FYI Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
Birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 5:05 PM
Subject: DC Area, 3/14/06
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 3/14/2006
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: 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 $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 Tuesday, March 14, at 5
p.m.
Top birds this week are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in MD, *SNOWY OWL in
VA, and *TOWNSEND'S WARBLER in MD.
Other birds of interest include migration sightings, GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, TRUMPETER SWAN, CACKLING GOOSE, COMMON TEAL,
REDHEAD, GOLDEN EAGLE, falcons, WILSON'S SNIPE, AMERICAN WOODCOCK,
gulls, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, TREE SWALLOW,
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, PINE WARBLER, VESPER SPARROW and RUSTY
BLACKBIRD.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS continue to winter at Blackwater NWR,
Dorchester Co, MD, with 5 birds seen from the Wildlife Drive on March
12.
The SNOWY OWL remains at Dulles Airport, Loudoun Co, VA, with
sightings on March 8, 9 and 11. The bird is being viewed from a public
parking garage on the corner of Aviation Dr and Propeller Ct,
accessible from the Airport Services exit off the Dulles Access Rd.
An adult male TOWNSENDS WARBLER was seen on the C&O canal up from
Sycamore Landing, Montgomery Co, MD at the spot where the turf farm
begins on March 10.
Special sightings of spring migration are occurring in too many places
to name including large skeins of TUNDRA SWANS, CANADA GEESE on the
move, returning OSPREY, singing EASTERN PHOEBES and massive clouds of
blackbirds including RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, COMMON GRACKLES and a
smattering of BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS.
A young GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen at the Chestertown
Treatment Plant, Kent Co, MD on March 12. A neck-collared TRUMPETER
SWAN, banded in Ohio and a part of that reintroduction program was
noticed near Warrenton, Fauquier Co, VA on March 8. On March 10 and
11, CACKLING GEESE were discovered near The Plains, Fauquier Co; they
were on a pond near Harrison Road.
The COMMON TEAL previously reported at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax
Co, VA was seen again on March 11 and 12. A drake REDHEAD was seen at
Violette's Lock, Montgomery Co, MD on March 9. Another REDHEAD was
spotted on the Zion Road pond near Olney, Montgomery Co, on the same
day.
A GOLDEN EAGLE was observed near Langford, Kent Co, on March 12.
A MERLIN was spotted at Centennial Lake, Howard Co, MD on March 9 and
10. A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen at Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co,
MD and another shot over downtown Bethesda, Montgomery Co, on March
13.
Two WILSON'S SNIPE were found at Pickering Creek Audubon Center,
Talbot Co, MD on March 8; at the Dulles Wetlands Mitigation Area,
Loudoun Co, VA and on Kembo Road, Anne Arundel Co, MD on March 11and
at the polo grounds on Hughes Road, Montgomery Co, on March 12. Five
WILSON'S SNIPE were discovered sunning them selves at Schoolhouse
Pond, Prince Georges Co, MD on March 11. The wild area in the shadow
of the S. Capitol St. Bridge hosted a WILSON'S SNIPE on March 12.
Four WILSON'S SNIPE were noted at Hart-Miller Island; another six were
at Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD; and yet another at Huntley Meadows on
March 13. Another SNIPE was seen at the National Arboretum, DC and in
Ashton, Montgomery Co, also on March 13.
AMERICAN WOODCOCK have been displaying at quite a few places including
Julie Metz Wetlands Bank, Prince William Co, VA on March 7 and 11 and
in a yard in Croom, Prince Georges Co, on March 8; in Perryman,
Harford Co, MD and Ferndale, Anne Arundel Co, on March 9; a private
home in Baltimore, MD and on Kinder Road in the southern tip of
Caroline Co, MD on March 10 and at Patterson Park, Baltimore and
Darnestown, Montgomery Co, on March 11. On March 11 and 12, AMERICAN
WOODCOCK put on a show along Sycamore Landing Rd, Montgomery Co. The
Huntley Meadows Woodcock Walk on March 12 noted about 5 non-displaying
birds. The WOODCOCKS are still displaying at UMBC with a sighting on
March 13.
Five LAUGHING GULLS were spotted at the Oxford/Landaff Road
impoundments, Talbot Co, on March 10. A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen at
Sandy Point State Park, Anne Arundel Co, on March 11. A LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL was noted at Anacostia Park, DC on March 9 and 11.
Another LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen at Jug Bay Natural Area
Prince George's Co, on March 11.The previously spotted GLAUCOUS GULL
was seen again at the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD on March 10.
The SHORT-EARED OWLS near Rectortown in northern Fauquier Co have been
observed several times this week. On March 9, there were at least 10
owls in the vicinity.
A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was reported from the National Arboretum, DC
on March 12 and 13. The RED-HEADED WOODPECKER previously reported at
Weinberg Park, Anne Arundel Co, was relocated on March 13. Two more
RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen near Lincoln, western Loudoun Co, on
March 13.
Another welcome sign of spring were the TREE SWALLOWS sighted at
several locations, including Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, DC, Banshee
Reeks Nature Preserve, Loudoun Co, Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William
Co, and Sky Meadows State Park, Fauquier Co, on March 11; Hughes
Hollow, Montgomery Co, and Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, on March 12.
Fifteen TREE SWALLOWS were seen at Great Falls NP, Fairfax Co, on
March 13.
Three BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH were spotted at Eastern Neck NWR, Kent Co,
on March 12
A PINE WARBLER put in an appearance at Monticello Park, Alexandria, VA
on March 9. Several brilliant male PINE WARBLERS were seen on the C&O
canal at Sycamore Landing on March 10. More PINE WARBLERS were noted
at the Julie Metz Mitigation Bank, at Jug Bay Natural Area,
Leesylvania State Park, Prince William Co, VA, and a yard in
Queenstown, Queen Anne's Co, MD on March 11. More PINE WARBLERS were
singing at the National Arboretum, DC, the Manassas Battlefield,
Prince William Co, VA and at Centaur Farm, Talbot Co, on March 12.
Three pairs of PINE WARBLERS were noted in the Liberty Watershed,
Carroll Co, MD on March 13.
A VESPER SPARROW was one of six sparrow species seen at Occoquan Bay
NWR on March 12.
A skulking RUSTY BLACKBIRD was reported from Jug Bay Natural Area on
March 11. Another RUSTY BLACKBIRD was sighted at Sycamore Landing on
the same day. More RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen at Huntley Meadows on
March 13.
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@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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