Howard County Bird Club
Hugg-Thomas Wildlife Management Area Detailed Information
Hugg-Thomas WMA consists of several hundred acres adjacent to the Patapsco River near Sykesville.
Habitat: Hugg-Thomas WMA has a variety of habitats. Most is mature upland deciduous forest with some blocks of conifers and an understory generally thicker than in most areas farther south in the Patapsco Valley State Park. Hugg-Thomas extends to the Patapsco River but access to river habitat is difficult as there are no formal trails down the steep slope to the river. Extensive, irregular fields divided by hedgerows and strips of trees are often planted with game food crops such as sunflowers and grasses. There are seasonal streams, small wetland areas, and several small man-made ponds. The area adjacent to the parking lot and across the road around outbuildings and the retention pond is mown lawn.
Layout: Forsythe Road divides Hugg-Thomas into north and south sections. Trails are a network of farm roads, dirt tracks, and grassy swaths cut into the fields and forest. There are no trail markers. Slopes are level to moderate but grow steeper on the hillsides. A map posted at the signboard in the parking lot shows the main trails only. The professionally produced PVSP “Complete Trail Map” is recommended as it shows all trails and the loops possible by connecting the trails.
North section. The parking lot surrounded by lawn with mature trees is on the north side of Forsythe Road. A gravel and dirt farm road leads up a slope from the parking lot alongside a large field. This field is the edge of a block of irregular fields separated by hedgerows that is cut into the center of the north section. The main farm road continues into the woods through the center of the north section. To the right are mature woods on hillsides down to the Patapsco River.
South Section. South of Forsythe Road is an area of lawn with farm outbuildings, a small retention pond and an old orchard. A farm road goes between the buildings into the woods which comprise the rest of the south section. Side trails in the woods lead off this main road. A manmade pond with a small amount of edge vegetation is in the forest partway down the main trail.
Best Time to Visit: Year-round interest, but fall (Sundays only) and spring migration are best for greatest variety and rarities. Hunting or trespassing is by permit only Monday through Saturday during fall, winter, and spring hunting seasons. An old sign in the parking lot which states access is restricted 9/1 to 2/15 is out of date. Check the hunters’ guide for current small game and Wild Turkey hunting seasons in the period September through May.
Sunday access is always permitted. Unregistered cars in the lot on legal hunting days are considered possible
poachers. Call the DNR manager at 310-356-9272 if you wish to try to obtain a permit, although it can be risky to bird the area on legal hunting days.
You may “trespass” without permit or written permission even during hunting seasons on Sundays only.
Birding: The professionally produced PVSP “Complete Trail Map” is recommended. Birds and wildflowers are prevalent here thanks to the varied habitat. Tundra Swans and
Common Mergansers have been seen flying over. Ducks sometimes appear on the pond by the road. Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, and Hooded Merganser have been seen. One late February, an American Woodcock flushed from the trail. A Virginia Rail was recorded by atlas observers in the 1970s at the second pond south of the buildings. In winter, gulls are common flying over. Black-billed Cuckoos have been sighted as well as the more common Yellow-billed. Great Horned and Barred owls are regularly seen. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds nest. All regularly occurring species of woodpeckers, except the Red-headed, have been found. One year in late August
and again in early September Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were observed. Several species of swallows can be
abundant during migration. During the breeding season Acadian Flycatchers, Yellow-throated Vireos, White-breasted Nuthatches, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Brown Thrashers, Scarlet Tanagers and Eastern Towhees can be
found along with a variety of warblers including Blue-winged, Northern Parula, American Redstart, Worm-eating, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, and Yellow-breasted Chat. This is one of the few county locations
where Hooded Warblers still nest. Brown Creepers and Winter Wrens winter.Veeries and Swainson’s Thrushes move through spring and fall while Wood Thrushes stay to nest; one late September morning produced a Gray-cheeked Thrush. There is fine Brown Thrasher habitat.
