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Subject:

Mont. Bird Club walk at Hughes Hollow, 4/16, American Bittern, Purple Martin, Rusty Blackbirds, and rain

From:

Jim Nelson

Reply-To:

Jim Nelson

Date:

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:22:06 -0400

An intrepid and congenial group of 13 birders from the Montgomery Bird Club braved a gray, windy morning with rain fast approaching to do our annual Hugh Mahanes Presidents’ Walk at Hughes Hollow/McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Montgomery County this morning.

Going less than 2 hours before being rained out, we still managed 39 species.  Highlights were a very cooperative American Bittern that gave us nice views in flight and standing in its classic neck-straight-up, you-can’t-see-me position, a male Purple Martin that joined the many Tree Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows in flight over the impoundments, and a flock of Rusty Blackbirds giving us very close views.  We had many flocks of blackbirds flying overhead, going north, which I believe were also Rustys but counted as blackbird sp. in my eBird report.  No warblers other than lingering Yellow-rumped.  Pied-bill Grebes were calling but not in view.  We birded the impoundments only and did not make it back into the fields and woods.

The complete list from eBird is below.

After the walk broke up, a couple of us checked Riley’s Lock and Violette’s Lock on the way home but saw only swallows over the River.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD

Location:     Hughes Hollow - McKee Beshers WLMA
Observation date:     4/16/11
Notes:     Montgomery Bird Club's Hugh Mahanes Presidents' Walk.  Gray, windy, and cold with rain in second hour.
Number of species:     39

Canada Goose     13
Wood Duck     3
Mallard     2
Blue-winged Teal     2
Ring-necked Duck     1
Red-breasted Merganser     7
Pied-billed Grebe     2
Double-crested Cormorant     9
American Bittern     1
Great Blue Heron     2
Turkey Vulture     1
Buteo sp.     1
American Coot     2
Rock Pigeon     8
Belted Kingfisher     1
Red-bellied Woodpecker     3
Downy Woodpecker     3
Northern Flicker     1
Blue Jay     2
American Crow     3
Fish Crow     1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     12
Purple Martin     1
Tree Swallow     34
Carolina Chickadee     4
Tufted Titmouse     1
White-breasted Nuthatch     3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     1
Eastern Bluebird     2
European Starling     8
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)     5
Song Sparrow     1
Swamp Sparrow     1
White-throated Sparrow     4
sparrow sp.     2
Northern Cardinal     3
Red-winged Blackbird     15
Rusty Blackbird     12
Common Grackle (Purple)     16
Brown-headed Cowbird     1
blackbird sp.     49


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