[va-bird] Fw: Greater DC Area, 11/22/2005

FYI
Joe Coleman
----- Original Message ----- Birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 5:22 PM
Subject: DC Area, 11/22/2005


Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               11/22/2005
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:           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, November 22, at 1 p.m.

Top birds this week are BLACK SCOTER in MD and *selasphorus
HUMMINGBIRD, *ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, and WESTERN KINGBIRD in VA, and *CAVE SWALLOW in both MD and VA.

Other birds of interest include GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, ROSS'S
GOOSE, CACKLING GOOSE, TUNDRA SWAN, GADWALL, COMMON EIDER, SURF SCOTER, RED-THROATED and COMMON LOONS, AMERICAN BITTERN, raptors, BONAPARTE'S GULL, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, AMERICAN TREE, LINCOLN'S, and other sparrows, SNOW BUNTING, and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD.

A BLACK SCOTER was found Nov 20 on the Potomac River in Montgomery Co,
MD; it was at the head of the rapids at Violette's Lock. It was not relocated later that day, nor the next morning.

The *selasphorus HUMMINGBIRD in Cape Charles, Northampton Co, VA, was
seen again at the feeders at 9 Randolph Ave on Nov 18 and 19.

An *ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER posed for pictures at the hawk watch
platform at Kiptopeke SP, Northampton Co, on Nov 19, and it was back
again Nov 20.

On Nov 19, a WESTERN KINGBIRD was observed as it flew over the Eastern
Shore of VA NWR, Northampton Co.

*CAVE SWALLOWS were again seen in Northampton Co. Two were spotted Nov
18 on Island #1 of the CBB/T. Seven CAVE SWALLOWS appeared Nov 19 at
Kiptopeke's hawk watch platform.

On Nov 19, two *CAVE SWALLOWS were seen in Talbot Co, MD, on Ferry
Neck near Bellevue.

Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were observed Nov 20 in Queen Anne's
Co, MD; they were in the pond on Rte 309 about 1 mile east of Rte 213,
south of Centreville.

A small flock of ROSS'S GEESE was seen Nov 19 at Chincoteague NWR,
Accomack Co, VA, and 2 were relocated there Nov 20, at Swan Cove.

A group of 4 CACKLING GEESE was reported Nov 19 in Harford Co, MD;
they were at a pond on Harford Creamery Rd. And a CACKLING/RICHARDSON'S GOOSE was found Nov 18 in Garrett Co, MD, at the Trout Run WWTP southeast of Oakland.

Flocks of TUNDRA SWANS, calling as they winged overhead, were enjoyed
at several locations, including Westminster and Eldersburg in Carroll
Co, MD; Gaithersburg, Montgomery Co; and Cape Charles. Two TUNDRA
SWANS were observed on the Potomac at Seneca, Montgomery Co, on Nov
21.

A COMMON EIDER was found by boaters, off Chlora Point in the Choptank
River, Talbot Co, on Nov 20 (DeLorme 42 C1).

Flocks of COMMON LOONS put in an appearance: 18 on Nov 21 at Little
Seneca Reservoir, Montgomery Co; and 29 on Nov 19 at Hart-Miller
Island, Baltimore Co. Hart-Miller also tallied 11 SURF SCOTERS.

At Scientists Cliffs, overlooking the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert Co,
MD, some 45 COMMON LOONS strung out in a southbound line on Nov 20.
Several RED-THROATED LOONS also passed by. And, highly unusual for
that location, was a female GADWALL.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was flushed Nov 17 at Quantico marsh, Prince
William Co, VA.

An immature COOPER'S HAWK visited a yard in Kalorama, NW DC, Nov 18.

An immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was spotted Nov 18 from Haul Road at Dyke
Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA. A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was one of 536 raptors
counted at Kiptopeke on Nov 17.

Two ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were seen Nov 19 in Dorchester Co, MD. One,
south of the main section of Blackwater NWR, favored a snag out in the
open marsh at the end of Cedar Creek Rd (DeLorme 32, C2). With dusk, a
SHORT-EARED OWL also appeared at this location. The second
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was flying over Egypt Rd just north of the refuge.

A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen over the fishing pier at Cape Henlopen SP, DE,
on Nov 18.

On Nov 21, the Turkey Point hawk watch, Cecil Co, MD, hosted two
MERLINS. The two had a brief mid-air encounter. One of the birds, a
likely immature, hung around for hours.

BONAPARTE'S GULLS were plentiful at North East Town Park, Cecil Co, on
Nov 20.

Two RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were a highly unusual find at Potomac
Overlook RP, Arlington, VA, Nov 19. Quite a different story at Sky
Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA, where the resident RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS
were one of 7 species seen Nov 20.

A flock of 52 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES invaded Loch Raven, Baltimore
Co, on Nov 19; they were in the old picnic area, west of the Sheet
area. At least 15 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were found at the Christmas
tree farm area of Cromwell Valley Park on Nov 20.

Both Cromwell Valley and Loch Raven also featured BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEES. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES were likewise reported at feeders
in Harford and Montgomery Cos, MD.

Two straggler BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS were reported, one Nov 19 at Ft
McHenry, Baltimore, and one Nov 20 at Wakefield Park, Annandale, VA.

Four HERMIT THRUSHES--1 singing--were a nice find Nov 20 along the
Hike/Bike trail at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co.

On Nov 20, "sparrows galore"--more than 160, of --were to be found at
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, Loudoun Co, VA; this trove included 10
species, including AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS as well as CHIPPING and FOX.

On Nov 20, Lilypons Water Gardens, Frederick Co, MD, held a LINCOLN'S
SPARROW as well as a late COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was also seen Nov 19 at Hart-Miller.

FOX SPARROWS were noted at several locations, including Black Hill RP,
Montgomery Co, Nov 19, and Huntley Meadows Nov 20.

A SNOW BUNTING was discovered in Garrett Co Nov 18, and relocated Nov
19. It was foraging along Norris Welch Rd, which leads to the Trout
Run WWTP. Twenty-one SNOW BUNTINGS were counted Nov 19 at Hart-Miller.

On Nov 20, a BREWER'S BLACKBIRD was found in a flock of some 3,500
blackbirds in Fauquier Co, VA, east of Harrison Rd, near O'Bannon Rd.

See Life Paulagics is running a trip out of Lewes, DE, on Saturday,
Dec 10, looking for alcids and other winter seabirds. For more
information, call 215-234-6805 or see their web site at paulagics.com.

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@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).

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.

Other related posts: