FYI Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Cordle" <scordle@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <birdeast@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 9:04 PM
Subject: DC Area, 1/31/06
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 1/31/2006
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: Lydia Schindler
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 tape was made Tuesday, Jan 31, at 7 p.m.
Top birds this week are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, RUFF, and RAZORBILL in
MD and *SNOWY OWL, *ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, *PINE GROSBEAK, and RED
CROSSBILL in VA.
Other birds of interest include GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, ROSS'S
GOOSE, EURASIAN TEAL, EURASIAN WIGEON, and other waterfowl, RED-NECKED
GREBE, GREAT CORMORANT, raptors including GOLDEN EAGLE, KING RAIL,
GLAUCOUS and other GULLS, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER,
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, ORANGE-CROWNED, NASHVILLE, and YELLOW-THROATED
WARBLERS, sparrows, and PURPLE FINCHES.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS continue at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD,
with reports of three birds seen again on Jan 27 and 29. The pelicans
favor a mudbar on the Blackwater River towards the end of the Wildlife
Drive.
A RUFF was discovered Jan 29 east of Bestpitch, Dorchester Co, where
it was photographed as it foraged in a flooded field along Griffith
Neck Rd. Attempts to relocate it later that day and the next day were
not successful, but it was back in that same field on Jan 31.
A RAZORBILL was spotted at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD, on Jan
29.
The SNOWY OWL discovered Jan 23 at Dulles Airport, Loudoun Co, VA, was
viewed by many delighted birders, and photographers, throughout the
week. Sometimes the owl has been seen at close-range, sometimes in the
distance; it perches on light poles, signs, and airplane tails. The
best (and safest) viewing is probably from a 3-story public parking
garage on the corner of Aviation Dr and Propeller Ct; this can be
accessed from the Airport Services exit off the Dulles Toll Rd. A
scope is helpful. The Dulles fields also hold SHORT-EARED OWL and
NORTHERN HARRIER.
The *ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in Richmond, VA, was seen again Jan 24
and 27; it frequents the train yard just south of the Richmond
floodwall along the southern bank of the James River.
A PINE GROSBEAK visited a feeder in Hampton, VA, on Jan 27, and made a
split-second reappearance on Jan 29.
RED CROSSBILLS continue in Highland Co, VA, near the Augusta Co line
(DeLorme 65, B 7). Two females were seen during a chilly sunrise Jan
28, again along US Rte 250, just west of the Civil War site known as
the Confederate Breastworks. (This area is at a hairpin turn, but a
wide shoulder on the north side of the road makes it easy to park.)
The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co,
VA, was spotted as recently as Jan 28, asleep amidst CANADA GEESE.
That same morning, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was again present at
Colonial Farm Park in Accokeek, Prince George's Co, MD; on Jan 29, the
goose was in a small fenced field near the park buildings. A GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was photographed Jan 29 in Loudoun Co, VA, and
refound Jan 30; it was at a sod farm near South Riding, by a pond on
Middlesex Drive, just off Pleasant Valley Rd.
On Jan 29, a ROSS'S GOOSE was identified at Blackwater NWR, near the
beginning of the Wildlife Drive.
The drake EURASIAN WIGEON was still at the Eagle's Nest Golf Course
south of Ocean City as of Jan 28. The drake EURASIAN WIGEON at
Horsehead Wetlands Center, Queen Anne's Co, MD, was relocated several
times through Jan 28, but was not found Jan 29. A male EURASIAN WIGEON
at Ridgeway Park, off Rte 258 in Hampton, VA, was reported again Jan
28.
A EURASIAN (COMMON) TEAL was seen off and on at Huntley Meadows
through Jan 30.
On Jan 28, Indian River Inlet, DE, hosted a female COMMON EIDER.
A RED-NECKED GREBE was present at Horsehead on Jan 28 and 29.
A GREAT CORMORANT was noted at the Ocean City Inlet Jan 28 and 29.
