FYI Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
Birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 4:35 PM
Subject: DC Area, 3/28/06
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 3/28/2006
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: Joe Coleman
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 28, at
4:00 p.m.
Top bird this week is *PACIFIC LOON in VA.
Other birds of interest include ducks, RED-NECKED GREBE, night-herons,
GLOSSY IBIS, raptors, KING RAIL, SORA, shorebirds, gulls and terns,
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, PURPLE MARTINS, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, SEDGE
WREN, warblers, sparrows, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, and PURPLE FINCH.
A *PACIFIC LOON continues at Kerr Reservoir, Mecklenburg Co, in far
southern VA, with sightings from both March 25 and March 27. On the
25th it was in the main part of the lake above the dam and could be
seen from the lookout behind the visitor's center while on the 27th it
was back at Palmer Point.
A EURASIAN TEAL was again spotted at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax
Co, VA, on March 25. Five LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen March 28 at
Riley's Lock, Seneca, Montgomery Co, MD.
A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen March 27 on Lake Orange, Orange Co, VA.
Four BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were seen March 26 in a tree
over-hanging the C&O Canal between Chain Bridge and the DC/MD line.
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS returned on March 25 to Sligo Creek,
Montgomery Co, MD where a pair was observed just upstream of the
tennis courts at Sligo Creek Parkway and Piney Branch Rd. They were
seen again on March 26.
A GLOSSY IBIS was seen at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, NE DC on March
25 and again on March 26.
A KING RAIL was heard at the Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William Co, VA,
on March 26. A SORA was seen from the boardwalk at Huntley Meadows
Park, Fairfax Co, VA on March 26.
On March 25 a female MERLIN was perched at the edge of the soccer
field at Eastern Middle School on University Blvd in Montgomery Co
just inside the Beltway. On March 28 a female MERLIN was seen perched
in a large tree plucking prey in Patterson Park, Baltimore.
Two PEREGRINE FALCONS put on a good show next to the Woodrow Wilson
Bridge on March 26.
PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were spotted in a couple of locations during the
past week with four mixed in with over 50 WILSON'S SNIPE at the Dulles
Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project, Loudoun Co, VA on March 22.
Another PECTORAL SANDPIPER was seen March 27 in one of the
newly-designed Pickering Creek ponds along Presquile Rd, Talbot Co,
MD.
WILSON'S SNIPE appeared to pour into the area last week with numerous
reports of large groups wherever the habitat was suitable. The reports
included small numbers at Huntley Meadows on March 25 and 26 and at
and north of the fish pond at Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA on March
26. There were about 30 at Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD and about 20 at
Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co, MD on March 26.
An ICELAND GULL was spotted on March 26 on the wooden pilings where
Hunting Creek flows into the Potomac River in Fairfax Co.
A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen flying over the Potomac River near
Carderock, Montgomery MD on March 23. On March 24 a LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen at the mouth of the Antietam Creek,
Washington Co, MD. It was relocated a little way downstream of the
mouth of Antietnam Creek on March 25, 26, and 27. A LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL was also reported from Riverbend Park, Fairfax Co,
VA on March 25. Two LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen along the ORV
on Assateague Island National Seashore, Worcester Co, MD on March 26.
Another LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen March 26 from Anacostia Park
SE DC across the river at the marina and there was still another
sighting that same day on the mudflats at Leesylvania SP, Prince
William Co, VA.
A first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL was seen March 25 near the Ocean City
inlet on the boardwalk and again on March 26 on the south jetty.
CASPIAN TERNS returned to the area with reports from Anacostia Park,
SE DC on March 26. A FORSTER'S TERN was hunting the Great Marsh at
Mason Neck NWR, Fairfax Co, VA on March 26.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were reported on March 22 and 23 from the C&O
Canal Park above milepost 24 near Seneca, Montgomery Co, Md. One
continues in a little park area along the Mount Vernon Parkway, across
from Waynewood Blvd, Fairfax Co, VA with sightings on March 25 and
March 26. Three RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen on March 25 along
Ruggles Rd in the Taneytown area of Carroll Co, MD. The ever-present
RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS at Sky Meadows were seen on March 26 though
there only five of them.
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW sightings increased during the week
while the first reports of PURPLE MARTINS occurred. PURPLE MARTINS
were seen in Hamilton, Loudoun Co, VA on March 21 and at Riverbend
Park, Fairfax Co, VA on March 25.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH reports came in from Prince William Forest NP,
VA on March 24, from Fort Ward, Alexandria, VA on March 26 as well as
from several other locations.
A SEDGE WREN was seen March 26 at Occoquan Bay NWR along the short
stretch of trail from the parking lot to Easy Rd.
The NASHVILLE WARBLER along the Gwynns Falls Trail in Carroll Park,
Baltimore City, continues to be seen with reports from March 21 and
March 25. A NORTHERN PARULA was distinctly heard singing March 26 at
the first pull-off on Cockpit Point Rd at Possum Point, Prince William
Co, VA. A BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER continues to visit an Arlington
Co, VA yard where it is "indulging" on mealworms with the latest
report on March 21. PINE WARBLERS appeared to pop up all over with
reports that there were a "lot" at the Prince William Forest NP on
March 24 and again on March 25 when over a dozen were reported there.
Two YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS were reported March 24 from the James
River Park, Richmond, VA.
Two American Tree Sparrows were seen at Occoquan NWR on March 26.
CHIPPING SPARROWS have returned to the area with reports from a feeder
in Elkton, MD on March 24, another at a feeder in southwestern Loudoun
Co on March 25, and still another at a feeder in Orange, VA on March
27. A VESPER SPARROW was seen March 27 along Bloomsbury Rd near the
airport in Orange Co, VA. Small and large flocks of FOX SPARROWS were
noted throughout the area last week.
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS continued to move through the area last week with
reports of three at the Howard County, MD, Centennial Park on March
24, about 50 at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, NE DC, on March 25 and a
"few" there on March 26. They were also heard at Occoquan NWR on
March 26.
PURPLE FINCHES were seen in large numbers throughout the area last
week with over 100 in one yard in Culpeper Co, VA on March 21.
See Life Paulagics is running a trip on April 1 out of Lewes, DE. For
further information, contact them at 215-234-6805 or visit their web
site at paulagics.com.
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 big photo files, 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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