Hughes Hollow field trip, March 15, 2008

by Paul DeAnna

Unfazed by an uncertain weather forecast (which changed for the better only at the last minute), 20 hardy participants met the leader at Hughes Hollow for DC Audubon’s annual visit to this interesting and less well-known birding spot.  Remember if you come on your own that hunting is allowed here in season (and this includes a Spring turkey hunt as well) so my advice is to come on a Sunday if you’re not sure.  [Maryland DNR’s website gives information about hunting season in the state.]  Our day got off to a fine start with an Osprey—first of the year for most of us—perched nearby and giving good scope views.  As we moved on to the center dike road between the watered impoundments we got good looks at a variety of waterfowl in the leftmost, largest impoundment, chief among them boldly patterned Ring-necked Ducks.  I’d estimate there were over 200—the most I’ve seen here in many years.  Among this crowd we were able to pick out some Redheads and striking Canvasbacks as well.  While they both have red heads, these two can be distinguished by the Canvasback’s lighter back and sides, and its darker, more extended and sloping bill.  In general, it has a lower, more extended or streamlined profile.  We found American Wigeon and a few Gadwall mixed in as well.

Land birds were just as cooperative, most notably some brilliant Bluebirds, and including a lone Rusty Blackbird, which eyed us with his bright eye as we eyed him.  At close range, we compared his smaller thinner bill and his tail size and shape to that of nearby Common Grackles, which also have pale eyes.  The Tree Swallows were back from the tropics as we had hoped.  We watched as their iridescent backs shifted from green to blue, depending on the angle of the light.

At the end of the dike there is a short wooded stretch leading out into an extensive mosaic of fields and hedgerows beyond.  The main road continues straight ahead, but I usually turn right here to search for birds along the wooded edge between field and swamp.  Before doing so, though, we first checked out the grove of Norway Spruce just ahead, to the right of the main path.  Sure enough, a Barred Owl was lurking within, and some were able to spot this stealthy creature as he took off through the trees.

The wooded edge to the right is one of the best spots for Red-headed Woodpeckers, and we weren’t disappointed.  At least three adults were tallied as they moved among the dead snags adjacent to the swamp.  These birds love wooded swamps and dead snags—so they are right at home here.  They usually arrive during the colder months and stay until the weather warms, at which point they seem to desert the area.  On the other hand, they may simply retreat into the swampy interior for a little privacy during the breeding season.  Listen for their call, which sounds somewhat like a Kingfisher’s rattling cry, only softer.

As we wound along the path, we had a glimpse of a Red-shouldered Hawk overhead.  It’s hard to bird here very long without hearing their call.  They’re real swamp hawks, with a taste for reptiles and amphibians.  (Later we had a real treat as five climbed and dove in the clear blue above, rising until they were lost to view).  We also had a Cooper’s Hawk, distinguished by the straight leading edge of the wings, and the larger head projecting forward of the wings.  A Sharp-shinned Hawk, by comparison, shows a leading edge that’s wavy, like a stretched out letter “M,” and the head does not project beyond the line of the wings.   Be careful, though, because hawks can change their wing attitude to meet changing wind conditions, and often do so.

Here and there, we were able to peer through the trees into the swamp beyond, and we got pretty good views of Wood Duck swimming among the reeds.  Like many of the species we identified this day, Wood Ducks are cavity nesters.  These beautiful birds will stay to breed, thanks to the available tree cavities and the DNR’s provision of nest boxes.  We had looks at Green-winged Teal as well, along with Gadwall and Shoveler, more American Wigeon, and a lone Black Duck in flight.  The recent rains have swollen the nearby Potomac, and we had a good waterfowl day in part because many of these ducks were seeking some quieter water.

The path eventually meanders into a wooded area, passing over Horsepen Branch on a rather rickety bridge.  The crossing was our adventure for the day.  Fortunately, no one fell through the cracks, which are considerable (but the water is shallow, so no worries).  We paused to admire both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, and had quite a parade of other small birds, including Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, and White-breasted Nuthatch.  Note these species are still in their mid-winter mixed flock behavior mode.  As the weather warms, they will increasingly split up to stake out breeding territories which, for the kinglets at least, means a trip well to our North.

They say there’s always the unexpected, and this day our trip was a bit dampened by the noise of a nearby dog trial (these seem to go on all year, often unpredictably, although some can be googled in advance by searching “McKee-Beshers”).  Considering the increasing noise level, we made a U-turn and retraced our steps back to the impoundments.  Actually, such a route is just as productive as any other, since the area is so large and diverse.  Our bonus return-journey bird was a (not very cooperative) Fox Sparrow within one of the many wooded thickets.  Some managed to get brief looks of this striking bird, which brings a bit of glamour to the sparrow category.  A Red-tailed Hawk with prey provided a final treat before we returned to our cars with a respectable 51 species for the day.

A list of species identified follows.  Thanks to all participants for your sharp-eyed contributions and please let me know if anything is missing.

Great Blue Heron

Black Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Black Duck

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Canvasback

Redhead

Ring-necked Duck

Northern Shoveler

Osprey

Cooper’s Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Ring-billed Gull

Barred Owl

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

Eastern Phoebe

Blue Jay

American Crow

Fish Crow

Tree Swallow

Carolina Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch

Carolina Wren

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Eastern Bluebird

American Robin

European Starling

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Fox Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Red-winged Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Goldfinch