After a morning at North Bay, on the Cecil County Bird Club's trip to the banding station (where we netted and released an Ovenbird, Common Yellow throat, Cardinal, female Rufous Sided Towhee, Northern Parula, and Kentucky Warbler, White Throated Sparrow and Carolina Wren), Jon Ranson and I went to Lake Waterford. 

We arrived at Lake Waterford about 4:30 and met several other birders who had spied the Anhinga in a tall dead tree across the lake, in a cove.  We got great view, and continued to walk across the lake.  We also had a very nice Great Crested Flycatcher and heard Wood Duck, along with some more common species. 

We also saw a bird that looked much like a swallow, but was bigger, and had a very long tail, held closed.  It didn't have the wing beat of a swallow, but it flew in a bit more soaring fashion.  It did not have the shape of an accipiter, and certainly not a buteo or falcon, but I also really don't think it was, in fact, a large barn swallow.  It was unusual.  I could see no color, just the outline as it made a swift half-circle over the lake, then disappeared.  If anyone sees a similar bird, or this rings a bell, I'd love to hear suggestions on what it might have been. We saw this around 5:40, just before we left, as we were surveying the pool one last time (yes, we decided to stay a little longer - but it did not come back). 

When we finished our walk, about 5:30, the birders AND the Anhinga had disappeared!  We could not relocate the Anhinga, although we did try for a few minutes.  

Joanne

Joanne Howl, DVM


 

 



 

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