Ann and I had a nice late morning stroll around the impoundments at Hughes Hollow in the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Montgomery County today. The impoundments are very full, reducing the edge habitat around the levees. Best bird was our first-of-season Tree Swallow (11 birds) circling over the impoundments. Checking eBird, I found first reports for Tree Swallow for Hughes Hollow on February 26 in 2012, February 16 in 2011, and dates between February 26 and 29 in earlier years, so these birds are pretty much right on time. We also had a single American Coot (also seen yesterday according to eBird).
It was pretty quiet, perhaps due to the high water. While we were there, a group of students from Poolesville High School came to sit along the levees and quietly observe nature (part of the freshman Environmental Studies course). It was nice to see most of them taking it seriously.
My complete eBird list is below.
Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD
Hughes Hollow - McKee Beshers WLMA, Montgomery, US-MD
Feb 25, 2013 11:10 AM - 12:35 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 mile(s)
Comments: Birding around the impoundments.
22 species (+1 other taxa)
Ring-necked Duck 5
duck sp. 2 Seen flying away, unable to determine species.
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
American Coot 1
Rock Pigeon 14
Belted Kingfisher 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 2
Tree Swallow 11 Birds seen clearly flying as low as 20 feet above the impoundments. Those that banked to present a view of the upperside had blue-green backs and heads with a white crescent on the sides of rump at the base of tail. . All the birds were entirely white underneath. Checking prior eBird records, Tree Swallows have been arriving at this location about this date for the last two years as well as in 2008 and 2007.
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 3
Carolina Wren 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 3
Song Sparrow 4
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 10
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1 Male doing territorial display. All by himself.
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