Peter Frechtel and I started the morning on the towpath at Pennyfield Lock, and then made a late morning visit to the impoundments at McKee Beshers (Hughes Hollow).  Starting with the end, we did not find the previously reported Purple Gallinule or Black Rail at Hughes Hollow.  We heard a one-time interesting vocalization from the lotus and cattails in the northwest impoundment, but it didn't clearly correspond to either of those.  Present in the eastern impoundment were a COMMON MOORHEN, an AMERICAN COOT, 3 HOODED MERGANSERS (females, no ducklings), and a SOLITARY SANDPIPER.  We otherwise had some decent birds but nothing unusual, with singing YELLOW-THROATED VIREO and PROTHONOTARY WARBLER perhaps the best passerines.  PRAIRIE WARBLERS were singing along River Road, as usual. 

Pennyfield was much the same--not outstanding for migrants today, but a nice walk anyway.  The best (and luckiest) find was a perched COMMON NIGHTHAWK on a tree branch across the canal.  We also had a flyover NORTHERN HARRIER, 4 more SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO (seen but not singing), PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (another heard-only), and 2 CANADA WARBLERS.  We had 3 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS (and 2 more at Hughes Hollow)--my first this spring, finally.

Jason Waanders
NW DC
jwaandersATstarpower.net

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