FYI Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
Birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 7:05 PM
Subject: DC Area, 11/29/2005
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 11/29/2005
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, November 29, at 6 p.m.
Top birds this week are *Selasphorus HUMMINGBIRD, *WHITE-WINGED DOVE,
and *ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in VA and HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER in MD.
Other birds of interest include ROSS'S GOOSE, CACKLING GOOSE, TUNDRA
SWAN, REDHEAD, COMMON EIDER, grebes, raptors, COMMON MOORHEN, AMERICAN
WOODCOCK, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, SHORT-EARED OWL,
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, HORNED LARK,
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, AMERICAN PIPIT, AMERICAN TREE
and other sparrows, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD,
and PINE SISKIN.
The *Selasphorus HUMMINGBIRD continues to frequent a yard in Cape
Charles, Northampton Co, VA. It was seen at 9 Randolph Ave as recently
as Nov 28.
After an absence of 2 weeks, the WHITE-WINGED DOVE was found again in
Cape Charles on Nov 28; it perched in a linden tree in front of the
house at 11 Randolph Ave.
A HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, making a rare East Coast appearance, was
discovered Nov 23 in Monkton, northern Baltimore Co, and it was seen
several times each day thereafter through Nov 28; on Nov 29, it made a
fleeting appearance around 9 a.m. Its location was the North Central
Railroad Trail (DeLorme 75 C5); the NCRT parking lot is on the north
side of Monkton Rd, a little east of where it crosses Gunpowder Falls.
To look for the bird, take the trail about half a mile north to a
large abandoned stone building. The bird has been seen feeding on the
berry trees north of the building, and in the mountain laurel behind
and uphill from the building.
A cooperative *ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER continues to visit the hawk
watch platform at Kiptopeke SP, Northampton Co, with reports from Nov
25 and 26.
A ROSS'S GOOSE was seen Nov 26 at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, across from
Shearness Pool.
At least 3 CACKLING GEESE were present Nov 26 in the impoundments
along Broadkill Beach Rd, DE.
Some 57 TUNDRA SWANS were resting and preening in the cove off of the
Dameron Marsh Natural Area, near the bottom of the Northern Neck,
Northumberland Co, VA; the swans were easily seen from the public
viewing area. Fifty TUNDRA SWANS were seen Nov 25 at Snow Goose Pool,
Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA.
On Nov 26, birders on the ANS trip to Eastern Neck NWR, Kent Co, MD,
saw thousands of waterfowl, including 1,000 TUNDRA SWANS and 17
species of duck, among them 40 male REDHEADS.
In the District, the McMillan Reservoir (at Michigan Ave and 1st St,
NW) hosted a nice assortment of waterfowl, including REDHEADS. And a
REDHEAD was found Nov 26 a Kingstown Lake, Alexandria VA.
In Carroll Co, MD, Piney Run Reservoir featured 10 duck species, plus
EARED, HORNED, and PIED-BILLED GREBES, as recently as Nov 28.
On Nov 27, the waters of Accotink Bay and Pohick Bay, Fairfax Co, VA,
were filled with thousands of waterfowl, many close the shore; these
flocks, too, included a REDHEAD and a CANVASBACK.
On Nov 25, 9 COMMON EIDERS flew northward past the Point at Cape
Henlopen SP, DE.
On Nov 27, a COMMON MOORHEN was noted at Accotink Bay.
A loose flock of about 30 GANNETS flew past Scientists Cliffs,
overlooking the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert Co, MD, on Nov 25.
Three NORTHERN GOSHAWKS were tallied Nov 24 at the hawk watch at
Harvey's Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Roanoke, VA. A NORTHERN
GOSHAWK was reported from a yard in Beltsville, Prince George's Co,
MD, on Nov 27.
Kiptopeke scored a NORTHERN GOSHAWK Nov 27, one GOLDEN EAGLE on Nov
23, and 2 GOLDEN EAGLES Nov 26.
Two light-phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were spotted Nov 26 in Garrett Co,
MD, about 1 mile north of Cranesville Swamp.
Four SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen Nov 26 in Garrett Co, from Aaron's Run
Rd.
