Field report for: Pennyfield Lock from 05/03/2008 - 7:00am to 05/03/2008 - 12:00pm
Field Trip Report
Pennyfield Lock, Saturday, May 3, 2008
By Paul DeAnna
A full complement of 18 participants met leader Paul DeAnna for the 10th anniversary of DC Audubon’s annual Spring visit to the Chesapeake and Ohio National Historical Park at Pennyfield Lock. Despite some problematic weather forecasts earlier in the week, we stuck with our original date, and this turned out to be a good decision. While it was a bit cool and cloudy at first, the sun broke through and it turned into a brilliant day, with gentle southerly breezes and bright blue skies, perfect conditions for birding.
Even though our walk here traditionally extends only a shade more than a mile along the towpath, it always takes the group hours to travel that short distance, because Pennyfield packs such a lot of varied habitat in such a small space, and yields such a wide variety of species that the birder is kept fully occupied. The wide, flat, stumble-proof towpath is an asset, as is the canal itself, here restored and fully watered (which is not the case everywhere). In addition to its scenic charm, the canal offers water-loving species a more tranquil alternative to the nearby river. It also creates a broader gateway between the trees that allows one a better chance to see the birds, instead of the usual close woodland trail, where they only see you. Last but not least, it’s a step back into a quieter past, when travel and the pace of life generally was more leisurely, and invites the visitor to slow down and enjoy the sights.
Our birding got off to a great start right in the parking lot, with a singing Prothonotary Warbler giving us excellent views. This beautiful golden bird is fairly uncommon in our area; it’s a real habitat specialist, nesting only in tree cavities in swampy bottomland forests—in fact, it actually prefers to nest over water. (Interestingly, like the Cardinal, the Prothonotary was named for an official of the Catholic Church, in this case the Pope’s secretary, or Papal nuncio, who wears a bright yellow robe). This warbler was shortly followed by another, a female Northern Parula foraging relatively low in the trees and allowing closer than normal observation. Like the Prothonotary, this species is a local breeder, but normally patrols the tops of the tallest trees, and can be hard to spot, though one is bound to hear its high pitched ‘zeeee-up’ call all along the towpath.
At the Lock bridge, we saw an Eastern Phoebe, one of the flycatchers, perched on a sign and bobbing its tail as this species is wont to do. It’s possible this bird has a nest right under the bridge (in fact, we saw her fly under it a few times). An unusual sighting from the bridge was a piebald deer, brown with large white spots, crossing the canal just a few yards downstream, along with a group of more normal coloration. Could this be a sign of excessive inbreeding in the local White-tailed Deer population? (We are absolutely sure it was not a cow).
We set off up canal (West) along the towpath, and shortly thereafter one sharp-eyed member of our party found us a Barred Owl lurking in the adjacent woods. These wary birds are not usually found in the open much past dawn, so this was one of the benefits of a slightly cloudy start to our day—and also one of the benefits of birding with a group, since there are more eyes watching out. Soon after, another flycatcher, the Great Crested Flycatcher, put in an appearance. This is a striking bird, with an olive back, gray head and throat, bright yellow belly and rufous tail. It is the only Myiarchus species regularly found in the East. Perhaps this is fortunate, since the various genera are very difficult to separate in the field. Not long after, two Eastern Kingbirds (another flycatcher species) passed overhead.
Further along, we encountered a singing Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a stunning bird (featured on the cover of many field guides). Unfortunately, he’s most likely just passing through, since this is not a species that normally stays to breed this far South. We made up for this, though, by catching up with a variety of newly-arrived breeders, such as Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole and Orchard Oriole, the latter in first-summer plumage quite different from full adult livery. It’s a treat to see the orioles’ basket-shaped nests, usually suspended high over the canal, but today it appeared they had not yet gotten down to the business of nest-building. However, we did witness a territorial battle or two, so it appears the property lines are in the process of being worked out. We also saw Ruby-throated Hummingbirds buzzing about—they’ll be nesting shortly as well. Only once have I been lucky enough to see one of their tiny nests at close range. One would be hard-pressed to place a penny inside, the diameter is so small; the eggs are about the size of a small pea.
About a quarter mile up, at milepost 20, there is a small impoundment which turned out to be perfect habitat for some migrating shorebirds. Here we saw several Solitary Sandpipers together with a couple of Spotted Sandpipers feeding at the edge of shallow muddy puddles left by the recent rains. Rough-winged Swallows, Tree Swallows and Chimney Swifts all coursed over the wet meadow, catching insects on the wing. The side path here leads to a river view, where we picked up some fast-flying Common Mergansers, as well as a Double-crested Cormorant in somewhat more leisurely flight. Wood Ducks were heard, but unfortunately not seen. They likely have young out of the nest at this point and so have become quite secretive. We saw our first Indigo Bunting of the day here as well. This species has just enough variety in its lengthy song so that, incompletely heard, it can fool even the most experienced birder. Not far off, an Acadian Flycatcher gave its short but distinctive, two-noted call, an explosive ‘piz-za!’ The Acadian belongs to the genus Empidonax, whose members are nearly impossible to separate except by their distinctive vocalizations.
