Despite gusty NW winds brought on by the passage of a cold front, the 
Montgomery Bird Club evening March 11 field trip to the west of the 
county, led by Jim Green, was successful in hearing 3-4 American 
Woodcock and seeing one flying.  The group heard and saw the Woodcock 
on both sides of Sycamore Landing Rd., which runs south from River 
Rd. 3+ miles south of Poolesville, after 7:30 p.m.

The same group earlier had some good birding from the C&O Canal 
bridge over Seneca Creek at Riley's Lock.  Most notable was a group 
of 4 scoters seen on the water and flying; the group consisted on 3 
White-winged Scoters, one a male in breeding plumage, and a Surf 
Scoter than was most probably a young male.  Also in the water off 
Riley's Lock were 4 Red-breasted Merganser, a few Bufflehead, and 3 
species of Grebe, including a Horned and a Red-necked with several 
Pied-billed.  Just upstream was a rowdy group of crows, which looked 
and sounded like it consisted of at least 100 Fish Crows.

The group also visited Hughes Hollow, which had about 50 Ring-necked 
Duck, flying groups of Wood Duck and Hooded Merganser, a pair of 
Gadwall, and about a dozen Tree Swallows.

Mike Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club
Bethesda, MD

D.H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD  20817
Telephone: (301) 530-5764
e-mail:  dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom