FYI Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
Birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 7:32 PM
Subject: DC Area, 10/25/2005
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 10/25/2005
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 $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 tape was made Tuesday, October 25, at 7 p.m.
Top birds this week are SWAINSON'S HAWK in VA and *GRAY KINGBIRD in
MD.
Other birds of interest include CACKLING GOOSE, REDHEAD, RING-NECKED
PHEASANT, EARED GREBE, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN BITTERN,
raptors including NORTHERN GOSHAWK and GOLDEN EAGLE, shorebirds,
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, COMMON RAVEN, SEDGE
WREN, kinglets, thrushes, CATBIRD, ORANGE-CROWNED and other WARBLERS,
SPARROWS including CLAY-COLORED, VESPER, and NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED,
DICKCISSEL, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, PURPLE FINCH, and PINE SISKIN.
On Oct 19, a hatching-year SWAINSON'S HAWK appeared low above the hawk
watch at Kiptopeke SP, Northampton Co, VA. It then circled south--but
not before yielding some "excellent" video.
A *GRAY KINGBIRD was discovered Oct 19 in Worcester Co, MD, and was
seen again repeatedly until Oct 24. This bird, only the sixth state
record, was near the end of George's Island Landing Rd (DeLorme 27
B4), where it foraged from wires, working its way from wires at the
marsh to wires near the landing. On Oct 24, it did not show up until
mid-day, when it sat on the wires for about 20 minutes before
disappearing into a tangle of Virginia creeper on the south side of
the road. (Park at the lot at the boat ramp, just 100 yards further
down the road.)
A CACKLING GOOSE was reported Oct 22 at Burke Lake Park, Fairfax Co,
VA. It was in a flock of Canadas just off the marina.
A REDHEAD was found Oct 18 at Centennial Park, Howard Co, MD, and it
was seen as recently as Oct 25.
A RING-NECKED PHEASANT was spotted Oct 18 at the Wye Research Center
near Queenstown, Queen Anne's Co, MD.
An EARED GREBE was present Oct 20 in the Patuxent River near King's
Landing Park west of Huntingtown, Calvert Co, MD. It was actively
feeding about 100 yards north of the park fishing pier. (The park is
open 8:30 am-4:30 pm weekdays and until 6:00 pm on weekends.) An EARED
GREBE at Craney Island, Portsmouth VA, was seen as recently as Oct 24,
when it was in the middle cell, at the western portion.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were noted this week off South Point, in
southern Worcester Co (DeLorme 35 D5). Five were reported Oct 19;
three were seen Oct 23 off Newport Bay Drive.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was observed flying up out of the marsh at
Woodland Beach WA, DE, on Oct 20; it flew across Rte 9 and into the
phragmites at the edge of Taylor's Gut.
The Kiptopeke hawk watch had yet another banner day Oct 20, when it
tallied more than 1100 raptors, including 432 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 161
COOPER'S, 134 AMERICAN KESTRELS, and 142 MERLINS, as well as a dozen
PEREGRINE FALCONS.
On Oct 22, Kiptopeke registered a GOLDEN EAGLE and a NORTHERN GOSHAWK.
On Oct 23, the hawk watch at Harvey's Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway
in VA had its second GOLDEN EAGLE of the season, an immature. Also on
Oct 23, an adult GOLDEN EAGLE was spotted over Prime Hook NWR, DE.
On Oct 20, a commuter on I-495 observed a PEREGRINE FALCON as it flew
over the Wilson Bridge and into VA.
The hawk watch at Turkey Point in Cecil Co, MD, had a total of 143
raptors Oct 24, led by 68 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS.
On Oct 20, Bombay Hook NWR hosted a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, 2 MARBLED
GODWITS, and 19 HUDSONIAN GODWITS.
On Oct 18, a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD was photographed in Charles Co,
MD. A female RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD was reported from a yard in
Arlington, VA, on Oct 23.
A hummingbird feeder is once again in place in the Smithsonian's
Ripley Garden (on the Mall between the Arts and Industries Building
and the Hirshhorn Museum), in hopes of attracting wintering hummers.
A NoVA Bird Club trip to Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA, on Oct 19
found 15 of the park's "trademark" RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS. They also
saw 3 COMMON RAVENS and 8 species of sparrow, including VESPER and
LINCOLN'S.
