FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Updated List of Arrival Dates, March through June

[Phoebetria@xxxxxxx]

Below is a set of arrival or first-report dates for bird species that don't=20
usually winter in Virginia, compiled mostly by Todd Day and myself.  I'm sur=
e=20
there are some gaps.  Overlooked among the many VA-Bird reports were Vesper=20
Sparrow (rarely overwinters), Cliff Swallow (which can return quite early bu=
t is=20
usually seen by 4 April), and Chuck-will's-widow (which starts to return in=20
the first part of April).  If anyone has an early date for these, it would b=
e=20
good to include them. =20

Also missing (or missed by Todd and myself in reading postings) are reports=20
for the following scarce nesters:

Sandwich Tern (Back Bay? usually in by 10 May or so)
Common Moorhen (Back Bay? sometimes overwinters)
Black Rail (Saxis?)
Henslow's Sparrow (far western Virginia?)
Bachman's Sparrow (south-central Virginia?)

The absence of Virginia pelagic trips means that we have no reports yet of=20
the following, all of which arrived in May in North Carolina waters and all=20=
of=20
which are surely within 200 miles of our coasts:

Black-capped Petrel
Cory's Shearwater
Greater Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater (also possible from shore)
Audubon=E2=80=99s Shearwater
Leach's Storm-Petrel
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel =20
Long-tailed Jaeger
Roseate Tern (also possible from shore; up to 8 at once off Cape May in May)
Arctic Tern (reported from shore in Delaware in May)
Bridled Tern

(North Carolina, of course, has had both tropicbirds and three other species=
=20
of gadfly petrel, all of which would be considered rare in Virginia, so=20
they're not listed out above.)=20

What is most remarkable about this list is that most dates are quite normal=20
and fall within the start of the expected arrival window for each species=20
(early exceptions flagged with an asterisk).  In most cases, these first arr=
ival=20
dates were of birds confirmed visually (exceptions of unspecified reports ha=
ve a=20
plus sign).  And even the early birds were never more than a week early.  In=
=20
many cases, such as Willow Flycatcher and Mourning Warbler, New Jersey and=20
other states also had several reports of early arrivals.  It's interesting t=
o see=20
what dates hvae the most first arrivals (29 April has 8 species, 26 April ha=
s=20
7 species, 6 April has 6 species -- and 2 May has 5 species, among them a=20
crane and 2 kite species!).  This tells us little we didn't know: that the b=
ulk=20
of new arrivals come in April, and that late April and early May are great=20
times for migration.  But it's nice to see the synchronous arrival of Kentuc=
ky=20
Warbler around the state, the same for Chimney Swift, and so forth. =20


MARCH

01 March: American White Pelican (Back Bay NWR; Bob Ake; possibly a winterin=
g=20
bird)
04 March: Pectoral Sandpiper (Rockingham County; Clair Mellinger)
10 March: Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Lake Shenandoah, Rockingham County;=
=20
Ken Ranck)
11 March: Purple Martin (western Charles City County; Dana Bradshaw)
12 March: Blue-winged Teal (Dulles Wetlands, Loudoun County; John Drummond)
13 March: Broad-winged Hawk (east of Danville; Jeff Blalock)
19 March: Royal Tern (Cape Charles Beach; Steve Hairfield, Ned Brinkley)=20
21 March: Yellow-throated Warbler (western Charles City County; Dana Bradsha=
w)
22 March: Barn Swallow (Augusta County; Allen Larner)
22 March: Louisiana Waterthrush (Great Falls NP, Fairfax County; Alex Merrit=
t)
23 March: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Huntley Meadows; Brenda Tekin; and First=20
Landing State Park; Elisa Enders).
23 March: Glossy Ibis (Cape Charles Beach; Ned Brinkley)
23 March: Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Norfolk; David Clark)
25 March: Black-and-white Warbler (Pocahontas State Park, Chesterfield=20
County; Paul Bedell)
26 March: Prairie Warbler (First Landing State Park; Sheila Scoville)
28 March: Caspian Tern (Dyke Marsh, Fairfax County; Rich Rieger)
29 March: Northern Parula (First Landing SP; Sheila Scoville)
30 March: Piping Plover (Fisherman Island NWR; refuge staff)

