Hello Everyone,

Today I crossed the river and birded Hughes Hollow, Violette's Lock, then 
backtracked to Riley's Lock from just before 6 AM to 10 AM.  Highlights and 
lists are below.

Hughes Hollow: Dark when I arrived and I was greeted to 4 BARRED OWLS in 
chorus and several WILD TURKEY in the woods.  Unfortunately no rails or 
bitterns were heard.  2 YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS flew over at first 
light.  They were calling repeatedly in the distance and I finally got on 
them.  They kept going north.  Also, a GREEN HERON was perched high in a 
tree, 4 BLUE-WINGED TEAL were flying around the marsh near the treeline as 
you head toward the river, and at least 18 SNIPE winnowed and flew around 
all over the area.  A COOPER'S HAWK harassed a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK.  Nice 
to see an accipiter.  To me the most interesting bird flew low over the 
impoundments as I was leaving - a LEAST SANDPIPER (giving it's preep preep 
call) but it did not apparently drop down anywhere that I could see.  
Finally, as I was driving toward the nearby Terre Rouge property near 
Hunting Quarter Rd, I heard a PRAIRIE WARBLER singing in the brush.

Next stop was Violette's Lock in search of the EARED GREBE for by 06 ABA 
list (missed in north TX last week).  On the drive in I heard/saw some 
warblers including YELLOW-THROATED, LA WATERTHRUSH, and PARULA.  I walked a 
fair distance toward the golf course and was scoping some HORNED GREBES 
near the middle of the river when I noticed a bird passing close along the 
shoreline out of the corner of my eye.  It was the Eared!  I got amazingly 
close views of the bird (~25 feet) and it watched me as it passed and 
paused in front of me.  Every time it shook its head, it gave out a little 
sffftt!  I even saw it zero in on a midge that flew past and snatch it out 
of the air with its needle beak - most impressive.  Other interesting birds 
in the list.

Finally, I went to Riley's Lock where the best birds were 2 PROTHONOTARY 
WARBLERS, a COMMON LOON (juv), a single CHIMNEY SWIFT, and more migrants.  
77 species for the morning.  Feel free to e-mail me if there are any 
questions.

Until next time,

Jay Keller,
Arlington, VA


HUGHES HOLLOW

Canada Goose 16 
Wood Duck 35 
Mallard 6 
Blue-winged Teal 4 
Hooded Merganser 2 
Wild Turkey 7 
Pied-billed Grebe 1 
Great Blue Heron 3 
Great Egret 7 
Green Heron 1 
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 2 
Cooper's Hawk 1 
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 
Least Sandpiper 1 
Wilson's Snipe 18 
Mourning Dove 4 
Barred Owl 4 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 
Downy Woodpecker 3 
Northern Flicker 1 
Blue Jay 7 
American Crow 3 
Fish Crow 8 
Tree Swallow 45 
Carolina Chickadee 7 
Tufted Titmouse 2 
Carolina Wren 5 
House Wren 5 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 
Eastern Bluebird 5 
Hermit Thrush 1 
American Robin 2 
Brown Thrasher 4 
European Starling 25 
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4 
Prairie Warbler 1 
Chipping Sparrow 4 
Field Sparrow 1 
Song Sparrow 6 
Swamp Sparrow 8 
White-throated Sparrow 10 
Northern Cardinal 15 
Red-winged Blackbird 75 
Rusty Blackbird 2 
Common Grackle 22 
Brown-headed Cowbird 4 
American Goldfinch 11 


VIOLETTE'S LOCK

Canada Goose 12 
Wood Duck 12 
Mallard 5 
Horned Grebe 7 
Eared Grebe 1 
Double-crested Cormorant 25 
Great Blue Heron 4 
Turkey Vulture 10 
Ring-billed Gull 18 
Great Black-backed Gull 6 
Caspian Tern 8 
Mourning Dove 2 
Belted Kingfisher 1 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3 
Downy Woodpecker 1 
Pileated Woodpecker 2 
Eastern Phoebe 1 
Blue Jay 2 
American Crow 5 
Fish Crow 2 
Tree Swallow 30 
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 
Barn Swallow 1 
Carolina Chickadee 12 
Tufted Titmouse 5 
White-breasted Nuthatch 2 
Carolina Wren 7 
Winter Wren 1 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8 
American Robin 5 
European Starling 10 
Northern Parula 3 
Yellow-rumped Warbler 18 
Yellow-throated Warbler 1 
Louisiana Waterthrush 2 
Eastern Towhee 1 
Chipping Sparrow 2 
Song Sparrow 2 
Swamp Sparrow 8 
White-throated Sparrow 10 
Dark-eyed Junco 2 
Northern Cardinal 12 
Red-winged Blackbird 15 
Rusty Blackbird 1 
Common Grackle 5 
Brown-headed Cowbird 7 
American Goldfinch 27 


RILEY'S LOCK

Canada Goose 8 
Wood Duck 8 
Mallard 4 
Common Loon 1 
Double-crested Cormorant 32 
Great Blue Heron 4 
Black Vulture 2 
Turkey Vulture 5 
Bald Eagle 2 
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 
Ring-billed Gull 12 
Herring Gull 3 
Caspian Tern 5 
Mourning Dove 2 
Chimney Swift 1 
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 
Downy Woodpecker 2 
Hairy Woodpecker 1 
Northern Flicker 1 
Pileated Woodpecker 1 
Eastern Phoebe 3 
Blue Jay 5 
American Crow 7 
Fish Crow 4 
Tree Swallow 25 
Carolina Chickadee 9 
Tufted Titmouse 4 
White-breasted Nuthatch 1 
Carolina Wren 5 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5 
Eastern Bluebird 4 
American Robin 9 
European Starling 6 
Northern Parula 4 
Yellow-rumped Warbler 16 
Prothonotary Warbler 2 
Louisiana Waterthrush 4 
Swamp Sparrow 5 
White-throated Sparrow 9 
Northern Cardinal 10 
Red-winged Blackbird 17 
Common Grackle 6 
Brown-headed Cowbird 4 
American Goldfinch 12