FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Voice: Greater Washington DC Area, April 3

["Joe Coleman" <joecolem@xxxxxxxxx>]

FYI Joe Coleman

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               4/3/2007
Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE
Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2
       (email):    voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    (deadline):    midnight Mondays
Compiler:           John Bjerke
Sponsor:            Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central
                     Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
Transcriber:        Steve Cordle (scordle@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)

Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of
the Voice (Individual $40; Family $50; Nature Steward $75; Audubon
Advocate $150). The membership number is 301-652-9188 option 12, the
address is 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, and the web
site is http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org.

This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon
Naturalist Society. This report was completed at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday,
April 3.

Top birds this week are LITTLE and BLACK-HEADED GULL in MD,
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW in MD, and PAINTED BUNTING* in MD.

Other birds of interest include WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, RED-NECKED GREBE,
EARED GREBE, NORTHERN GANNET, AMERICAN BITTERN, GREEN HERON,
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, WHITE IBIS, AMERICAN KESTREL, MERLIN,
SANDHILL CRANE, PIPING PLOVER, CASPIAN TERN, FORSTER'S TERN, EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVE, WHIP-POOR-WILL, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE*, NORTHERN SHRIKE,
vireos, swallows, HOUSE WREN, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, BLUE-GRAY
GNATCATCHER, warblers, VESPER SPARROW, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, and RED
CROSSBILL.

An adult alternate plumage BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen on April 1 in
the Susquehanna River about one-quarter mile above the mill in
Susquehanna State Park, Harford Co, MD. An adult LITTLE GULL was found
on Back River, off Diamond Point Road, Baltimore Co, MD on March 28.
Three adult Little Gulls were seen in the same location on March 31.
Birders are cautioned not to trespass on the private property along
this road. A faded first winter LITTLE GULL was also seen in the same
area this week. Another adult LITTLE GULL was seen in the Chesapeake
Bay from Holland Point, Anne Arundel Co, MD on April 1. An adult
LITTLE GULL was spotted from Eastern Neck NWR, Kent Co, MD on April 1.

An immature CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen on March 29 along Longneck
Road near Point Lookout, St. Mary's Co, MD.

A probable first-cycle male PAINTED BUNTING* was briefly seen at a
feeder in Prince Georges Co, MD on March 31 and again on April 1 and
April 2.

A  WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was seen on the Potomac River, near Violette's
Lock, Montgomery Co, MD on March 30.

RED-NECKED GREBES were seen in a number of locations including
Violette's Lock, March 28, Liberty Lake, Carroll Co, MD on March 29,
Jug Bay, Patuxent River, Anne Arundel and Prince Georges Co MD on
March 30, and Burke Lake, Fairfax Co, VA on March 31. EARED GREBE was
reported from Jug Bay on March 30 and from North Beach, Calvert Co, MD
on March 30.

NORTHERN GANNETS were seen on the Patuxent River in Calvert and St.
Mary's Cos, MD on March 29. There were several other sightings
throughout the Chesapeake Bay.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was again sighted along Beach Dr near Kensington
Pkwy in Montgomery Co, MD on March 30. Two AMERICAN BITTERNS were seen
during the regular weekly walk at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA
on April 2, one was seen there on March 31. A GREEN HERON was found in
the Dulles Greenway Wetlands, Loudoun Co, VA on March 31 and another
was seen at Riley's Lock, C and O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD on April 2.

A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was on Sycamore Landing Road, Montgomery
Co, MD, on March 31. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS nest along Sligo
Creek Parkway in Silver Spring, Montgomery Co, MD; look near Piney
Branch Road and near Hayward Drive.

Some 47 WHITE IBIS were seen in Back Bay NWR, Virginia Beach, VA on
March 27.

An AMERICAN KESTREL was seen on Columbia Road, Washington, DC, on
March 28.  MERLIN sightings include one along Paint Branch trail in
College Park, Prince Georges Co, MD on March 28, one in Clarke Co, VA
on March 31, and one in Patterson Park, Baltimore, MD on April 2.

A SANDHILL CRANE has been reported flying near Occoquan Bay NWR,
Prince William Co, VA.

Two PIPING PLOVERS were found at the point in Cape Henlopen State
Park, Sussex Co, DE on March 30.

A CASPIAN TERN was seen in Patterson Park, Baltimore, MD on March 31
and April 2. FORSTER'S TERNS were spotted in Talbot Co, MD and Bombay
Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE.

EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen in McCoy, Montgomery Co, VA on April
1.

WHIP-POOR-WILLS are calling in Albemarle Co, Chase City, and
Buckingham Co, all in VA. Two WHIP-POOR-WILLS were found April 2 in
the Patuxent Research Refuge, North Tract, Anne Arundel Co, MD.

Two LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were found at Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA
on April 1.  The NORTHERN SHRIKE continues on the headquarters road at
Prime Hook NWR, Sussex Co, DE; it was seen on March 30. Another
probable NORTHERN SHRIKE was found on March 28 along Boog Rd, Carroll
Co, MD.

WHITE-EYED VIREOS were back in the Great Dismal Swamp, Suffolk Co, VA
and in the Julie Metz Wetlands, Prince William Co, VA. BLUE-HEADED
VIREOS were seen in Buchanan Co, VA.

NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW was found at Liberty Lake, Carroll Co,
MD on March 29. BANK SWALLOW was seen April 1 at the Chesapeake Farms,
Kent Co, MD.

A HOUSE WREN appeared at Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co, VA on March 31.

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS migrating through and BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS
arriving into the area were reported in large numbers through the
week.

YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES were reported
across the region. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS were seen in Buchanan
Co, VA on March 31. A somewhat early YELLOW WARBLER was seen along
Cockpit Rd, Prince William Co, VA on March 28. PALM WARBLERS were
found in Oakton, Fairfax Co, VA on March 28 and in Huntley Meadows on
March 31.

Two VESPER SPARROWS were seen at Malvern Hill, Richmond National
Battlefield Park, VA on March 27. A VESPER SPARROW was seen March 31
at Blandy Experimental Farm, Clarke Co, VA. Another VESPER SPARROW was
found at the Avalon Tract of Patapsco Valley State Park, Howard Co, MD
on April 2.

RUSTY BLACKBIRDS are departing the region but were widely reported
including Sycamore Landing Rd on March 27, Huntley Meadows on March 31
and April 2, Blandy Experimental Farm on March 31, and Dulles Greenway
Wetlands on March 31.

A pair of RED CROSSBILLS were feeding along Poverty Creek, Montgomery
Co, VA on April 1.

Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey,
VA-Bird, and DE Birds list servers.

Finding Birds in the National Capital Area by Claudia Wilds is an
excellent source for directions to many birding sites. The ANS
Bookstore (301-652-3606 or
www.audubonnaturalist.org/cgi-bin/mesh/store) is an excellent source
for this and many other nature-related titles.

To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  You may also report by calling
301-652-1088 and selecting menu option 2. Please post reports before
midnight Monday, identify the county as well as state, and include
your name and a Tuesday morning contact, either e-mail or phone.

Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.

*Of interest to the record committee.
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email 
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.