Paul,

Thanks for raising this identification issue.  All three of the reports in 
eBird are from the same MBC trip to Hughes Hollow on Saturday morning.  I 
compiled the list for the walk, put it in eBird, and shared my eBird list 
with the other eBirders on the walk.  Once they accepted the list, they are 
listed as separate reports.

After receiving your message, I contacted everyone on our walk who saw these 
birds and I shared your email with then.  It was a rainy, gray morning and 
viewing conditions were much less than optimum.  Having considered your 
points, we all agree that we saw Hooded Mergansers rather than Red-breasted 
Mergansers, and we are updating the eBird lists accordingly.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD

-----Original Message----- 
From: Paul Woodward
Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2011 4:58 PM
To: 
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Red-breasted Mergs @ Hughes Hollow

     There are three E-bird reports of Red-breasted Mergansers at Hughes
Hollow (Montgomery Co) (presumably in the impoundments) from yesterday 4-16.
I would ask that the observers reconsider their identification. Both today
4-17 and  Thursday 4-14 there have been good numbers of female Hooded
Mergansers in the large impoundment, something I usually don't see until
June when females bring their broods here.
         I have never seen this species on the impoundments for as long as I
have been birding the area.   I see them on the Potomac and once on a May
count I found them on a pond near the river.

Paul Woodward
Fairfax City, VA


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