Flocks of Cedar Waxwings occasionally appear, and vireos can be abundant. At least 28 species of warblers have
been recorded. Blackbirds are scarce to abundant depending on the season. There is ample sparrow habitat providing a good mix of species including an occasional Fox Sparrow and, once, a White-crowned Sparrow. Indigo Buntings are common breeders as are American Goldfinches. House Finches are occasional; Purple Finches are sporadic in winter.
North section. During migration periods, covering the north section can take up to a half day. Bird the mature trees and grassy areas around the parking lot. Walk north past the gate along a farm road up the moderate slope to the edge of a large field. A large lone tree at the edge of the field provides perches for flycatchers and hawks. Continue straight along the right edge of the field. Wide grass trails lead off to the right into the woods. The first one dead ends; the second is a loop that goes down the hillside through the woods and rejoins the main path.
The road enters the woods and goes down a moderate slope. Several small fields planted with various game food crops are cut into the forest. At the bottom of the slope (about a half-mile from the parking lot) is a small
stream and boggy area. The understory here provides nesting for warblers. On the far side of the stream, the
trail splits left and right in a further half-mile loop. If pressed for time, take the right trail a few hundred yards for good views of the hillside and stream below. Return along the main trail to the first large field. For a different mix of habitats and birds, take the farm road which leads off to the west (left from just above the parking lot). This will go past alternating blocks of hedgerows and fields planted with grasses and crops such as sunflowers. In the fall, wide swaths are mown into the fields to form a network of paths. Continue along the farm road until a field (private) appears on the left in about 0.3 miles. Shortly, an unmaintained trail appears on the left which, if taken for a few hundred yards along the edge of Hugg-Thomas, gives views of a large lake. Please note that the lake and the forest edge near the lake are private property, posted no trespassing. This trail can be followed another 0.3 miles to the boggy area described above. Most birders will return to the farm road and follow it as it loops back toward the parking lot, exploring the interesting mix of field and woods, which includes rows of planted pines.
South section. During migration, birding the south section will take an hour or two. From the parking lot, cross Forsythe Road to a group of farm outbuildings. Spend some time in this area. There is a small seasonal retention pond to the left which even in drier seasons has some water and mud edges. A small abandoned orchard is off to the right. When done birding this area, walk between the buildings along a farm road into the mature deciduous woods. The road leads down a moderate slope, reaching a seasonal stream in a few hundred yards. There are trails leading off to the right up a forested slope on both sides of the stream. The first one dead ends in a few hundred yards. The second, on the far side, can be followed about a half mile up the slope. It goes past a few small fields planted with game crops and ends in a loop. Return to the road and continue a short distance to a small manmade pond set into the forest which has some emergent vegetation at the far end. The farm road can be followed a few hundred yards past the pond, but soon the sounds of traffic along Route 32 announce the end of the trail.
Highlights: An interesting mix of mature woods, healthy understory, fields, and streams with man-made ponds makes Hugg-Thomas WMA an attractive birding destination. This is one of the most likely areas of the county in which to find Wild Turkey. The domesticated turkeys that wander near the parking lot provide good photo ops but are not countable birds! Spring wildflowers are plentiful along the river, while summer wildflowers in the fields are diverse. Nine or ten species of ferns can be located easily.
Handicapped Access: The area around the parking lot and across the road in the retention pond and outbuilding area is generally level. There are no paved paths. The north field edges are also generally level after an initial moderate slope from the parking lot, although the grassy paths can be uneven. Otherwise, the terrain is rolling and the trails go up and down moderate slopes which are steeper adjacent to the river. Paths are dirt farm roads, dirt trails, or grassy swaths and are, for the most part, in good condition. The few muddy areas can be easily avoided.
Hunting: Hunting or trespassing is by permit only Monday through Saturday during fall, winter, and spring hunting seasons. Sunday access is always permitted; you may “trespass” without permit or written permission even during hunting seasons.