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Subject:

Incidental birding in North East and Elkton today

From:

Patricia Valdata

Reply-To:

Patricia Valdata

Date:

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:47:22 -0500

I checked out the gulls at the North East Town Park today at mid-afternoon.
A steady stream of them were flying into the park from the county landfill,
and most of them settled in the water, although quite a few were grouped on
the fishing pier. Their numbers were on the low side-several hundred,
perhaps, instead of the usual couple of thousand we normally have when it
gets cold. The tide was high and the water very choppy, so it was hard to
see the gulls that were in the water, which was most of them. I didn't have
a scope with me but nothing stood out among the ring-bills and greater black
backs. They were in a very long, very narrow raft, all facing into the wind,
and many of them dipped below the surface periodically. Some were clearly
taking a bath but others just dunked their heads-looking for fish, maybe?
But I wondered why they weren't more spread out in a wider group. 

 

I had to go from North East to Elkton, and on the way home, I saw four Black
Vultures circling overhead just south of Meadow Park (which was open but
which had clearly flooded yesterday). Finally, just before sunset, at the
intersection of 279 and 545 (Blue Ball Road), a large, adult Cooper's Hawk
swooped very low over the field on the southeast corner and floated up to
land in a tree. It was a beautiful glide, although I doubt I'd feel that way
about it if I were a meadow vole.

 

Pat Valdata

Elkton

 


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