Jim Green led a wonderful evening trip for the Montgomery Bird Club to Riley's Lock, Hughes Hollow, and Sycamore Landing Road on Tuesday, March 13.  Since I haven't seen a report from him, I want to pass on what we saw.

Highlights were a Bonaparte's Gull, Green-Winged Teal, and Tree Swallows at Riley's Lock; Northern Pintail, Hooded Merganser, and Gadwall at Hughes Hollow; and American Woodcock and 2 calling Barred Owls at Sycamore Landing Road.  The Woodcock were in the first field on the right as you turn in from River Road.

We had an unusual observation at Hughes Hollow.  Right around sundown, large numbers of male and female Northern Cardinals streamed out of the woods and across the impoundments, flying from South to North.  It took us a minute to realize what we were seeing because none of us had ever seen flocks of Cardinals like this before.  For me, they acted like flocks of blackbirds as they moved.  They passed through in less than five minutes.  My conservative count was 50 birds, but I believe there were more than that.

Detailed counts for all three locations follow below.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD

Location:     Riley's Lock 
Observation date:     3/13/07
Number of species:     20

Canada Goose     16
American Wigeon     18
Mallard     2
Green-winged Teal     1
Bufflehead     4
Common Goldeneye     14
Common Merganser     2
Pied-billed Grebe     4
Great Blue Heron     5
Turkey Vulture     12
Bonaparte's Gull     1
Ring-billed Gull     16
Larus sp.     50
Belted Kingfisher     1
American Crow     11
Fish Crow     4
Tree Swallow     2
Carolina Chickadee     4
Tufted Titmouse     1
White-breasted Nuthatch     1

Location:     Hughes Hollow - McKee Beshers WLMA
Observation date:     3/13/07
Number of species:     18

Canada Goose     8
Wood Duck     4
Gadwall     10
Northern Pintail     7
Ring-necked Duck     60
Hooded Merganser     4
Ruddy Duck     1
Great Blue Heron     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     1
Downy Woodpecker     2
Hairy Woodpecker     2
Eastern Bluebird     3
European Starling     5
Song Sparrow     8
White-throated Sparrow     3
Northern Cardinal     50
Red-winged Blackbird     42
Common Grackle     18

Location:     Sycamore Landing
Observation date:     3/13/07
Number of species:     5

Canada Goose     1
American Woodcock     6
Barred Owl     2
White-throated Sparrow     1
Northern Cardinal     2