A COMMON RAVEN was seen in Prince William Co, VA, over Linton Hall Rd,
on Oct 18, and a COMMON RAVEN flew over Riverbend Park on Oct 19.
A "very cooperative" SEDGE WREN was noted Oct 23 at the private North
Fork wetlands, Prince William Co. The area also held VESPER SPARROW,
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, and LINCOLN'S SPARROW.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were seen and heard at several locations.
This week saw a continuing fallout of passerines along the coast,
which had observers on the Eastern Shore of VA and MD and in DE
reaching for terms like "avalanche" and "invasion" and "seething
masses": flickers, kinglets, swallows, thrushes, warblers (mostly
YELLOW-RUMPED). And sparrows: on Oct 20 and 21, "every shrub in DE"
was said to be "jumping with sparrows." These included a very
cooperative VESPER SPARROW at Bombay Hook's Raymond pool; a huge flock
near the entrance to Prime Hook that included a FOX SPARROW; and,
along Prime Hook's trails, more than 1,000 sparrows, including
WHITE-CROWNED and LINCOLN'S.
The phenomenon was echoed in the District. On Oct 21, the National
Mall was filled with feeding flocks, including "astonishing" numbers
of PALM WARBLERS and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, JUNCOS, many SONG and
SAVANNAH SPARROWS, numerous YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, catbirds, phoebes,
kinglets. Amidst the throng were an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER near the
FDR Memorial and a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW at the north end of the Tidal
Basin. Many of these species were still around Oct 24.
Kenilworth Park in NE DC also held a nice array of birds. On Oct 22
these included some 40 PALM WARBLERS and many sparrows, mostly SONG,
plus a few SWAMP and WHITE-THROATED. The highlight, though, was a
surprising 15 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS. On Oct 23, Kenilworth added about
20 SAVANNAH SPARROWS, 4 FIELD SPARROWS, and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW.
On Oct 22, some 200 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and numerous sparrows were
present at the Mount Calvert area of Patuxent River Park, Prince
George's Co, MD. A few hundred sparrows were found at Cromwell Valley
Park, Baltimore Co.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were found Oct 19 at Fort C. F. Smith Park,
Arlington; and Oct 20 at Schooley Mill Park, Howard Co.
NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW showed up at three area locations. A
bird found at Lilypons Water Gardens, Frederick Co, MD, on Oct 17 was
seen almost daily, early in the morning, through Oct 23; it frequents
the fourth pond on the right past the small wooden bridge, below the
upper parking lot. On Oct 19, a NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW was
noted at Swan Harbor Farm, Harford Co, MD; it was at the east edge of
the pond, closest to the house. And on Oct 24, a NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED
SPARROW stopped by Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, where it posed in
a red maple sapling just 3 feet off the boardwalk.
On Oct 23, a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was one of 7 sparrow species found
in a field in Wicomico Co, MD; this was at the intersection of State
Line and Bethel Rds (ie, the extreme eastern end of State Line Rd.)
On Oct 22 and 23, a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was found at Prime Hook,
along the entrance road just before Black Farm Trail.
The regular monthly walk sponsored by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy
at the Blue Ridge Center, held on Oct 22, produced good numbers and
varieties of sparrows, kinglets, warblers, and vireos. Highlights were
VESPER, GRASSHOPPER, and LINCOLN'S SPARROWS. All were seen around the
new Visitor Center.
LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were also seen at Lilypons Oct 19 and 23; the Oxon
Hill "landfill," Prince George's Co, Oct 20; Occoquan NWR, Prince
William Co, Oct 23; and Riverbend Oct 23.
A DICKCISSEL was discovered Oct 24 at Lakeside ponds in Edgewood,
Harford Co; if flew up from the cattails and continued until it was
out of sight.
PURPLE FINCHES were in evidence at a variety of locations throughout
the week.
Thistle feeders in northern Damascus, Montgomery Co, MD drew PINE
SISKINS--4 on Oct 22 and 2 on Oct 23. Two PINE SISKINS flew over
Patterson Park, Baltimore, on Oct 23. And a PINE SISKIN showed up at a
niger feeder in northern PG Co Oct 25.
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 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 photographs, 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 the MD/DC Records Committee. For more information,
visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
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