FYI Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
From: <scordle@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <birdeast@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 5:31 PM
Subject: DC Area, 9/14/04
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 9/14/04
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, Sept 14, at 5 p.m.
Top birds this week are *AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN and *KELP GULL in MD
and *SOOTY TERN in both MD and VA.
Other birds of interest include LEAST BITTERN, WHITE IBIS,
BROAD-WINGED HAWK, SORA, shorebirds including RED and RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, and WHIMBREL, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO,
COMMON NIGHTHAWK, CHIMNEY SWIFT, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, BANK SWALLOW,
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, CONNECTICUT WARBLER,
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK.
An *AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen at Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD,
on Sept 10 and 11, along with 7 HUDSONIAN GODWITS and 3 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES.
The *KELP GULL was observed Sept 11, as usual behind the Sea Breeze
Crab House in Sandgates, St. Mary's Co, MD.
MDOsprey relayed a Sept 9 report of a subadult *SOOTY TERN on
Assateague Island, Worcester Co, MD.
A SOOTY TERN was seen in far southwestern VA Sept 9 and again Sept 11.
The bird was flying over South Holston Lake in Washington Co on the
VA/TN line. [For directions, consult VA-BIRD.]
The ANS drift boat trip at Patuxent River Park, Prince George's Co,
MD, Sept 11 turned up LEAST BITTERN and 7 SORAS.
An immature WHITE IBIS was discovered at Blue Mash Nature Trail,
northeastern Montgomery Co, MD, Sept 12, and seen again Sept 13. Along
with a GREAT EGRET, it was in one or another of two ponds accessed
from the gravel path leading from the parking lot on Zion Rd (north of
Rte 108 in Olney).
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS made a good push through the area. The Snickers Gap
hawk watch on the Clarke/Loudoun Co (VA) line registered 113
BROAD-WINGS on Sept 11 and 111 on Sept 13.
Sod farm fields in Culpeper Co, VA, near Remington, held AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, UPLAND and BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS,
and WILSON'S PHALAROPE on various occasions this week. This area is
best viewed from Rte 673 about a mile north/east of Rte 674, but take
caution parking along this narrow, winding roadway. Northwest of
Remington, in Fauquier Co, on Sept 13, BUFF-BREASTEDS could be seen
close up along a road on the west side of Rte 658, a half-mile north
of Rte 651.
On the evening of Sept 11, the Kettle Wind Sod Farm, Prince William
Co, VA, featured 10 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS and a flock of 7
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS. The birds can be scoped from Split Oak Lane;
be sure not to enter the farm property.
In Frederick Co, MD, the east pond at the Mason-Dixon Farm near
Emmitsburg held 2 STILT SANDPIPERS Sept 10. In Carroll Co, MD, there
were 4 STILT SANDPIPERS at a pond behind the New Windsor Middle School
Sept 11.
A BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, along with 15 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and
peeps, were seen Sept 9 at the Patton Turf Farm, south of White's
Ferry in western Montgomery Co.
A Sept 8 ANS trip to Patuxent River NAS, St. Mary's Co, enjoyed
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, 2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, and 16 UPLAND
SANDPIPERS.
On MD's Eastern Shore, in Caroline Co, a field on Dean Rd hosted
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER Sept 9. These same
two species were also in evidence Sept 10 on Stevenson Rd, between
Sparks and Ninetown Rds. On Sept 13, 4 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were
at the Ridgely WWTP.
A little further east, in DE, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER enlivened potato fields along Rte 9 south of the entrance to
Bombay Hook NWR, and along Rte 8 near Little Creek Wildlife Area.
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was also seen at the Aldino Sod Farm in Harford
Co.
On Sept 9, a group of about 15 PHALAROPES--most RED-NECKED but some
appearing to be RED PHALAROPES--plunged from the sky near the Potomac
River at Little Falls, Montgomery Co, and raced downriver. On Sept 11,
a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was reported above the rapids at Violette's
Lock.
A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was spotted at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Anne
Arundel Co, MD, Sept 9. That same day 6 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were
swimming in the south impoundment at Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA.
On Sept 13, Craney Island held 22 species of shorebird, including
HUDSONIAN GODWIT.
On Sept 10, 11, and 12, the DE shore featured at least 26 species of
shorebird, including HUDSONIAN GODWIT and WILSON'S PHALAROPE at Bombay
Hook's Raymond Pool--as well as some 1,180 AMERICAN AVOCETS. RED KNOTS
and a WHIMBREL were found at the beach at Ted Harvey Conservation
Area, and SANDERLING and RUDDY TURNSTONE at Port Mahon Rd.
COMMON NIGHTHAWK migration appears to be winding down. Small numbers
were sighted at various locations.
CHIMNEY SWIFTS, though, are gathering momentum. About 500 are roosting
in a chimney above the Metro bus garage in NW DC. The garage is just
inside the District line in the block formed by Wisconsin Ave, Jenifer
St, 44th St, and Harrison St.
In Baltimore City, the Hampden chimneys host one the largest roosts in
the nation. [For directions, check the Sept 19 listing at
www.baltimorebirdclub.org/schedule.html.]
In Fairfax Co, VA, CHIMNEY SWIFTS are roosting at the Oakton
Elementary School. Yet another roost is located at the Luther Jackson
Middle School, near the intersection of Arlington Blvd (Rte 50) and
Gallows Rd.
Reports of OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS came from Manassas National
Battlefield Park, Prince William Co, Sept 11 and 12; the Visitor
Center area at Seneca Creek SP, Montgomery Co, Sept 12; and the
entrance to Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore City, Sept 12.
On Sept 12, the Harvey's Knob hawk watch on the Blue Ridge Parkway
near Roanoke, VA, tallied 23 flyover RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS.
A BANK SWALLOW was reported at the Magnolia Collection of the National
Arboretum, NE DC, Sept 11.
One sign of fall was the arrival of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS. Another was
the arrival of WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, noted Sept 11 and 14 at Fort
CF Smith Park, Arlington, VA.
Migrant warblers continue to flit through Rock Creek Park in DC and in
MD; Riverbend Bark, Fairfax Co; Turkey Point SP, Cecil Co; and
Terrapin Point Park on Kent Island, Anne Arundel Co.
A CONNECTICUT WARBLER showed up in Ashburn, Loudoun Co, on the morning
of Sept 12.
A flock of at least 6 first-winter ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS flew
conspicuously around Rock Creek Park's maintenance yard Sept 11 and
12.
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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