For your information.
Good birding, Joe
----- Original Message -----
From: <scordle@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <birdeast@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 3:06 PM
Subject: DC Area, 12/28/04
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/28/04
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, Dec 28, at 1 p.m.
Top birds this week are *MEW GULL in MD, SNOWY OWL in DE, *SELASPHORUS
HUMMINGBIRD in DC, *NORTHERN SHRIKE in MD, and LECONTE'S SPARROW in
VA.
Other birds of interest include EARED GREBE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED and
other GEESE, ducks, raptors including NORTHERN GOSHAWK, SANDHILL
CRANE, gulls, SHORT-EARED OWL, COMMON RAVEN, HORNED LARK, warblers,
AMERICAN TREE and FOX SPARROWS, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, and PURPLE FINCH.
On Dec 24, a winter adult *MEW GULL was found at Schoolhouse Pond,
Upper Marlboro, Prince George's Co, MD. It was reported again on the
morning of Dec 26. The gull flocks at Schoolhouse Pond have also held,
at various times this week, LAUGHING, LESSER BLACK-BACKED, adult
GLAUCOUS, and adult ICELAND GULLS, as well as a first-winter bird that
could be either a THAYER'S or a dark KUMLIEN'S GULL.
A SNOWY OWL was discovered during the Bombay Hook CBC Dec 26, along
Port Mahon Rd, DE; initially it perched on a post adjacent to the
fishing pier, where it was harassed by a SHORT-EARED OWL and a
NORTHERN HARRIER. On Dec 27, this SNOWY OWL was sighted from the
observation tower, in the salt marsh, as it was dive-bombed by at
least 4 SHORT-EARED OWLS.
The female RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD at the Smithsonian's Ripley
Garden (between the Arts and Industries building and the Hirschhorn),
SW DC--now provisioned with two feeders and heat lamp--has been
undeterred by frigid temperatures through the morning of Dec 28.
A NORTHERN SHRIKE was discovered on a Dec 27 Christmas Count in
Washington Co, MD, southwest of Hagerstown. The shrike was in an
overgrown field on Shaffer Rd 1.2 miles from the T-intersection with
Dam #4 Rd, south of Downsville (DeLorme 71, C4).
A LECONTE'S SPARROW on VA's Northern Neck was found yet again on Dec
21. It was at the Wilna unit of Rappahannock River Valley NWR, near
Warsaw, Richmond Co.
The EARED GREBE on Little Seneca Lake, Black Hill RP, Montgomery Co,
MD, was spotted around 4 p.m. on Dec 27, in front of the parking area
at the Rte 121 bridge.
On Dec 28 a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was discovered on the
Anacostia River, SE DC. It was seen from the stretch of Anacostia Park
between the Pennsylvania Ave bridge and the I-295 bridge.
A SNOW GOOSE paid an unusual visit to DC this week; on Dec 24 it was
resting with gulls at Hains Point in East Potomac Park, while on Dec
25 it fed on lawns across the Washington Channel at Ft. McNair. On Dec
26, a SNOW GOOSE was spotted in Springfield, Fairfax Co; it was on the
grounds of an elementary school across from Springfield Mall, just
left of the parking lot for Bertucci's restaurant.
One, probably two CACKLING GEESE were observed Dec 25 in SW DC, from
Ohio Drive near the FDR Memorial, as they swam in the Potomac.
CACKLING GEESE were still present in eastern Montgomery Co, MD, as of
Dec 25; three were seen along Zion Rd just short of its intersection
with Gregg Rd. Two CACKLING GEESE were reported from Rocky Gap SP,
Allegany Co, MD, Dec 24.
The Bombay Hook CBC turned up EURASIAN WIGEON and REDHEAD at Kitt's
Hummock, SURF SCOTER at Little Creek WMA, and an immature NORTHERN
GOSHAWK at the juncture of Raymond Pool and Shearness Pool.
Two KING EIDERS were present at the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co,
MD, on Dec 26, as were all three SCOTERS.
A female LONG-TAILED DUCK was seen Dec 21 at Lake Braddock in
Annandale, VA. Three COMMON MERGANSERS were reported from the Tidal
Basin, SW DC, Dec 24, where, on Dec 25, they were joined by 2 HOODED
MERGANSERS.
The raptor show continues at Hains Point, with a Dec 24 report of 5 or
6 MERLINS, an adult BALD EAGLE, and a pair of PEREGRINE FALCONS on the
railroad bridge over the Potomac. On Dec 25, a BALD EAGLE perched
across the way at the Army War College. On Dec 28, Hains Point hosted
an immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK.
BALD EAGLES were present throughout the week at Black Hill RP. Two
BALD EAGLES were spotted in Crystal City, Arlington, VA, Dec 21 and
22.
A male NORTHERN HARRIER was found at Riverside Park, Loudoun Co, VA,
Dec 25. At least 3 NORTHERN HARRIERS were noted during the Central
Loudoun CBC Dec 26--as were a dozen COMMON RAVENS.
Montgomery Co's SANDHILL CRANE was found Dec 26 in the town of
Poolesville, feeding in the yard of a townhouse on Wooton Ave near
Hoskinson. Two SANDHILL CRANES were observed Dec 21 near Joppatowne,
Harford Co, MD, flying low toward the Little Gunpowder River.
A first-year WILSON'S WARBLER pished up at the Patuxent River Naval
Air Station Dec 27, near the entrance to Goose Creek. A COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT was found Dec 26 at Southwest Area Park, Baltimore City.
A LARK SPARROW showed up to feed during a snowstorm in Chesapeake, VA,
on Dec 26.
On Dec 22, Blue Mash Nature Trail, Montgomery Co, showcased at least a
dozen AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and 10 FOX SPARROWS, as well as a pair of
PURPLE FINCHES.
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was traveling with a flock of HORNED LARKS Dec 22
in Caroline Co, MD; the flock was on Sparks Rd north of Ridgely.
Christmas Counts continue through Jan 2, in your neighborhood and
throughout the area. To find out where and how you can participate,
check AudubonNaturalist.org or the ANS Naturalist News.
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.
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 a Happy New Year with lots of GOOD BIRDING.
* Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For more information,
visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
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