I am about 95% certain that Michel Cavigelli's NORTHERN GOSHAWK (reported yesterday in Beltsville) paid a visit to Greenbelt Lake this morning.  I was out at 9:00 with the dog, standing at the South Bay end of the lake looking at ducks, when a large, pale accipiter flew overhead from behind me.  I found it a short distance away, perched in a tree about 50 feet off the ground.  Even though its breast feathers were fluffed up and turned toward the sun, it (probably "she") looked positively enormous.  The underparts were very distinctly white, only lightly stipled with a dark color.  The broadly-banded tail was less distinctly marked than a Cooper's.  After less than a minute, it flew off.  I continued on around the  lake, in a counterclockwise direction, and saw it fly twice more through the trees.  On one of these occasions, it flew low across the far eastern end of the lake, and I was able to see the "white-rumped effect" due to the undertail coverts.  Unfortunately, I was not able to see the pale supercilium, which would have clinched the ID for me, but the other field marks were right.  (Now, if it would only come and perch in my back yard...)

Oh, the ducks:  waterfowl numbers on the lake are still modest, but we have a nice group of HOODED MERGANSERS, the usual MALLARDS and RING-NECKED DUCKS, and a few RUDDY DUCKS.  This morning I saw one female BUFFLEHEAD and one female AMERICAN WIGEON.

Good birding!

Elaine Hendricks
Greenbelt, MD  (PG County)


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