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Subject:

Hughes Hollow & Pts. West (Mont. Co.)--10 Grasshopper Sparrows

From:

James Moore

Reply-To:

James Moore

Date:

Sun, 24 May 2009 22:29:21 -0400

Birded Hughes Hollow this morning. Seven warbler species but only one migrant -- Northern Waterthrush. Also had my FOY Chat, FOY Warbling Vireo, & Great Egret.

I met Brad Beukema there, and he alerted me to an area to the west that was (literally) buzzing with Grasshopper Sparrows. (Thanks Brad!)  If you go West on River Road, then continue when it changes into Mount Nebo Road, and then just before the intersection with Offut Road, there is a paved road on the right that heads up a hill to a cul-de-sac with undeveloped lots -- but signs suggesting future development. I saw six Grasshopper Sparrows, and photographed one carrying nesting material (http://www.flickr.com/photos/35716495@N08/3561721192/sizes/l/). (This area is generally described in a Birders Guide to Montgomery County, 2d ed., page 130, the paragraph beginning with "3.1 miles").  Hopefully, with the real estate bust, this area will stay undeveloped.

I continued west and found four more Grasshopper Sparrows on the Patton Turf Farm, and also heard a Horned Lark singing.

My eBird list from Hughes Hollow/McKee Beshers alone is below.

Location:     Hughes Hollow - McKee Beshers WMA
Observation date:     5/24/09

Canada Goose     10
Wood Duck     6
Great Blue Heron     4
Great Egret     1
Green Heron     3
Turkey Vulture     1
Red-shouldered Hawk     1
Mourning Dove     4
Ruby-throated Hummingbird     2
Hairy Woodpecker     1
Eastern Wood-Pewee     2
Acadian Flycatcher     8
Great Crested Flycatcher     1
Eastern Kingbird     1
White-eyed Vireo     2
Yellow-throated Vireo     1
Warbling Vireo     1
Red-eyed Vireo     3
Blue Jay     1
American Crow     4
crow sp.     1
Tree Swallow     12
Carolina Chickadee     6
Tufted Titmouse     2
Carolina Wren     8
House Wren     2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     3
Eastern Bluebird     4
Wood Thrush     2
American Robin     4
Gray Catbird     10
European Starling     2
Northern Parula     1
Yellow Warbler     4
American Redstart     1
Prothonotary Warbler     1
Northern Waterthrush     1
Common Yellowthroat     12
Yellow-breasted Chat     1
Eastern Towhee     2
Song Sparrow     1
Northern Cardinal     8
Indigo Bunting     6
Red-winged Blackbird     12
Common Grackle     10
Orchard Oriole     6
Baltimore Oriole     1
American Goldfinch     4

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Good birding!
Jim Moore
Rockville, Maryland