FYI Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
Birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 5:46 PM
Subject: DC Area, 2/7/06
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 2/7/2006
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, Feb 7, at 5 p.m.
Top birds this week are *PACIFIC LOON in VA, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in
MD, RUFF in MD, possible COMMON MURRE in DE, RAZORBILL in MD, VA, and
DE, and *SNOWY OWL in VA.
Other birds of interest include CACKLING GOOSE, EURASIAN TEAL and
other waterfowl, WILD TURKEY, SOOTY SHEARWATER, GREAT CORMORANT,
raptors, KING RAIL, ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, SHORT-EARED
OWL, woodpeckers, NASHVILLE WARBLER, and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS.
A *PACIFIC LOON was seen at Kerr Reservoir, Mecklenburg Co in far
southern VA, on Feb 4 and relocated, in very windy conditions, on Feb
5. The loon was in the Palmer Point Recreation Area (which can be
reached by taking Rte 4 south past the dam to Palmer Point Rd).
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS continue at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD,
with reports of three birds seen again through Feb 6. The pelicans
favor a mudbar on the Blackwater River towards the end of the Wildlife
Drive.
The RUFF discovered Jan 29 east of Bestpitch, Dorchester Co, was seen
off and on Feb 4, 5, and 6. This bird comes to forage in a flooded
field along Griffith Neck Rd.
An alcid that appeared to be a COMMON MURRE, along with a RAZORBILL,
was observed at Indian River Inlet, DE, on Feb 2. On Feb 3, the Inlet
held 3 RAZORBILLS as well as a HARLEQUIN DUCK. On Feb 5, there was
also a RAZORBILL at Cape Henlopen SP, DE. A RAZORBILL was seen at the
Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD, Feb 4 and 5.
The SNOWY OWL at Dulles Airport, Loudoun Co, VA, was seen again
through Feb 5--but sometimes only after a long vigil, and sometimes as
a "distant ghostlike shape" in the scope. The bird is being viewed
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 CACKLING GOOSE was found at Centennial Park in Columbia, Howard Co,
MD, on Feb 5.
The EURASIAN (COMMON) TEAL at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA,
was reported again Feb 5.
Two small groups of WILD TURKEYS were found Feb 4 in Fort DuPont Park,
SW DC; they were in the Ridge picnic area.
A SOOTY SHEARWATER was discovered Feb 3 at Back Bay NWR in Virginia
Beach. It was scoped as it cruised the waters about 200 meters off the
beach for more than 5 minutes, several times landing in the water.
Two GREAT CORMORANTS were noted at Indian River Inlet on Feb 4.
The MERLIN that frequents the Fairlington Community Center, Arlington
Co, VA, was found again daily through Feb 6, typically in the late
afternoon. It perches in a tall bare oak, and on Feb 5 it shared the
tree with a COOPER'S HAWK.
A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen in downtown Rockville, Montgomery Co, on
Feb 3. That same afternoon two adult PEREGRINES made a few passes over
downtown Bethesda, Montgomery Co. A PEREGRINE again perched on the
railroad bridge parallel to the 14th St bridge over the Potomac, SW
DC, on Feb 5 and 6.
Two KING RAILS were reported from Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William Co,
VA, on Feb 5.
An ICELAND GULL was spotted Feb 2 at Violette's Lock on the C&O Canal,
Montgomery Co; it was on the rocks just below the rapids. An ICELAND
GULL was discovered on the CBB/T, Northampton Co, VA, on Feb 3 and
relocated Feb 4 on, respectively, Islands # 3 and # 2. Also seen from
the CBB/T: HARLEQUIN DUCKS, all 3 SCOTERS, and thousands of
LONG-TAILED DUCKS.
A LESSER-BLACK-BACKED GULL was sighted at East Potomac Park, SW DC, on
Feb 5.
Two SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen Feb 4 near the end of Cedar Creek Rd,
Dorchester Co. On Feb 3, three SHORT-EARED OWLS were reported from
Zion Crossroads, Louisa Co, VA. On Feb 3, a SHORT-EARED OWL was seen
from the parking garage at Dulles Airport.
Birders at the Fran Uhler Natural Area, Prince George's Co, MD,
enjoyed a 7-woodpecker day on Feb 5.
The NASHVILLE WARBLER in Baltimore's Carroll Park was seen again Feb
1, as before in hollies between the golf course and the new Gwynn
Falls trail.
Two BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS, a male and a female, were spotted Feb 4 by
birders scanning for the Dorchester Co Ruff.
See Life Paulagics will be running a regular 12-hour offshore pelagic
on Saturday Feb 25. They need additional signups in order to run the
proposed 8-hour inshore pelagic on Sunday Feb 26. For more details,
check the 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 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)
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
