Re: Oxon Hill Farm and Myrtle Grove WMA, Saturday 4/25

David R. Smith (lacsmith@erols.com)
Sun, 26 Apr 1998 18:41:40 -0400 

Ellen Paul wrote:
> 
> We HAVE to get the new edition of Wilds.  Relying on the old one is
> getting problematic.  Perhaps Oxon Hill Farm was good at one time.  Now
> it is essentially nothing but city birds.  For those who don't know, it
> is hard by the Wilson Bridge on the Maryland side.  It is mostly a large
> field ringed by mature trees.  Other than the expected robins,
> mockingbirds, mourning doves, crows, cardinals, jays, starlings,
> grackles, and goldfinches, we had one Northern Harrier, two Brown
> Thrashers, and several Yellow Rumps.
> 
> Way too much traffic noise, even at 6:30 am on a Saturday, to enjoy
> anything.
> 
> Myrtle Grove was wonderful.  This was our first trip.  Extrememely
> birdy, albeit diversity wasn't too high.  We heard and saw birds from
> the minute we drove in.  Stopping every few feet was a necessity, to
> pick out what we were hearing.  So, basically, there were large numbers
> of Common Yellowthroats, Bluebirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers.  Quite a
> large number of Red-eyed Vireos, White-eyed Vireos, and Northern
> Parulas.  Also, one Yellow-throated Vireo.  One Red-shouldered Hawk.
> Quite a few Hooded Warblers (sorry, Lou), one singing a very aberrant
> song, sounding much more like a vireo.  Many Chipping Sparrows, Field
> Sparrow, White-Throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow.  Great Blue Heron, Canada
> Geese.
> 
> For others who have never been there, here's some "gen" - a charming
> South African term for background info.  First, it's very easy to walk
> through the WMA on the gravel road and see pretty much everything, so if
> you are one of those people who doesn't like traipsing through the
> woods, this is a great place.  There are some paths into the woods but
> the fields abutting the road are very densely vegetated and it would be
> difficult to walk in (not to mention that you would be disturbing the
> birds nesting in there).  There is relatively little poison ivy, and
> thanks to what I assume is deer browse, relatively little understory
> (not as bad as the parks in Montgomery County, though).
> 
> As you go down the road, you eventually come to a marshy area - several
> small ponds and one large one.  These were surprising devoid of birds,
> but I think they were promising.  They were certainly quiet, peaceful,
> and beautiful.
> 
> There is a target range on the property, so if the noise of gunfire
> bothers you (it didn't seem to bother the birds), drive all the way in
> and bird in the woods around the pond/marshy area.  The entire time we
> were there, a few gunshots were heard, for a total of about five
> minutes.
> 
> I don't know what will come of the court action involving Myrtle Grove,
> but if it isn't a favorable decision, I think it could prove difficult
> to stop development there.  It is a small patch, from a conservation
> point of view, and while we didn't do an exhaustive survey, it doesn't
> seem to have much in the way of unusual vegetation or habitat.  So, it
> is unlikely to get the time and attention of the major conservation
> groups. It may be up to a handful of birders to save this one.
> 
> --
> Ellen Paul        Chevy Chase, Maryland        Mailto:epaul@dclink.com

While it is true that Oxon Hill Farm can be a bit noisy, I suspect that
it can also be very birdy. I was at the farm in the a.m. of Thursday
April 23, and heard a Northern Waterthrush and Northern Parula singing
from the swampy area beyond the big field. This was during rush hour
traffic!

David Smith