Conowingo Dam: Oct. 28, 1998

rick (rblom@blazie.com)
Wed, 28 Oct 1998 23:27:07 -0500 

        This is the report from Conowingo Dam for October 29, 1998.
Observer was Rick Blom from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Winds were light, sky
cloudy to clear, temperature in the 60s. There was light generation
throughout. For a lengthy discussion of birding at the dam, visit the
Harfod County MOS Web site.

Red-throated Loon               1 (above dam)
Pied-billed Grebe               3 (above dam)
Double-crested Cormorant        40
Great Blue Heron                200
Black-crowned Night-Heron       1 (SEE BELOW)
American Black Duck             6
Mallard                         20
Ruddy Duck                      2
Black Vulture                   30
Turkey Vulture                  50
Osprey                          2
Bald Eagle                      16 (3 ad, 13 subadult)
PEREGRINE FALCON                (SEE BELOW)
American Coot                   2
Bonaparte's Gull                100 (above dam)
Ring-billed Gull                750
Herring Gull                    100
Lesser Black-backed Gull        1 (adult)
Great Black-backed Gull         75
Forster's Tern                  50
Rock Dove                       50
Mourning Dove                   2
Red-bellied Woodpecker          1
Blue Jay                        2
Fish Crow                       1
American Crow                   3
crow sp.                        50
COMMON RAVEN                    1 (see below)
American Robin                  2
Northern Mockingbird            1
European Starling               100
Red-winged Blackbird            16
Common Grackle                  200
House Finch                     3
American Goldfinch              1


        The COMMON RAVEN was first seen soaring above the dam in a flock of
Black and Turkey Vultures, evident by its size, the size of the head and
bill, and the shape of the tail. Several crows were flying in the general
area of the flock, although they were not soaring. The raven flew to the
small group of birds roosting in the trees near the visitor center and
remained in view there for about five minutes before flying across the
river, circling several times, and then flying slowly down river and out of
sight. Four birders from Pennsylvania were with me at the time and it was
one of them who first noticed the bird. This is the first record of Common
Raven for the dam that I am aware of. It is my 279th bird in Harford
County.
        There was a small flock of gulls, mostly Bonaparte's and
Ring-billed, above the dam, and no Bonaparte's were seen below the dam.
        Three of the long-time eagle watchers were present and reported
that a PEREGRINE FALCON was at the dam for three days two weeks ago. They
believe it is the same bird as last year, noting the presence of bands on
one leg. One of them photographed the bird. They also report that five
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS fledged from the nest of the island below the
dam but that four of them were found dead, one hit by a car in the parking
lot (salvaged by a rehabilitator), and three died after being trapped in
fishing line near the dam (those bodies reportedly salvaged by personnel
from the dam).

"Everywhere I go I'm asked if the university stifles writers. My opinion is
that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a bestseller that could
have been prevented by a good teacher."  Flannery O'Connor

Rick Blom
rblom@blazie.com
4318 Cowan Place
Belcamp, Maryland 21017
(410)575-6086