Further along, opposite the second impoundment, which held much more water, we saw our first Common Yellowthroat skulking in a thicket just across the canal. Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen in the area as well, and a few others, including Black-throated Green, were heard but not seen. Some managed to see a Louisiana Waterthrush as we passed the pipeline clearing, but most had to content themselves with its liquid song. The little warblers, ‘butterflies of the bird world,’ can be hard to spot—it takes a lot of patience and experience with their songs to locate these tiny birds behind such a lot of big leaves. Also across the canal, but easier to see, was a Green Heron actively fishing—and being quite successful at it, too. A few steps further on, a Great Blue Heron held an unusual Cormorant-like posture, wings droopily held to its sides, as though sun-bathing. Perhaps it had spent most of the morning wading the still cold water and just needed to warm up.
Our walk proceeded at a slow saunter, as usual, what I call ‘Art Museum pace’ (which is appropriate, I think) until we reached milepost 21, our turnaround point at the famous ‘Seneca Breaks.’ Here the Potomac makes a wide bend from the South to the East as it struggles to find its way through more resistant rock, creating a series of rapids and riffles popular with kayakers, canoeists and fishermen, but usually too rugged for outboard motors (fortunately). The river was rather high this day, however, so the whitewater wasn’t really visible. A stone wall a short distance beyond post 21 is a good spot to take a break and enjoy the scenery and a snack, which we did, although the louder-than-normal river made it hard to pick up birdsong. Even so, we did hear our fifth flycatcher species of the day, the Wood Pewee.
The return trip was quieter, as is typical of the later morning, but we did find Red-tailed and Red-shouldered hawks soaring overhead, and occasionally squabbling with one another. As we returned to the parking lot around noon, an Osprey went over, but only a few hardy souls remained in our group by this time. Similarly, I think yours truly was the only one to catch a glimpse of a Bald Eagle passing nearby shortly afterwards. In any case, it was a fitting end to a nice morning of birding in a beautiful natural area. Be sure to visit Pennyfield again soon on your own, as well as other spots along the Canal, such as Violette’s Lock, Seneca (Riley’s Lock), and Sycamore Landing, which are not far upstream. The migration is just beginning!
[The old C&O Canal has a fascinating history, and the story of its rise, fall, and eventual preservation as a National Park stretching 184 miles from Georgetown to Cumberland has been told many times. Visit the Park’s website for an overview: http://www.nps.gov/choh/ [1].]
List of species identified (by sight or sound):
1. Double-crested Cormorant
2. Great Blue Heron
3. Green Heron
4. Black Vulture
5. Turkey Vulture
6. Canada Goose
7. Wood Duck
8. Mallard
9. Common Merganser
10. Osprey
11. Bald Eagle
12. Red-shouldered Hawk
13. Red-tailed Hawk
14. Solitary Sandpiper
15. Spotted Sandpiper
16. Mourning Dove
17. Barred Owl
18. Chimney Swift
19. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
20. Belted Kingfisher
21. Red-bellied Woodpecker
22. Downy Woodpecker
23. Hairy Woodpecker
24. Northern Flicker
25. Pileated Woodpecker
26. Eastern Wood-Pewee
27. Acadian Flycatcher
28. Eastern Phoebe
29. Great Crested Flycatcher
30. Eastern Kingbird
31. Red-eyed Vireo
32. Blue Jay
33. American Crow
34. Tree Swallow
35. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
36. Carolina Chickadee
37. Tufted Titmouse
38. White-breasted Nuthatch
39. Carolina Wren
40. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
41. Eastern Bluebird
42. Wood Thrush
43. Gray Catbird
44. European Starling
45. Nashville Warbler
46. Northern Parula
47. Black-throated Blue Warbler
48. Yellow-rumped Warbler
49. Black-throated Green Warbler
50. American Redstart
51. Prothonotary Warbler
52. Ovenbird
53. Louisiana Waterthrush
54. Common Yellowthroat
55. Scarlet Tanager
56. White-throated Sparrow
57. Northern Cardinal
58. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
59. Indigo Bunting
60. Red-winged Blackbird
61. Common Grackle
62. Brown-headed Cowbird
63. Orchard Oriole
64. Baltimore Oriole
65. American Goldfinch