This Saturday, I "braved" the frigid temps/precipitation and birded the
western half of Charles County. The recent snap of cold weather might've
contributed to the increased number of waterfowl seen throughout the day -
grebes were particularly abundant.

Highlights:

Mattawoman--Bumpy Oak Rd:
Gadwall - 4
Ring-necked Duck - 1
Hooded Merganser - 7
Red-headed Woodpecker - 3

Smallwood State Park:
Gadwall - 275
American Wigeon - 3
Mallard - 165
REDHEAD - 3 - Adult males
Lesser Scaup - 115
Common Loon - 1
PIED-BILLED GREBE - 46! An abundant concentration - possibly the most I've
seen at a single location.
Horned Grebe - 1 - Uncommon in winter away from the bay/ocean

Mogantown:
No geese
Greater Scaup - 10

Cobb Island:
Long-tailed Duck - 7
Common Goldeneye - 14
Ruddy Duck - 550
RED-THROATED LOON - 2
Common Loon - 4
Double-crested Cormorant - 575 - huge feeding flock out on the Potomac.
Very distant. Wouldn't have been surprised to have found multiple GRCO,
except for the distance.

Southern Park:
Tundra Swan - 11
Chipping Sparrow - 20 - feeding with Juncos

Allens Fresh (Dusk watch, hoping for Short-eared Owls)
CACKLING GOOSE - 4 - First saw three flying in at dusk, with a group of
only five Canada Geese! An amazing ratio. Another bird was seen flying in
30 minutes later:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35144142@N04/6739294467/in/photostream
American Black Duck - 2
Common Merganser - 3
Northern Harrier - 5

Rob Ostrowski
Crofton, MD


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