Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Oxbow Lake - recent sightings

From:

Marcy Stutzman

Reply-To:

Marcy Stutzman

Date:

Sat, 7 Apr 2012 07:29:55 -0400

Catching up on what's been going on at Oxbow Lake. The beavers have finally made repairs to the dam and the water level has stabilized (i.e., no more water escaping thru the outlet channel). The vegetation is greening up and it looks like spring! There is still plenty of mud for shorebirds. Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral and Least Sandpipers are the recent arrivals. Swallows have also arrived: Tree, Bank, Northern Rough-winged. Jay Sheppard sighted a Caspian Tern recently, too.

The crows have been relentless. They bother everything getting the ducks and shorebirds up and flying away from them. On two occassions, I have watched ~5 surround a Canada Goose on a nest just waiting for their chance to steal the eggs.

Have not refound the Pied-billed Grebe spotted by Dan Haas. However, did find a pair of Pied-billed Grebe not too far away in the stomwater management pond behind Corridor Marketplace. Maybe they visit both places.

Yesterday, watched one of the Belted Kingfisher catch something to eat and fly easterly over the trees toward the Little Patuxent River. Jay Sheppard and I have each seen the male and female, so perhaps we have a breeding pair.

Other: Have seen 3 Eastern Ratsnakes recently, muskrats out sunning in the lake, raccoon in a tree, and lots of turtles including snapping

eBird lists below if you are interested.

Marcy Stutzman
Russet, MD


Coridor Marketplace Pond, Anne Arundel, US-MD
Apr 6, 2012 3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments:     Today there was only 1 Pied-billed Grebe in the pond. Jay Sheppard had 2 on Thursday.
2 species

Canada Goose  4
Pied-billed Grebe  1


Oxbow Lake, Anne Arundel, US-MD
Apr 6, 2012 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments:     Conditions: 59°F, Clear, Wind: N at 9 mph, Humidity: 23%. Watched 
as a Belted Kingfisher caught something in the lake and the flew away carrying 
it in his bill easterly over the trees towards the Little Patuxent River. Jay 
Sheppard and I have both seen a male and a female kingfisher, so perhaps we have 
a breeding pair.
20 species

Canada Goose  20
Wood Duck  6
Mallard  4
Green-winged Teal  14
Great Blue Heron  3
Turkey Vulture  1
Osprey  1
Killdeer  9
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Lesser Yellowlegs  7
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
American Crow  10
Fish Crow  75
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  15
Tree Swallow  25
American Robin  8
Northern Cardinal  6
Red-winged Blackbird  45

Oxbow Lake, Anne Arundel, US-MD
Apr 5, 2012 10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments:     Conditions: 62 °F; blue skies, big white clouds; Humidity: 37%; 
Wind: Calm; Visibility: 10.0 miles; Dew Point: 35 °F; Precipitation: 11% Chance 
of Rain; Pressure: 29.88 in; UV: 9. Jay Sheppard began around 10:45 am, and I 
joined him around 12:00 pm.
24 species

Canada Goose  20
Mallard  6
Blue-winged Teal  3
Green-winged Teal  16
Great Blue Heron  9
Black Vulture  1
Turkey Vulture  3
Red-shouldered Hawk  5
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Killdeer  13
Greater Yellowlegs  3
Lesser Yellowlegs  7
Pectoral Sandpiper  1
Wilson's Snipe  14
Caspian Tern  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Fish Crow  55
Tree Swallow  11
Carolina Chickadee  2
American Robin  4
Eastern Towhee  1
Northern Cardinal  4
Red-winged Blackbird  10


Oxbow Lake, Anne Arundel, US-MD
Apr 3, 2012 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments:     2 Eastern Ratsnake in the area of the fishing hole.
20 species

Canada Goose  20
Wood Duck  4
Mallard  2
Blue-winged Teal  3
Green-winged Teal  19
Great Blue Heron  9
Black Vulture  1
Turkey Vulture  2
Bald Eagle  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  2
Greater Yellowlegs  1
Lesser Yellowlegs  2
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
Fish Crow  75     The crows have been relentless. They bother everything getting 
the ducks and shorebirds up and flying away from them. I watched 5 surround a 
Canada Goose on a nest just waiting for their chance to steal her eggs.
Tree Swallow  5
American Robin  4
Northern Cardinal  6
Red-winged Blackbird  35


Oxbow Lake, Anne Arundel, US-MD
Apr 3, 2012 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments:     Conditions: clear, winds 10-5 N, temp ~60 deg.  Jay Sheppard's 
report. 2 muskrats sunning themselves.  Water level seem to be stable at this 
time...no longer rising from any further beaver work on their new dam. Time will 
tell.
26 species

Canada Goose  20     2 on nests
Wood Duck  14
Mallard  2
Green-winged Teal  20
Great Blue Heron  19
Turkey Vulture  3
Bald Eagle  1     ~4 yr old
Red-shouldered Hawk  2
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Killdeer  12
Greater Yellowlegs  3
Lesser Yellowlegs  1
Pectoral Sandpiper  1
Wilson's Snipe  22
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Pileated Woodpecker  1
Blue Jay  5
Fish Crow  30
Tree Swallow  20
Tufted Titmouse  3
American Robin  6
Song Sparrow  1
Northern Cardinal  5
Red-winged Blackbird  25

These reports were generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
############################

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