> MDOsprey that they were also seeing fewer birds, especially finches.
>
> Then, my family did our traditional Black Friday birding swing through
> Blackwater WR and Hoopers Islands, and noticed that many of the usual
> larger species were not there, either.  We usually see plenty of diving
> ducks and loons, but only found one small group of Buffleheads and one
> Common Loon.  I guess the ducks are just getting here later each year,
> probably a global warming thing.  But, we also saw a lot fewer hawks.  We
> saw NO Harriers this trip, although we have always seen many in the past.
>  There were plenty of Bald Eagles, as usual.
>
> The highlight of our swing was one juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose
> with some Canadas in a small piece of open water east of Maple Dam Road a
> little north of the bridge.  Missed the lone White Pelican reported at
> Blackwater Refuge wildlife drive, although we had found the group of them
> that was there last year.
>
> Our "best" birds of the Thanksgiving holiday were the Hooded Mergansers
> that dropped into the cove at my mother's house on Saturday and Sunday.
>  There appeared to be 3 groups:  one with 3 males and 4 females on Saturday
> morning, then another with 2 males and 6 females on Sunday morning and
> finally one with one male and 4 females on Sunday night (possibly the same
> group as on Sunday Morning, but maybe not).  I looked but found no
> Mergansers in the cove by the time I left on Monday.  I am guessing that
> the Hooded Mergansers are now moving through?
>
> As for Buffleheads, there were maybe 50 in the Bay off the mouth of the
> Magothy before I left for Thanksgiving, but none when I returned, so they
> don't seem to be here in the numbers that I am used to from previous years.
>  Hopefully there are more to come?
>
> ############################
>
> 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
>



-- 
*Harry Lotis*
*Owings, 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