FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Loons, Cormorants, Burke and Kingstwon

["Cliff Otto" <317tcw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

After reading recently about the loons on Burke Lake I decided today to 
see if I could find them. I did, but first, I saw uncountable numbers of 
Double-crested Cormorants. I have never seen this many in my life, and 
while it proved impossible for me to count them because it was like 
watching aircraft at O'Hare. I did see one flotilla that had at least 
forty. There must have been at least a hundred all told.

Back to the Loons: again it was impossible to count them because the wind 
made the water quite choppy and the birds were feeding, so they spent 
more time under the surface than atop it. I would guess that there were 
about two dozen. 

I got the best view from the boating area that is along an inlet off Rte. 
123. I did see some from the floating pier at the marina reached from the 
main entrance to the park.

Since Tuesday is my normal grocery shopping day, I stopped at the 
Kingstown shopping center on my way home, and decided to check the lake 
out when I finished. To my surprise, I found a pair of Loons and a pair 
of Cormorants. There was also a strange looking duck swimming with the 
Mallards. My first thought was that it is a domestic duck, but it had 
some strange coloration. It also was attacked by a Canada Goose. You can 
see a picture that I took of the duck on my web site
 
http://www.speakeasy.org/~bb-etc/

by going to Birds/Virginia/Virginia 2.

If anyone has a better identification than just "duck" please let me 
know.

Cliff Otto
Alexandria, VA
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