MD Osprey:

A bit more detail on this morning's sightings:

Nancy Magnusson arrived at Hughes Hollow around 5:30 am. I arrived 
around 6:10 (hey, the Starbucks stores don't open until 5:30!).

Around 6:30 (didn't note the exact time), we were standing on the 
dike and we heard one vocalization coming from the marsh near the 
north end of the parking lot, which we took to be the Purple Gallinule.

At 7:15, standing at the north end of the parking lot, looking north 
into the marsh, Nancy saw a bird with a large white rump flutter a 
very short distance (maybe 10-15 feet?) from very near the shore to a 
point a bit further out into the marsh. She called to me and I looked 
toward that area and then we both immediately saw the bird, a dark, 
plump bird, again showing a large white rump, take another hop a bit 
further towards the direction of the center of the marsh, but not 
very far out. It dropped down maybe 20-30 feet north of the trees 
that are growing out of the water, just off of the north end of the 
parking lot.

At 8 am, I saw cattails moving in this general area and put my bins 
on the spot. Down low, I could briefly see the distinctive blue back 
of the bird. Then, a few seconds later, it turned and I could see the 
distinctive red color of the base of its bill. Nancy got on it, too.

After this, we only heard it vocalize a couple of times, the last 
time being around 8:50 am.

Nancy departed first and I left at 9:30. Two other birders (Jan and 
John) were still looking for it when I left. (It sounds like John had 
a brief glimpse of it in the same area, just before I left.)


I think the vocalization was closest to a portion of this version of 
the "cackle" call ... (You will need an account with Birds of North 
America (BNA) On-line to access this link ... highly recommended and 
well worth it, however (IMHO) ...):

http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/626/galleries/audio/PUGA1-1171a/media_popup_view?t=audio&fn=http://clomedia.ornith.cornell.edu/audio/1171A/1171A.mov


FYI, a photographer and another birder reported a good look at a 
Common Gallinule in the same impound, along the far dyke, close to the edge.

Good luck!

Phil


==================================
Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland     USA
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