March: Earliest arrivals in Virginia away from known or likely wintering=20
areas (possibly intrastate migrants)=20

22 March: American Bittern (Huntley Meadows; Ben Jesup)
23 March: King Rail (Huntley Meadows; Brenda Tekin)=20
16 March: House Wren (Manassas; Laura Catterton)
29 March: Common Yellowthroat (Henricus, Richmond; fide Larry Lynch)

APRIL

03 April: Eastern Kingbird* (Cape Charles town; Mary Reid Barrow, Ned=20
Brinkley)
03 April: Whip-poor-will (Dillwyn, Buckingham County; David Spears)
03 April: Swainson's Warbler (Great Dismal Swamp NWR; Bob Ake)
04 April: Ovenbird (Suffolk; Les Willis)
04 April: Worm-eating Warbler* (Lake Albemarle, Albemarle County; Brenda=20
Tekin)
04 April: Black-throated Green Warbler (Breaks Interstate Park; David Raines=
)
06 April: Prothonotary Warbler (Great Dismal Swamp NWR; Kurt and Debbie=20
Schroeder)
06 April: Wood Thrush (Great Dismal Swamp NWR; Kurt and Debbie Schroeder)
06 April: Great Crested Flycatcher+ (Great Dismal Swamp NWR; Brenda Tekin)
06 April: Solitary Sandpiper (Rockingham County; Todd Day, Ken Ranck, Sue=20
Heath, Ian Topolsky)
06 April: Green Heron (Augusta County, Allen and Pat Larner; Fauquier County=
;=20
Ian Topolsky, Todd Day)
06 April: Veery*+ (Great Dismal Swamp NWR; Brenda Tekin)
07 April: Common Tern (CBBT; Brian Taber)
08 April: Orchard Oriole (Cape Charles town; Ned Brinkley)
09 April: Spotted Sandpiper (BayCreek, Cape Charles; Tom Saunders)
12 April: Indigo Bunting (Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR; Bill and Betty Styr=
e)
13 April: Hooded Warbler (CBBT #4; Phil Kenney, Brenda Tekin, Ned Brinkley)
13 April: Red-eyed Vireo (First Landing SP; Sheila Scoville)
13 April: Parasitic Jaeger (CBBT #3; Phil Kenney, Ned Brinkley, et al.)
14 April: Chimney Swift (Oak Grove Lake Park, Chesapeake; David Clark;=20
Suffolk; Les Willis; Cape Charles; Ned Brinkley; Fauquier County, Todd Day)
14 April: Yellow-throated Vireo (western Southampton County; Dana Bradshaw)=
=C2=A0=20
14 April: Northern Waterthrush (Great Dismal Swamp NWR; Bob Ake)
15 April: Yellow Warbler (Grundy; Roger Mayhorn)
15 April: American Redstart (Ivy Creek Natural Area, Charlottesville; Dave=20
White)
15 April: Blackburnian Warbler (Ivy Creek Natural Area, Charlottesville; Dav=
e=20
White)
16 April: Warbling Vireo (Fairfax County; Craig Tumer)
17 April: Eastern Wood-Pewee (Louisa County; Dave White)
17 April: Magnolia Warbler (Louisa County; Dave White)
19 April: Bank Swallow (Fauquier County; Glenn Koppel and Mary Alice Koeneke=
)
19 April: Grasshopper Sparrow (Fauquier County; Todd Day)=20
19 April: Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Prince William County; Kurt Gaskill)
20 April: Blackpoll Warlber+ (Alexandria; Dan Kluza)
20 April: Cerulean Warbler (Madison County; George Harris)
20 April: Yellow-breasted Chat+ (Fauquier County; Todd Day)
21 April, Scarlet Tanager (Buchanan County; Michelle Talbot)
22 April: Least Tern (College Creek Hawkwatch; Bill Williams, Tom Armour,=20
Brian Taber)
22 April: Blue Grosbeak (Chesterfield County; Paul Bedell)
22 April: Black-throated Blue Warbler (Chesterfield County; Paul Bedell)
24 April: Bobolink (Halifax County; Jeff Blalock)
25 April: Blue-winged Warbler (James River Park, Richmond; Larry Lynch)
25 April: Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Chesterfield County, Larry Lynch)
26 April: Common Nighthawk (Botetourt County; Brenda Tekin, Gordy Adamski)
26 April: Philadelphia Vireo* (Frederick County; Jon Little)
26 April: Golden-winged Warbler (Buchanan County; Buchanan County Bird Club,=
=20
Roger Mayhorn et al.)
26 April: Chestnut-sided Warbler (Buchanan County; Buchanan County Bird Club=
,=20
Roger Mayhorn et al.)
26 April: Cape May Warbler (Fairfax County; Linda Millington, Kurt Gaskill)
26 April: Bay-breasted Warbler (Botetourt County; Brenda Tekin, Gordy Adamsk=
i)
26 April: Summer Tanager (Gloucester County; Joyce and Hayes Williams
27 April: Olive-sided Flycatcher (Great Dismal Swamp, Monticello Bird Club,=20
Brenda Tekin)
27 April: Acadian Flycatcher (Great Dismal Swamp; Monticello Bird Club,=20
Brenda Tekin; Fairfax County; Glenn Koppel and Mary Alice Koeneke
27 April: Semipalmated Sandpiper (Northampton County; Mike Iwanik, Vicky=20
Gullet)
29 April: Black-throated Blue Warbler (Fauquier County; Sue Heath, Todd Day)
29 April: Swainson's Thrush (Fairfax County; Ben Jesup)
29 April: Black-necked Stilt (Craney Island; David Clark)
29 April: White-rumped Sandpiper (Craney Island; David Clark)
29 April: Gull-billed Tern (Craney Island; David Clark)
29 April: Tennessee Warbler (Augusta County; John Spahr)
29 April: Canada Warbler (Arlington County; Bev Leeuwenburg)
29 April: West Indian Whistling-Duck (Great Dismal Swamp; Don Schwab)
30 April: Least Flycatcher (Buchanan County; Roger Mayhorn)
30 April: Nashville Warbler (Alexandria; D.W. Holmes)
30 April: Kentucky Warbler (Augusta County; John Spahr; Fauquier County;=20
Laura Catterton; Loudoun County; Mary Alice Koeneke)

