We had a nice morning outing to Hughes Hollow/McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area this morning, Sunday.  We arrived to heavy fog over the impoundments which made for challenging viewing for the first half hour or so (but beautiful).  Not many migrants this morning (only three species of warbler), but the highlight was a very cooperative female Golden-winged Warbler along the central levee near the trees at the south end.  We also had an immature Red-headed Woodpecker in the same location that kept flying down to the levee and poking around in the gravel on the path and a nice flock of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.  Surprises were the almost total lack of wading birds (only two Great Blue Heron and no Green Heron or Great Egret) and the lack of any blackbird species.  House Finch and American Goldfinch numbers have increased significantly from those on our previous visits this month -- they are enjoying the wide range of seeds now available.  We saw 39 species total.

The other big change from other recent visits to this area was the incredible number of mosquitoes we encountered.  I think this is the legacy of Tropical Storm Hanna 14 days earlier which filled the impoundments and other places where they can breed!

A complete list from my eBird report follows.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD

Location:     Hughes Hollow - McKee Beshers WLMA
Observation date:     9/21/08
Notes:     Morning began foggy becoming sunny by end of first hour.  Golden-winged Warbler was a female and very cooperative, seen at close range for several minutes.

Canada Goose     32
Great Blue Heron     2
Turkey Vulture     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     2
Mourning Dove     2
Chimney Swift     2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird     2
Belted Kingfisher     2
Red-headed Woodpecker     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     7
Downy Woodpecker     5
Hairy Woodpecker     1
Northern Flicker     5
Eastern Wood-Pewee     1
Eastern Phoebe     5
White-eyed Vireo     4
Blue Jay     19
American Crow     4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     3
swallow sp.     1
Carolina Chickadee     7
Tufted Titmouse     6
White-breasted Nuthatch     1
Carolina Wren     13
House Wren     5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     1
Eastern Bluebird     3
American Robin     5
Gray Catbird     17
Brown Thrasher     1
European Starling     4
Golden-winged Warbler     1
Magnolia Warbler     1
Common Yellowthroat     5
Song Sparrow     3
Northern Cardinal     12
Rose-breasted Grosbeak     6
Indigo Bunting     5
House Finch     22
American Goldfinch     14