Clive Harris wrote:

>  
>  Hughes is also very dry.  So dry in fact mud flats have formed at the edges of the large impoundment.  A couple of Mourning Dove were strolling around on one part of the mudflats.  This is good shorebird habitat and this evening there were 3 Least Sandpiper, 1 Solitary Sandpiper and 2 Killdeer.
>   
>  The biggest surprise was an adult CATTLE EGRET that came in around 7:45 PM and landed in a tree just beyond the cross-dike.  This tree had about half a dozen Green Heron settled in it. The egret was in nice breeding plumage, with buffy plumes and crest; it took off after a while and circled around. It looked like it was searching for a good roosting spot but I did not see it land again.
>
Cattle Egret was still at Hughes Hollow today between 10-11 AM. It was 
wading in and amongst the lily pads in the large impoundment on the left 
off the left tip of the island. Ran into Paul Woodward. We scanned the 
mudflats for shorebirds.  All were same as reported by Clive on 7/21.

At Riley's Lock there were 6 Forster's Terns on small logs and stick ups 
across from the aqueduct.  VA shoreline held 5 Great Egrets and one 
Black-crowned Night heron.

Stopped at Germantown soccerplex pond to check for shorebirds.  None 
present but pond is good shape to hold some.  Had close looks at 3 
immature Wood Ducks and the number of frogs poking thru algae matts was 
unbelievable.

Good birding,

Andy Martin
Gaithersburg