I led a walk for the Montgomery Bird Club to Hughes Hollow/McKee-Beshers WMA this cloudy Sunday morning.  While none of us got to see all the birds, our group of 17 had a total of 59 species seen by one or more of us.  Most interesting of the lingering birds was a large flock of Rusty Blackbirds.  We had good first-of-season looks at singing Common Yellowthroat and White-eyed Vireo.  Other birders located, and we all got to see, a very cooperative American Bittern in the southwestern impoundment right by the central levee.  We had good duck variety with 7 species, most of which were flushed from a small vernal wetland back in one of the cornfields south of the impoundments.  We also spotted three swans in distant flight which we were unable to identify but likely were Tundras based on the Yellowbook.  Other migrant arrivals -- Broad-winged Hawk, Eastern Kingbird, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  A nice morning with good company.  The complete trip list from eBird follows.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD

Location:     Hughes Hollow - McKee Beshers WLMA
Observation date:     4/19/09
Notes:     Montgomery Bird Club field trip.  List includes birds seen by any participant.
Number of species:     59

Canada Goose     9
Wood Duck     12
Mallard     2
Blue-winged Teal     15
Green-winged Teal     2
Ring-necked Duck     8
Hooded Merganser     4
Common Merganser     1
swan sp.    1
Pied-billed Grebe     2
American Bittern     1
Great Blue Heron     2
Great Egret     4
Green Heron     2
Cooper's Hawk     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
Broad-winged Hawk     1
American Coot     8
Killdeer     1
gull sp.     1
Rock Pigeon     12
Mourning Dove     1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird     1
Belted Kingfisher     2
Red-headed Woodpecker     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     4
Downy Woodpecker     5
Northern Flicker     3
Pileated Woodpecker     1
Eastern Phoebe     1
Eastern Kingbird     2
White-eyed Vireo     2
Blue Jay     7
American Crow     2
Fish Crow     2
Tree Swallow     24
Carolina Chickadee     5
Tufted Titmouse     4
White-breasted Nuthatch     1
Carolina Wren     4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     12
Eastern Bluebird     4
American Robin     2
European Starling     4
Palm Warbler     1
Common Yellowthroat     2
Eastern Towhee     1
Field Sparrow     2
Song Sparrow     12
Swamp Sparrow     3
White-throated Sparrow     16
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)     1
Northern Cardinal     12
Red-winged Blackbird     36
Rusty Blackbird     46
Common Grackle     25
Brown-headed Cowbird     14
American Goldfinch     8