On Nov 24, the District hosted three falcon species: AMERICAN KESTREL
at McMillan Reservoir, MERLIN at Hains Point, SW DC (halfway down the
loop on the Washington Channel side), and 2 PEREGRINES, on the wires
of the RR bridge adjacent to the 14th St Bridge over the Potomac.
On Nov 22, 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS were observed as they flew past an
office building at Bailey's Crossroads, Fall Church, Fairfax Co. On
Nov 25, a MERLIN was seen at Ben Brenman Park, Cameron Station,
Alexandria, perched high in a tree near the end of the lake nearest
the houses.
Four SANDHILL CRANES flew over the Kiptopeke hawk watch platform on
Nov 25.
On Nov 26, a pair of AMERICAN WOODCOCKS was foraging along the
Hike/Bike trail at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co.
Four LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were resting along the beach at
Chincoteague on Nov 25.
It is reported that the population of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES in the
Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach continues to expand. Some 27 were
seen Nov 27, 19 of them side-by-side on telephone wires along the 2800
block of Sandpiper Rd.
A hummingbird, thought to be a female or juvenile RUBY-THROATED
HUMMINGBIRD, has been frequenting a yard in Silver Spring, Montgomery
Co, for the past two weeks, with the most recent sighting Nov 28.
Initially it fed on flowers; now, post-freeze, it is relying on a
feeder.
A Myiarchus flycatcher, identified as a GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER on
the basis of its relatively bright and contrasting plumage, was
observed Nov 25 along the C&O Canal in Montgomery Co; it was a short
ways upstream from Sycamore Landing.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES continue. Reports this week come from the
Pilot Town Rd Serpentine Barrens in extreme NW Cecil Co, and
Webster-Lapidum Rd, just south of Susquehanna State Park, Harford Co,
MD. A BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE was found at Battery Kemble Park, NW DC,
on Nov 26.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES continue to flit through the area, with
reports from Piney Run, Upper Marlboro in Prince George's Co, and
Darnestown in Montgomery Co, and Pohick Bay Park, Fairfax Co.
At least 70 AMERICAN PIPITS were seen Nov 26 in the vicinity of
Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD; they were near the intersection of
Key Wallace Drive and Egypt Rd. Dozens of AMERICAN PIPITS were found
Nov 27 at the Easton WWTP, Talbot Co, MD.
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was reported Nov 26 from Mason Neck SP, Fairfax
Co, and the Blue Ridge Center in western Loudoun Co, VA, as well as
the Oakington Farm and Perryman areas in Harford Co, MD. On Nov 25,
AMERICAN TREE was one of 7 species of sparrow seen at Julie Metz
wetlands in Prince William Co. On Nov 26, AMERICAN TREE was one of 7
species--along with FOX and WHITE-CROWNED--at the Blue Mash Nature
Trail, Montgomery Co. FOX SPARROWS were also noted at Kenilworth
Aquatic Gardens, NE DC, on Nov 23, and Huntley Meadows Nov 26.
Ten or more SNOW BUNTINGS, plus at least 3 LAPLAND LONGSPURS, were
observed Nov 26 along Cartanza Rd, just northwest of Little Creek, DE
(Cartanza runs between DE 8 and DE 9). On Nov 25, a dozen or more
LAPLAND LONGSPURS and 3 SNOW BUNTINGS were found with a flock of 100
HORNED LARKS in Culpeper Co, VA; these birds were along Myers Mill Rd
(623) at the intersection of Springs Rd (802), just past the
Rappahanock River and the Fauquier Co line.
A YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen at Kiptopeke Nov 26. That same day
a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was found in Virginia Beach; it was in a
newly tilled field at the corner of Morris Neck and Munden Rds.
A PINE SISKIN visited a feeder in Silver Spring Nov 23.
See Life Paulagics is running a trip out of Lewes, DE, on Saturday,
Dec 10, looking for alcids and other winter seabirds. For more
information, call 215-234-6805 or see their web site at paulagics.com.
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 either the MD/DC Records Committee
(www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html) or the VA Records Committee
(www.virginiabirds.org).
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