MAY

01 May: Least Bittern (Surrey County; Brenda Tekin)
01 May: Semipalmated Plover (Back Bay; Bob Ake) =20
01 May: Upland Sandpiper (Rockingham County; John Irvine)
01 May: Lincoln's Sparrow (Prince William County; Marc Ribaudo)
02 May: White Ibis (Chincoteague NWR; Linda Clougherty et al.)
02 May: Swallow-tailed Kite (Ivy Creek Natural Area, Albemarle County; VSO=20
Weekend; another reported Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR 11 May)
02 May: Mississippi Kite (Observatory Hill, Albemarle County; VSO Weekend)
02 May: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Loudoun County; John Drummond)
02 May: Sandhill Crane (Back Bay; Rob Simpson)=20
03 May: Black Tern (CBBT; Ned Brinkley et al.)
03 May: Gray-cheeked Thrush* (Alexandria; Karen Nyere)
03 May: Mourning Warbler* (Alexandria; Karen Nyere)
03 May: Wilson's Warbler (Prince William County; Kurt Gaskill, Bev=20
Leeuwenburg, Sue Heath)
04 May: White-faced Ibis (Chincoteague NWR, Accomack County; Glenn Koppell=20
and Mary Alice Koeneke)
06 May: Willow Flycatcher (Augusta County; John Spahr)
10 May: Dickcissel (Culpeper County; Steve Rottenborn)
11 May: White-winged Dove (Northampton County; John Getgood)
11 May: Alder Flycatcher (Orange County; George and Rosemary Harris)
12 May: Bicknell's Thrush (Arlington; Bev Leeuwenburg, Jen Foults)
16 May: Anhinga (Stumpy Lake, Virginia Beach; David Clark)
16 May: Red-necked Phalarope (Rappahannock County; Fenton Day)
20 May: Red Knot (Craney Island; David Clark)
30 May: Wilson's Storm-Petrel (CBBT; David Clark)

JUNE

2 June: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (6 birds; M. Stinnes; Chesterfield=20
County)
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