The following (after the introductory two paragraphs of boilerplate) is this
week's Rare Bird Alert for the Greater Washington Area. What a great week
of birding!
Enjoy, Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
From: <scordle@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <birdeast@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 3:22 PM
Subject: DC Area, 11/30/04
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 11/30/04
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 $30; Family $40; Nature Steward $60; Audubon
Advocate $100). 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, Nov 30, at noon.
Top birds this week are *KELP GULL, *RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, and *CALLIOPE
HUMMINGBIRD in MD; CALIFORNIA GULL, BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD,
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, and MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD in VA; and *CAVE
SWALLOW in both MD and VA.
Other birds of interest include RED-THROATED LOON, RED-NECKED and
EARED GREBES, pelagic birds, waterfowl, raptors including NORTHERN
GOSHAWK,VIRGINIA RAIL, SANDHILL CRANE, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, SNOWY
OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, HORNED LARK, nuthatches, AMERICAN PIPIT,
warblers, sparrows, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, and BREWER'S
BLACKBIRD.
Maryland's *KELP GULL was again in place behind the Sea Breeze Crab
House, Sandgates, St. Mary's Co, on Nov 27.
An adult CALIFORNIA GULL was discovered at the Neabsco Creek mudflats,
Prince William Co, VA, on the morning of Nov 26.
A *RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD is frequenting feeders in Baltimore Co, just
north of the city line. It is a female, banded on Nov 28, and was
still present Nov 29. (To make an appointment to see this bird,
contact yeiche@xxxxxxxxxxx)
A *CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD continues to fuel up at feeders on private
property near Bowie in Prince George's Co, MD. The most recent report
is from Nov 29.
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD showed up Nov 28 at a yard in Cape Charles,
Northampton Co, VA, and was back again the next day. (The feeders can
be observed from the porch at 9 Randolph Ave; from Rte 13, turn at the
stoplight onto Rte 184 and proceed to the last block.)
A likely ASH-TROATED FLYCATCHER was seen Nov 23 at Island #4 of the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, Northampton Co.
The metro area witnessed an amazing influx of far-off-course CAVE
SWALLOWS this week. On Nov 26, 2 CAVE SWALLOWS showed up at the bridge
on Lilypons Rd, southern Frederick Co, MD, and delighted birders
throughout the morning. Near sunset on Nov 27, 4 CAVE SWALLOWS were
sighted near the Rte 121 bridge at Little Seneca Lake (Black Hill RP),
Montgomery Co, MD. They were present again the next morning until
about 9 am. On Nov 27, a single low-flying CAVE SWALLOW soared for
about a minute over the boardwalk at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co,
VA.
Somewhat further afield, some 30 to 40 CAVE SWALLOWS have been
visiting Northampton Co, in the vicinity of the Eastern Shore of VA
NWR and Kiptopeke SP, through at least Nov 28.
A male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD also enlivened the ESV NWR. It was discovered
on the afternoon of Nov 27, and it was seen again the next morning, in
fields along Rte 600, near a lane called Dixon Dr about a quarter mile
north of the refuge.
The RED-THROATED LOON at Black Hill RP was last reported Nov 26,
across the lake from the parking lot below the Visitor Center.
An EARED GREBE was discovered at Black Hill Nov 26; this elusive bird,
which has been observed both near the pontoon boat dock below the
Visitor Center and from the parking lot near the bridge on Rte 121,
was most recently reported Nov 29.
The Nov 28 ANS trip to Dorchester Co, MD, found RED-THROATED LOON and
RED-NECKED GREBE on the Choptank River at Cambridge, as well as SURF
and BLACK SCOTERS. Two PEREGRINE FALCONS were busily interacting in
the vicinity of the Cambridge radio tower.
A Nov 27 fishing trip out of Rudee Inlet, Virginia Beach, yielded a
fine selection of pelagic species, including GREATER and MANX
SHEARWATERS (47 of the latter), some 25 RED PHALAROPES, POMERINE and
PARASITIC JAEGERS, a perfectly plumaged juvenile THAYER'S GULL, 92
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, and a dozen RAZORBILLS.
A RICHARDSON'S CACKLING GOOSE was again seen Nov 25 in southern Cecil
Co, MD, on Crystal Beach Rd outside Ceciltown. Two RICHARDSON'S
CACKLING GEESE were still at Rocky Gap SP, Allegany Co, MD, Nov 29.
