Harford County with Anhinga

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I just got back from a day of birding Harford County with Jim Stasz and Kevin 
Fehskens.  The trip began with a successful search for Vesper Sparrow in 
Pylesville.  We then went to Broad Creek Scout Camp where I had my first 
Blue-headed Vireo for the year.  We then stopped at the boat launch above the 
Conowingo Dam and found Spotted Sandpipers.  A trip to Susquehanna SP 
produced many Palm Warblers with 1 Pine and 1 Yellow-throated (a lifer!).  
Because we had been seeing a fair number of hawks flyover, we decided it 
would not be a bad idea to go to Tydings Marina and watch hawks from there.  
We arrived to see a Kestrel and a few Broad-wings go over.  Then I spotted a 
cormorant-like bird with a long tail a good ways up in the air.  Jim got the 
scope on the bird and confirmed it as an Anhinga, I then got my scope on it 
and we watched for a about 6-7 minutes.  It was in an almost steady soar 
making very few brief flaps.  It turned circles above the island and gained 
altitude.  We later saw many Double-crested Cormorants flyover and this was a 
clearly different bird.  The tail was fanned and longer, the wings did not 
have a distinct knuckle, and the bill came to a point.  We checked the yellow 
book to see Harford County has never had a report of Anhinga.  I will be 
sending a report in to the records committee and I'm sure Jim and Kevin will 
too.  After the rush, we went to Spestuie Island and found a Parula and 
Blue-winged Teal.

Matt Hafner
Bel Air, MD

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