BALD EAGLE pairs have been observed sitting at or near their nests at
several locations, including Sycamore Island in the Potomac River,
Montgomery Co, MD; on an island viewable from the towpath upriver from
Violette's Lock, Montgomery Co; and at Scientists Cliffs in Calvert
County, MD.
A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was found during the Harford Co (MD) Mid-winter
Count Jan 28; it was seen from Trappe Church Rd outside of
Churchville, between Rte 136 and E. Nobles Mill Rd. The Frederick Co
Mid-Winter Count turned up a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK between mileposts 43
and 44 on the C&O Canal. A light-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was found Jan
28 in Highland Co, near Snowy Mountain; it perched atop a tree along
Rte 642.
On Jan 28, two GOLDEN EAGLES were again seen near Snowy Mountain; they
were observed from Rte 644.
A MERLIN was found Jan 29 at the Fairlington Community Center,
Arlington Co, VA; it sat in a large oak between the building and the
playground. On Jan 29, a MERLIN perched atop a bare tree at Lake
Fairfax Park; it could be seen by looking east from the bridge at the
lake. On Jan 30, a MERLIN swooped into a yard in Rockville, Montgomery
Co, and took a dove. On Jan 30, an adult MERLIN was in a tree on the
golf course at Algonkian Park in Loudoun Co, VA, where it was visible
from the road.
Near sunset on Jan 27, a PEREGRINE FALCON flew over Rte 110 in
Arlington, then over the Pentagon, heading toward DC. The Ocean City
PEREGRINE was seen on the water tower near the Inlet Jan 29.
A KING RAIL again put in an appearance at Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince
William Co, VA, on Jan 28; it was at the marsh along Charlie Rd.
On Jan 26, a second-year GLAUCOUS GULL was found at Fort McHenry in
Baltimore; on Jan 27, the gull turned up near the Chester Cove marina,
at the east end of Thames St in Fells Point. It was seen there again
Jan 28 and 29.
North East Town Park, Cecil Co, MD, hosted a first-winter ICELAND GULL
and a LESSER-BLACK-BACKED GULL on Jan 25; the ICELAND GULL was still
present Jan 31.
SHORT-EARED OWLS and NORTHERN HARRIERS were found again Jan 27 along
Crenshaw Road (Rte 624) at Rectortown, Fauquier Co, VA, at both dawn
and dusk.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen in Weinberg Park in Pasadena,
northern Anne Arundel Co, MD, on Jan 27 and again Jan 28.
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were briefly heard but not seen Jan 28 in
Calvert Co, MD, near the end of Lloyd Bowen Rd not far from Jefferson
Patterson Park.
An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen Jan 28 on private grounds near
Horsehead. A NASHVILLE WARBLER was seen Jan 25 and 26, and again Jan
28, in Baltimore's Carroll Park; it favored the hollies between the
golf course and the new Gwynn Falls trail.
A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was back at a West Ocean City feeder Jan 28.
The YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER in Indian Head, Charles Co, MD, visits the
feeder daily.
On Jan 28, Occoquan Bay NWR featured 9 species of SPARROW, including
VESPER, SAVANNAH, and FOX. On Jan 29, birders found at least 3
AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS at the Occoquan refuge.
Another bonus from the Frederick Co Mid-Winter count: a flock of 21
PURPLE FINCHES.
See Life Paulagics will be running trips on Feb 25 and 26. The
Saturday trip will be a regular 12-hour offshore pelagic. The Sunday
trip will be an 8-hour inshore trip. For
more details, check their web site at paulagics.com or call
215-234-6805.
Brian Patteson, using his own new boat, the Stormy Petrel, proposes
running two, perhaps three, February pelagic trips (Feb 11 [12] and
Feb 18 [19], perhaps Feb 25 [26]) out of Virginia Beach. For details,
check the website at www.seabirding.com, or phone 252-986-1363 to
express your interest.
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 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@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. 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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