lakes in Columbia, MD (ruddy duck status, etc.)

[Clayton Koonce, Columbia]

I walked over to Lake Kittamaqundi around noon today. The two pied-billed grebes were active near the south side of the peninsula in front of the Sheraton. No sign of the ruddy duck in the north half where it had been (and the Canada geese it was mixing with were also gone). I did not walk around the lake, but on the way back from visiting other lakes, I stopped and had a look at the southern half. There was the ruddy diving and feeding near the docks of the lakefront. While I was still there, it was making its way back toward the peninsulas and north half.

Also on the lake: One double-crested cormorant. Four ring-billed gulls. Mallards.

I spent the afternoon checking out the other two main lakes in Columbia, Wilde and Elkhorn.

Wilde Lake:

two cormorants -- probably double-crested. We usually get a group of three to five d-c cormorants show up on Wilde and Kittamaqundi in fall and spring.

one great blue heron

one belted kingfisher

mallards

Lake Elkhorn:

four or five Canada geese perched right on the spillway on the dam (There was no waterfowl visible in the pond below the dam.)

two pied-billed grebes

mallards

two great blue herons -- one on the lake; one on a pond which is beyond the pond or cove above the footbridge at the top of the lake.

Clayton
Columbia, MD