Returning home late on Saturday afternoon,  after a full day of 
birding, I looked out the sliding glass door into the back yard and 
saw an adult Red-shouldered Hawk fly up from the ground to land on 
a small branch - right next to a second hawk.  For a moment, I 
honestly thought that I was seeing double.  Then the second hawk 
flew off through the trees toward the lake.  The other one flew back 
down to the ground, where it turned over some leaves and pecked at 
something in the dirt, before it also flew off through the trees.  All the 
while, the cardinals, chickadees, titmice, etc. continued feeding at the 
feeders, not more than 30 feet away from the hawks.  I went out to  
look at the spot on the ground where the hawk had turned over the 
leaves, but could not tell what had attracted its attention.  Full 
disclosure:  we have a 1/4 acre suburban yard which backs up to a 
little strip of mature woods (city property) bordering a stream that 
flows into Greenbelt Lake.  I see Red-shoulders and Red-tails a 
couple of times a year, plus the occasional Cooper's and sharpie.

As I mentioned, it was a full day of birding.  On Saturday morning I 
crossed over to the Commonwealth to the South to see the Eurasian 
Teal that had returned to Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County 
(nice bird!).  Then I returned to The Free State and stopped at the 
Accokeek Creek section of Piscataway Park (near the National 
Colonial Farm in southern Prince George's County).  The numbers 
and variety of waterfowl, seen from the boardwalk, were not quite as 
great as the last time I was there (two weeks ago).  I counted 20 
Redheads in the mixed flock before something spooked them and 
most of them took flight, to resettle way out in the middle of the river 
(the Canada Geese kept on going out of sight).   Also present:  many 
scaup (mostly Lesser), Ring-necked Ducks, and Mallards; fewer 
numbers of Buffleheads and American Wigeon; a few Common and 
Hooded Mergansers, and 7 (Tundra) swans a-swimming (3 adults, 4 
immatures).

After leaving Piscataway, I drove across  southern PG County.  At the 
end of Milltown Landing Road, I saw a nice flock of Cedar Waxwings 
in the yard of a farm house.  (Finally!  I was beginning to think that I 
couldn't BUY a waxwing.)  On the way home, I stopped briefly at  
Merkle Sanctuary (in the gathering gloom), but saw only Canadas.

On Sunday morning, I was at the Cambridge marina by 9:15 but 
failed again (for the second time) to find the immature male 
Harlequin Duck - in spite of some friendly advice from another birder.  
I did get some nice looks at the Surf Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, and 
goldeneyes - and a brief glimpse of a Horned Grebe at the end of the 
Yacht Club pier.  After paying my respects to the Canvasbacks and 
wigeons at the end of Oakley Street, I headed back north on Rte. 50.  
I stopped at the Rte. 309 pond in QA County (nothing unusual there) 
and at Wye Island NRA, where I took a pleasant, short walk on the 
Holly Trail and had a close encounter with a flock of American Pipits.  
On the way in, I also saw a flock of meadowlarks and a couple of 
Kestrels.  Then I had to hurry home for the 3:00 football game (way to 
go, Steelers!).

Elaine Hendricks
Greenbelt, MD  (PG County)




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