(Posted on behalf of Jim Green)

Hi Everybody:

     Thursday evening after work I ventured first to Violette's Lock and then to Hughes Hollow. I spent 20 minutes at Violette's Lock but all in all it was fairly quiet. No herons or egrets other than Great Blue. I had one Osprey fly south down the Potomac River. I counted 33 Chimney Swifts mostly feeding 80 feet or higher over the river. I also counted 21 Rough-winged Swallows and they were all flying around and feeding within 10 feer of the water's surface. My best bird was a female Common Merganser sitting and preening on one of the rocks in the rapids.

     My next stop was Hughes Hollow and just as I arrived the skies opened up. I stayed at the car for approx. 20 minutes until the storm subsided. I walked out along the path and counted the following while I was there (7:30 to 8:30 PM). 

31 Great Egrets 

 7 Little Blue Herons - all were immature -  two were seen successfully catching and then swallowing some nice sized frogs - at 7:25 6 flew up together and circled once before heading in the direction of the Potomac  River. The 7th remained until I left. 

17 Green Herons - actively flying around, calling and and circling from 7:15 on.

8 Bald Eagles - all perched in the dead trees at the western end of the second impoundment on your right as you walk out the path. There was 1 Adult and the other 7 were immatures. This is by far the most that I have ever seen at Hughes Hollow at one time.

Jim Green
Gaithersburg, MD

work in moderation, BIRD IN EXCESS.


Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com