FYI
Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
From: <scordle@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <birdeast@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 4:39 PM
Subject: DC Area, 3/22/05
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 3/22/05
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: Helen Patton
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 $30; Family $40; Nature Steward $60; Audubon
Advocate $100). 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.
Welcome to the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon
Naturalist Society. This tape was made on Tuesday, March 22 at 3:15
pm.
Top birds this week are CALIFORNIA GULL* in VA and COMMON RAVEN* in
MD.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, WILD TURKEY, RED-THROATED
LOON, grebes, shorebirds, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER,
NORTHERN SHRIKE, sparrows, PAINTED BUNTING and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
An adult CALIFORNIA GULL, reported last week on the Potomac River
mudflats of Hunting Creek, Fairfax Co, VA was seen again on March 20.
The viewer was located on the stone bridge of the GW Parkway just
north of the Dyke Marsh picnic area.
A COMMON RAVEN paid a visit to a yard in Waldorf, Charles Co, MD on
March 18. Another COMMON RAVEN was observed soaring over Patapsco
Valley SP, Carroll Co, MD on March 19.
The EURASIAN WIGEON continues to be seen at the Eastern Shore of
Virginia NWR, Northampton Co, VA. HARLEQUIN DUCKS were spotted from
the CBBT on March 17 and 19.
Ninety-two WILD TURKEYS, including a displaying tom, were seen on the
back roads between Blackwater NWR and Elliott Island Road, Dorchester
Co, MD on March 18. An early morning foray at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co,
VA surprised five WILD TURKEYS from their roost on March 20.
Plenty of RED-THROATED LOONS provided "up close and personal" looks
at Kiptopeke SP, Northampton Co, VA on March 16 and 19. A large flock
of 416 RED-THROATED LOONS were in the Potomac River, Charles Co, MD on
March 18. The observer was located on Muses Beach at the end of Rte
624 in Westmoreland Co, VA. Two RED-THROATED LOONS were in the
Nanticoke River at Bivalve, Wicomico Co, MD on March 20.
Two RED-NECKED GREBES were noted at Rocky Point Park, Baltimore Co, MD
on March 16. A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen in the Triadelphia Reservoir
from Greenbridge Road on March 18; another was spotted in from a boat
on the way to Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD and another on Island 3 of
the CBBT on March 19. An EARED GREBE was spotted in the Middle Branch
River from Fort McHenry, Baltimore, MD on March 17.
A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen on Maple Dam/Shorter's Wharf Bridge Roads
between Andrews and Seward in the Blackwater NWR on March 20. A
first-year GOLDEN EAGLE soared over the parking lot at Pickering Creek
Audubon Center, Talbot Co, MD on March 18.
A MERLIN was in a yard at the southeast corner of South 19th St and
South Edgewood Road in Arlington, VA on March 20. It has been there
for the better part of this winter.
A PEREGRINE FALCON was spotted on the ship hulks at Kiptopeke SP on
March 16. Two PEREGRINE FALCONS were on the north side of the Harry
Nice Bridge, Charles Co, MD on March 19. One PEREGRINE FALCON put in
an appearance at Ft. McHenry on March 20.
One hundred plus MARBLED GODWITS were at Willis Wharf, Northampton Co,
VA on March 16. A drawdown of the water level at Centennial Lake,
Howard Co, MD has resulted in the creation of large mudflats, boding
well for shorebird sightings, starting with WILSON'S SNIPE viewed on
March 16 and 19. WILSON'S SNIPE were also noted in many locations
including near the pond on Harrison Road, Fauquier Co, VA, at the
Paint Branch Stream Valley Park, College Park, Prince George's Co, MD,
Cornfield Harbor Road, St. Mary's Co, MD, Blackwater NWR, Elliott
Island Road and Lake Roland, Baltimore Co, MD.
The peenting of AMERICAN WOODCOCK continues to be heard throughout the
region.
A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen hunting at the end of Cornfield Harbor Road
near Point Lookout SP during the week. Two or three SHORT EARED OWLS
were noted on Elliott Island Road on March 18.
Two RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were reported from Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier
Co, VA on March 19. Two RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen at Huntley
Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA on March 21.
The NORTHERN SHRIKE reported last week on Fisherman's Island, Cape
Charles, VA was seen again on March 19 and 20. The NORTHERN SHRIKE
previously spotted at Pickering Creek Audubon Center was seen again on
March 18 and 20. Please observe the No Trespassing signs and stay out
of the private property of the Pickering Creek neighbors. Another
NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen between two ponds along Belle Grove Avenue,
Anne Arundel Co, MD on March 20. See Delorme 58-C2.
Migrating FOX SPARROWS have been sighted throughout the area this
week. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW appeared across the road from Allen's
Fresh, Charles Co, MD on March 19.
The male PAINTED BUNTING continues at the previously reported site in
Chesapeake, VA with a sighting on March 15.
A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was seen at Pickering Creek Audubon Center on March
18. Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA hosted a flock of about 100
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS on March 19 and another flock of 30 on March 21.
Four RUSTY BLACKBIRDS highlighted a trip to Paper Mill Flats,
Baltimore Co, MD on March 21.
See Life Paulagics is running a pelagic trip out of Lewes, DE on April
16. Targets include alcids, Sooty and Manx Shearwater, Northern
Fulmar and Red Phalarope. For more information, contact them at (215)
896-6405 or see their web site at www.paulagics.com.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOSPREY,
VA-Bird, and Delaware Birds list servers.
Claudia Wilds's book, Finding Birds in the National Capital Area, is
an excellent source of directions to many birding sites. And the ANS
Bookstore is an excellent source for this and many other
nature-related titles: 301-652-3606.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. You may also report by calling
301-652-1088 and selecting menu option 2. Please post e-mail reports
before midnight Monday, identify the county and state, and include
your name and a Tuesday morning phone number.
Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
* Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For more information,
visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
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