FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Fw: Greater DC Area, 12/13/05

["Coleman" <jandkcoleman@xxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
Birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 7:13 PM
Subject: DC Area, 12/13/05


Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               12/13/2005
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:           Joe Coleman
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 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday,
December 13.

Top birds this week are *GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE in DC,
*CALIFORNIA GULL in VA, *ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD in VA, *Selasphorus
HUMMINGBIRD in MD, and HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER in MD.

Other birds of interest include EURASIAN WIGEON, GREAT EGRET,
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, MERLIN, PEREGRINE FALCON, gulls including
FRANKLIN'S,  GLAUCOUS and LESSER BLACK-BACKED, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, 
DOVEKIE, RAZORBILL, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, HORNED LARK, 
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, AMERICAN PIPIT, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, PALM WARBLER, 
OVENBIRD, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, DICKCISSEL, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

A *GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen on the river at Anacostia
River Park, DC on Dec 10. After leaving the river it joined a flock of
Canada Geese in the field near the pool and the recreation center. It
was not relocated later in the week.

There was a *CALIFORNIA GULL on the mud at Hunting Creek, Fairfax Co,
VA the evening of Dec 11.

The *Selasphorus HUMMINGBIRD visiting the yard in Cape Charles,
Northampton Co, VA was banded on Dec 11 and is an immature male
*ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD, only Virginia's 2nd record. It can be seen at 9
Randolph Ave. A *Selasphorus HUMMINGBIRD, probably an immature male
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, is visiting a feeder at 9119 Bay Avenue, North
Beach, MD where it can be seen from the road. It was last reported on
Dec 11.

The HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER in Monkton, northern Baltimore Co, MD,
continued to be seen during the past week with the most recent report
on Dec 12. Its location was the North Central Railroad Trail (DeLorme
75 C5); the NCRT parking lot is on the north side of Monkton Rd, a
little east of where it crosses Gunpowder Falls. To look for the bird,
take the trail about half a mile north to a large abandoned stone
building. The bird continues to be seen feeding on the berry trees
north of the building and in the mountain laurel behind and uphill
from the building though it has also been moving around a bit.

A drake EURASIAN WIGEON was at the Eagle's Landing Golf Course,
Worcester Co, MD on Dec 6. The drake EURASIAN WIGEON at the Loch Raven
Reservoir in Baltimore Co, MD continued to be seen this past week with
the latest report from Dec 11. There were also reports of a drake
EURASIAN WIGEON at Beauve Ponds, Abel's Wharf Rd, Leonardtown, St
Mary's Co, MD and another at Accokeek, Prince George's Co., MD, both
on Dec 11 and Dec 12.

A late GREAT EGRET was seen flying overhead at Blue Mash, Montgomery
Co, MD on Dec 11.

A dark phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was flying over the marsh at West Ocean
City, MD on Dec 6 and a light phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen Dec 12
at Beauve Ponds.

MERLINS, once rare in the area during winter, were found in a number
of locations last week including one that was raiding a feeder on Dec
11in NW DC.

A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen at Kenilworth Park, NE DC, on Dec 7 and
again on Dec 11 and12. A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen Dec 11 on the
weekly Dyke Marsh (Fairfax Co, VA) walk.

On Dec 10 a first winter FRANKLIN'S GULL and a GLAUCOUS GULL were seen
at the Salisbury landfill, Wicomico Co, MD along with three
LESSER-BLACK-BACKED GULLS.

A first winter GLAUCOUS GULL and 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen
at the Prince William Co (VA) Landfill on Dec 10. LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULLS were also found at several other locations on Dec 10, including
one on a sandbar in the Anacostia River south of the 11th St Bridge,
SE DC and another at the mouth of the Occoquan River.

Three BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES were observed during the pelagic trip
out of Lewes, DE on Dec 10. Seen on the same pelagic trip were 2
DOVEKIES and 3 RAZORBILLS.

A SHORT-EARED OWL was found on private property northeast of
Winchester in Frederick Co, VA on Dec 10.

Two RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen at the Banshee Reeks Nature
Preserve, Loudoun Co, VA on Dec 10, and as always, they were found, on
the same day, at Sky Meadows State Park, Fauquier Co, VA. Another was
seen at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co, MD on Dec 11.

HORNED LARKS were observed in several locations during the week,
including on Dec 10 at Kenilworth Park, NE DC, and in Fauquier and
Culpeper Counties, VA.

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES continued to be reported from a number of
locations throughout the area, including the National Arboretum, NE
DC, and at a feeder near Lincoln, Loudoun Co, VA on Dec 11.

AMERICAN PIPITS were seen in a number of different locations
throughout the area last week including Kenilworth Park, NE DC on Dec
10 and 11, Hughes Hollow on Dec 11 and Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax
Co, VA on Dec 12.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen on Dec 6 in West Ocean City, MD on
the north side of Old Bridge Rd.

Two PALM WARBLERS were found on a trip to Culpeper Co on Dec 10. They
were along Myers Mill Rd, Rt 623, near its intersection with Springs
Rd, Rt 810. Other PALM WARBLERS were seen in west Ocean City on Dec 6
and in the Nokesville area of Prince William Co, VA on Dec 11.

An OVENBIRD was seen below a feeder at an office building in Suitland,
Prince George's Co, MD, on Dec 9.

A LAPLAND LONGSPUR flew over Kenilworth Park on Dec 10. A LAPLAND
LONGSPUR was included in a mixed flock along Myers Mill Rd in Culpeper
Co on Dec 10 and three SNOW BUNTINGS were also seen nearby on the same
trip. On Dec 11, four LAPLAND LONGSPURS, along with several HORNED
LARKS and a few AMERICAN PIPITS, were found in a field in King William
Co, VA on Powhatan Trail at its intersection with Moscow Creek Ln. A
LAPLAND LONGSPUR was found Dec 11 in a large flock of HORNED LARKS in
a field in Caroline Co, MD along Rt 312 about 1/2 mile north of Sparks
Rd. Two SNOW BUNTINGS and a LAPLAND LONGSPUR were also found in a
field on Sparks Rd. The same day, another LAPLAND LONGSPUR was in with
a flock of HORNED LARKS on Dec 11 northeast of Winchester in Frederick
Co, VA. There were at least 6 SNOW BUNTINGS on Dec 7 in a field in
front of the Rt 309 pond in Queen Anne's Co, MD.

A DICKCISSEL was also found along Myers Rd on the trip to Culpeper Co
on Dec 10.

RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were found in the large impoundment at Hughes Hollow
on Dec 11.

Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOSPREY and
VA-Bird list servers.

Finding Birds in the National Capital Area by Claudia Wilds is an
excellent source of 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 But no photographs, please. 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 either the MD/DC Records Committee
(www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html) or the VA Records Committee
(www.virginiabirds.org).

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