Twice I have seen dozens of Robins flocking into one tree. Another time on a Christmas bird count, we encountered what seemed like hundreds of Robins flying thru an open area of woods in a girl scout camp near the southern Potomac. Never have I seen Cardinals flocking.
Harry Lotis
Owings, Md
-------------- Original message --------------
From: Jim and Ann Nelson <>
> 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 |