And a RICHARDSON'S CACKLING GOOSE was present Nov 28 at Hart-Miller
Island, Baltimore Co.
More than 150 TUNDRA SWANS flew over Jug Bay, Prince George's Co, Nov
24.
The day after Thanksgiving, visitors to the World War II Memorial, NE
DC, were treated to a spectacular display by a BALD EAGLE, which
soared for more than 20 minutes over Constitution Gardens and the
Memorial itself.
On Nov 28, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was observed as it pursued pigeons over
the Home Depot parking lot in Falls Church, Fairfax Co.
Hawk watchers at Snicker's Gap, on the Clarke/Loudon Co (VA) line,
tallied 3 GOLDEN EAGLES on Nov 25 and the second ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK of
the season on Nov 29.
On Thanksgiving morning, a MERLIN visited a yard in Vienna, Fairfax
Co. A PEREGRINE FALCON flashed past Bladensburg Water Park, Prince
George's Co, on Nov 27.
A VIRGINIA RAIL was vocalizing at Lilypons Water Gardens on Nov 27.
A juvenile SANDHILL CRANE was discovered Nov 25 just south of
Poolesville, Montgomery Co. Through at least Nov 28, the bird has been
foraging in a winter wheat field on the east side of West Willard Rd,
just north of the Poolesville Public Golf Course.
A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was discovered Nov 27 at the Frederick Co
landfill on Reich's Ford Rd. (Exit 55 from I-70, then Reich's Ford Rd
south).
On Nov 27 a SNOWY OWL was observed in Calvert Co, MD; it perched on a
mailbox along Holland Cliff Rd, west of Huntington.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue to frequent Huntley Meadows Park,
Fairfax Co; three were there Nov 27. An immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
is a daily visitor to a peanut feeder in a yard that backs to Bel Pre
Creek in Montgomery Co.
A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH visited an Alexandria, VA, yard Nov 27. Half a
dozen BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were on view Nov 28 at Blackwater NWR,
Dorchester Co.
Not all the warblers you see are Yellow-rumps. A late BLACKPOLL
WARBLER showed up at the Eastern Shore of VA NWR Nov 23, while a
PRAIRIE WARBLER brightened Gordon's Pond in DE Nov 27. On Nov 27, Dyke
Marsh, Fairfax Co, showcased an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER as well as a
male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. And on Nov 28, one ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
was found along Oak Grove Rd in DE, about 1.5 miles north of DE 20,
while another was observed in the vicinity of the impoundments along
DE Rte 9, north of Woodland Beach.
AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS have arrived at Lilypons, with reports from Nov
27 and 29. AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was also discovered on the Nov 27
walk at the Blue Ridge Center in northwestern Loudoun Co. FOX SPARROWS
were in evidence at Lilypons, Black Hill, and Dyke Marsh, where 5 were
found on Nov 23.
Three or four LAPLAND LONGSPURS and 2 AMERICAN PIPITS were picked out
of a large flock of HORNED LARKS on Lilypons Rd Nov 27. On Nov 24, 2
LAPLAND LONGSPURS had been found along nearby Oland Rd.
A SNOW BUNTING was found at Rocky Gap SP, Allegany Co, MD, Nov 24. A
SNOW BUNTING was again found in southern Cecil Co, MD (along New Cut
Rd outside Ceciltown), Nov 25. Some 38 SNOW BUNTINGS were counted at
Hart-Miller Nov 28.
Approximately 20 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS were located Nov 26 in the
Nokesville area of Prince William Co; the flock was in a cow pasture
off Fleetwood Rd, next to Asbury Church. Four BREWER'S were there Nov
27, with a flock of 130 AMERICAN PIPITS nearby.
Those of you lucky enough to host a winter hummingbird are asked to
contact hummingbird bander Mary Gustafson at live4birds@xxxxxxx. Mary
is working to document winter hummingbirds in the east.
A Dec 11 pelagic trip out of Lewes, DE, has fewer than 10 spaces
remaining. For more information, contact See Life Paulagics at
215-234-6805 or check their web site at www.paulagics.com.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOSPREY,
VA-Bird, and Delaware Birds list servers.
Claudia Wilds's book, Finding Birds in the National Capital Area, is
an excellent source of directions to many birding sites. And the ANS
Bookstore is an excellent source for this and many other
nature-related titles: 301-652-3606.
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 e-mail reports
before midnight Monday, identify the county and state, and include
your name and a Tuesday morning phone number.
Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
* Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For more information,
visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
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