I had a productive Friday morning at Hughes Hollow/McKee Beshers WLMA with 45 species. As I think someone reported a few days ago, they have done extensive brush clearance along the levees around the impoundments. This opens up the view, but reduces close-by habitat for skulkers. They also appear to be drawing down the water in the impoundments.
Perhaps as a result, there were no ducks on the large impoundment (a few American Coot and Canada Goose, including goslings, were on it). I flushed 3 Blue-winged Teal from the back impoundment, along with the usual Mallard and Wood Duck. I had two, first-of-year Green Herons at the impoundments.
Land birding was good around the impoundments and on my extensive hike back into the many fields between the impoundments and the C&O Canal. Highlights included a first-of-year White-eyed Vireo singing lustily on the trail beyond the impoundments (on the left side just beyond the grove of pine trees -- the bird seemed to like this spot because it was in the same place still singing two hours later when I returned from the fields), lots of yellow Palm Warblers, Field Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, several singing Brown Thrashers on territory, and Hermit Thrush. I also managed to see one Wild Turkey before it saw me.
A complete list follows from my eBird report.
Beyond birds, numbers of butterflies and dragonflies were significant. Also, I had wonderful views of what I believe were mating toads (two pairs each with one riding on the other's back as they headed for muddy puddles). I need to look at my pictures and relevant field guides to figure out what species they are.
Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD
Location: Hughes Hollow - McKee Beshers WLMA
Observation date: 4/11/08
Notes: Canada Goose count included 6 very young goslings.
Number of species: 45
Canada Goose 16
Wood Duck 9
Mallard 5
Blue-winged Teal 3
Wild Turkey 1
Great Blue Heron 6
Green Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 3
Osprey 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 4
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Coot 4
Mourning Dove 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker 9
Downy Woodpecker 7
Downy/Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 5
Eastern Phoebe 1
White-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 18
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 12
Tree Swallow 25
Carolina Chickadee 29
Tufted Titmouse 16
White-breasted Nuthatch 6
Carolina Wren 8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5
Hermit Thrush 2
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 7
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 8
Eastern Towhee 5
Field Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 18
Swamp Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 49
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 6
Northern Cardinal 39
Red-winged Blackbird 44
Common Grackle 26
Brown-headed Cowbird 8
American Goldfinch 7
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) |