Hi Everyone,

I headed to Montgomery Co. for some after-work birding today, meeting up with John Hubbell after my first few stops. I started by cruising around the Poolesville area to knock out my county closeout GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. I found one singing on Westerly Road, at a private road halfway between Edwards Ferry Road and West Willard Road. While here, I was surprised to hear a very vocal VESPER SPARROW. I then headed back to Sycamore Landing to meet John and bird Summit Hall Turf Farm. 

We hiked down the towpath and scanned the turf farm, enjoying the shade and nice light after endlessly staring into the sun and haze on the coast lately. The shorebird numbers and diversity were enjoyable, highlighted by a single BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. Also present were 115 KILLDEER, six SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, one LESSER YELLOWLEGS, one SPOTTED SANDPIPER (overdue county closeout #108), one SOLITARY SANDPIPER, two SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERs, seven LEAST SANDPIPERs, and ten juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPERs. Barred Owls and Wood Thrushes were vocal along the canal.

We then checked Patton Turf Farm, where we found no shorebirds, but did have a persistently calling GREAT HORNED OWL at 7:25 p.m.

We ended the day at Riley's Lock, spotting just a handful of birds as the light quickly faded: Wood Duck (3), Great Egret (7), Green Heron (2), night-heron sp. (1).

Good birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com