I foolishly waited until Saturday afternoon to go looking for the
putative Ross's Goose in Anacostia Park, District of
Columbia. Torrential rain on the Washington Beltway and sluggish
one-lane traffic on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway presaged what
was to come -- a total miss on the small white goose with black wing
tips that has been feeding with Canada Geese in the Northern part of
Anacostia Park. I looked for an hour starting at 2:10 p.m. and saw
only two other birders, who likewise had not found "the" goose.
Seemed like there weren't too many Canada Geese in the park, although
the total had to be in the hundreds. But perhaps some of the flock
temporarily(?) went some place else. I did not have time to search
upstream areas like River Terrace Park, which sometimes has waterfowl
on the grass or in the river. No Cackling Geese either.
Some compensation was afforded by an adult Peregrine Falcon, perched
across from Nationals Park, a Red-shouldered Hawk, and a group of a
dozen Horned Grebe across from the ship at the Navy Yard. Hundreds
of gulls on the grass and on the residual ice on the Anacostia, but
just the usual 3 species.
A short time later I checked Hains Point and East Potomac Park in
heavy rain and quite a bit of mist. Best birds were Common Goldeneye
and Canvasback (both single females) and 5 Redheads -- a drake and 4
hens drifting with Lesser Scaup.
Michael Bowen
Bethesda, MD
D.H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD 20817
Telephone: (301) 530-5764
e-mail: dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom
-- I use GoodSearch to benefit the American Birding Association --
http://www.goodsearch.com/
