FYI
Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 3/27/2007
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 at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday,
March 27.
Birds of interest this week include ducks, NORTHERN BOBWHITE,
RED-NECKED GREBE, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN BITTERN,
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, GLOSSY IBIS, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN
EAGLE, falcons, COMMON MOORHEN, PIPING PLOVER, LITTLE GULL, LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL, terns, NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE,
BLUE-HEADED VIREO, warblers, VESPER SPARROW, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, RUSTY
BLACKBIRD, and PURPLE FINCH.
A flock of 16 GREATER SCAUP and 10 LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen March
24 at Greenbrier, Washington Co, MD. Other LONG-TAILED DUCK sightings
the same day included 13 from the boardwalk at the Kenilworth Aquatic
Gardens, NE DC, and 18 on Beaverdam Reservoir, Loudoun Co, VA.
On March 24, 3 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen near the mouth of the
Anacostia River, SE DC.
A single NORTHERN BOBWHITE was observed during a birding trip in Queen
Anne's Co, MD on March 24.
RED-NECKED GREBES were seen in a number of locations. The sightings
included one at MacMillan Reservoir, NW DC on the 21st and another
seen from the marina platform at Belmont Bay, Prince Wm Co, VA, on
March 24. There were also four seen at Occoquan Bay NWR on March 24
and four at Burke Lake Park, Fairfax Co, VA on March 25. On March 26
a RED-NECKED GREBE was seen, for the second week in a row, on the
Potomac River just south of the Riverbend Park Visitors Center,
Fairfax Co, VA.
Ten AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were again observed at Blackwater NWR,
Dorchester Co, MD, this time on March 24.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was sighted at Back Bay NWR, Virginia Beach, VA,
on March 22. On March 24 there was one along Beach Dr in Montgomery
Co, MD and on March 26, two AMERICAN BITTERNS were seen during the
regular weekly walk at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA.
The YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS have returned to their roost sites
along Sligo Creek Parkway in Silver Spring, Montgomery Co, MD with a
report of 4 birds on March 22.
A GLOSSY IBIS was seen March 23 from the road at Swan Harbor Farms in
Harford Co, MD.
A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen March 24 along Reservoir Rd, Loudoun Co,
VA.
Two GOLDEN EAGLES, one a sub-adult, were seen from the Dan's Rock
overlook, Allegany Co, MD on March 25.
MERLINS continue to be sighted in the area with reports on March 20 of
two on Lake Roland, Baltimore Co, MD, on March 21 of one racing up
Rhode Island Ave in NW Wash, DC, and on March 23 there was one in
Falls Church, VA.
Several PEREGRINE FALCONS were observed last week with sightings in
the Swoope area of Augusta Co, VA on March 20 and another in
Randallstown, Baltimore Co, MD on March 22.
The COMMON MOORHEN was again seen during the Fort Smallwood Park hawk
watch, Anne Arundel Co, MD on March 26.
A survey of the beach at Back Bay NWR on March 22 found 7 PIPING
PLOVERS.
A LITTLE GULL was see and photographed on the Potomac River between
Violette's Lock and Seneca in Montgomery Co, MD on March 24. On March
26 a LITTLE GULL was located on Back River behind Royal Farms in
Baltimore Co, MD.
A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was observed March 24 from Hains Point, SW
DC.
A CASPIAN TERN was reported from Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA on both
March 24 and March 25. There was also one at Roaches Run, Arlington
Co, VA on March 24 and another at Centennial Park, Howard Co, MD on
March 26.
Two FORSTER'S TERNS were seen at Neabsco Creek and Julie Metz, Prince
William Co, VA on March 24.
The call of a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL in Highland Co, VA, kept a birder
awake the night of March 20.
The LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE in the Swoope area of Augusta Co, VA was seen
again on March 20. A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was seen in its usual location
at Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA on March 24 and March 25. Two
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were found in the same area in Clarke Co, VA on
March 25.
A first-of-the-year BLUE-HEADED VIREO was seen in Howard Co, MD on
March 23.
There were several sightings of YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS throughout
the area this past week.
A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER was reported from the Great Dismal Swamp,
Suffolk Co, VA on March 21.
Two VESPER SPARROWS were seen March 23 at Bles Park, Loudoun Co, VA;
VESPER SPARROWS were also found at Sky Meadows SP on March 24 and 25.
An EASTERN MEADOWLARK that was first heard and then seen at National
Airport from Gravelly Point, Arlington Co, VA on March 23 and 24 is a
highly unusual sighting for that area.
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen throughout the area this past week with as
many as 300 in the Great Dismal Swamp on the 21st, and as few as four
along the C&O Canal upstream from the Pennyfield Lock, Montgomery Co,
MD on the 25th.
On March 25 a single PURPLE FINCH visited a yard in Columbia, MD.
Another PURPLE FINCH was seen in a yard in Orange Co, VA on March 26.
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 for 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. 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 the record committee.
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