Hi Folks,
The Howard Co. Bird Club did its annual trip to Blackwater NWR and
Dorchester Co. on Sat., 6 Dec. No rarities, but highlights for the trip
were CACKLING GOOSE (2), AM. WHITE PELICAN (4), and VIRGINIA RAIL (1) along
the Wildlife Loop (the first part of which is currently closed, BTW);
SHORT-EARED OWL (2) along Shorter's Wharf Rd.; and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (1
dark-phase), SHORT-EARED OWL (3), and SEDGE WREN (1) along Cedar Creek Rd.
Waterfowl counts were as follows:
Choptank River Bridge (US 50) Talbot Co.:
Canada Goose--25
Tundra Swan--5 flyovers
Surf Scoter--2
Long-tailed Duck--50
Bufflehead--5
Co. Goldeneye--4
RB Merganser--2
Common Loon--1
Cambridge Waterfront, Dorchester Co. (Vis Ctr, Oakley St., Great _____ Park,
Water St...)
Canada Goose--120
Tundra Swan--4 flyovers
Am. Wigeon--23
Am. Black Duck--1
Mallard--60
Lesser Scaup--5
Surf Scoter--85
Long-tailed Duck--40
Bufflehead--35
Co Goldeneye--23
Co Loon--13
Blackwater NWR Wildlife Loop
Snow Goose--5 flyovers
Cackling Goose--2
Canada Goose--3000+
Tundra Swan--90+
Am. Black Duck--4
Mallard--130
N. Pintail--170
Am. White Pelican--4
Great Egret--1
Shorter's Wharf /Robins Rd.
Canada Goose--40
Tundra Swan--1 in a front yard, awkwardly walking around near road
Am. Black Duck--6
Ruddy Duck--1 at boat ramp
On Friday, 5 Dec, I stopped by the ponds in the back of the Quarterfield
Crossing Mall on Quarterfield Rd. and I-97. I hadn't been here in several
weeks. I saw what appeared to be a dozen Mallards, spending most of their
time with bottoms up. When their heads were up, one of them looked really
strange through binoculars and appeared to have a brown head, and I thought
Pintail. I got the scope out and saw a duck with a brown head (a bit
smaller than the mallard's heads), a longer neck than that of the mallards,
a white collar, a red breast, and a tail about intermediate in length
between that of a mallard and that of a pintail. The underside looked like
the other mallards. Certainly looked liked a male Mallard/Pintail hybrid.
Best to all.
Stan Arnold
Ferndale (AA Co.)
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