Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

Re: Death at Hughes Hollow

From:

Andy Martin

Reply-To:

Andy Martin

Date:

Mon, 1 May 2006 21:55:13 -0400

Bob Mumford wrote:

>I have not been back to Hughes Hollow in three weeks since finding my  
>prothonotary nest boxes destroyed.  Today I was dumbfounded to find all the  
>vegetation on either side of the main dike dead: the willows, grass, poison ivy,  
>shrubs, wildflowers, the whole bit.  With it, the loss of some prime  nesting 
>habitat.  This is also true on the cross dike headed west.
> 
>The destruction appears to be the result of massive herbicide application  
>and one would assume that it was applied by the Maryland DNR.
>  
>
Bob,

The size of vegetation along dikes would suggest that it has been 
managed in the past. I have only been birding there since 2003. How and 
when was the vegetation cut back the last time?  Maybe the duck hunters 
complained that the dike was getting to overgrown to hunt from.  You'd 
think DNR would be more selective (aware?) on how they manage the 
vegetation along the dikes.  If you get any answers, please share on 
listserve.

Andy Martin
Gaithersburg