Paul - What is the description of the car, so we can all be on the  
lookout?  Did you get the license plate number?
 
Bob Mumford
Darnestown
 
 
In a message dated 8/12/2009 11:16:10 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
 writes:

10  August
You would think that during the week in summer  and on the hottest day
of the year you could bird at Hughes Hollow in peace  and quiet, but that
wasn't the case today as I started the day in an  unpleasant fashion.
As soon as I pulled into the parking lot I saw a car  there that had trouble
makers on July 3- two kids with guns walking into  the fields.  I wasn't in 
a
position then to track them down, but today  is was no problem since they
were on the dike firing their guns.   Quickly caught up with them and saw
they had a high power rifle (illegal  here).  Ask them what they were doing.
Said they were shooting  geese.  Explained to them that that wasn't legal
either and told them  to leave, which they did.  This was the third time in
my last ten  trips in the last month I have had unpleasant experiences here
and makes me  wonder if it even worth birding here anymore.
After following the shooters back to their car as they were mumbling
under  their breath, I drove off to the middle parking lot and walked 
through
the  fields to the towpath then west to the hiker-biker and then back  
through
the fields again.  This is the time of year that there are  more insects
calling than birds and also when the sunflower food plots  start attracting
goldfinch and doves.  The only plot I checked had 28  AM. GOLDFINCH and no
doves.  The river was almost birdless and there  was no sign of stargrass
mats.
Returned to the  impoundments which were quiet also although I did see 2
GREAT EGRETS , 5  WOOD DUCKS, 4 E. PHOEBES,  and a family of E. BLUEBIRDS.
Heard a   trilling song briefly which may have been a Pine Warbler.  I found
no  evidence that the shooters had killed any birds.
At one time Rough-winged Swallows were common on the wires along
River Rd,  but recently they have become very uncommon.  Coming in I had 
one,
two  hours later there were 8 and when I left there were all of 10.

Paul  Woodward
Fairfax City,  VA