FYI Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
Birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 6:48 PM
Subject: DC Area, 3/7/06
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 3/7/2006
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 report was completed Tuesday, March 7, at 6
p.m.
Top birds this week are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in MD, *SNOWY OWL in
VA, and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in VA.
Other birds of interest include CACKLING GOOSE, REDHEAD, COMMON EIDER,
EARED and other GREBES, raptors, WILSON'S SNIPE, AMERICAN WOODCOCK,
LESSER BLACK-BACKED and GLAUCOUS GULLS, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER, COMMON RAVEN, TREE SWALLOW, RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED
NUTHATCHES, BROWN CREEPER, WINTER WREN, HERMIT THRUSH, warblers,
sparrows, SNOW BUNTING, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, PURPLE FINCH, and RED
CROSSBILL.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS continue to winter at Blackwater NWR,
Dorchester Co, MD, with 5 birds seen from the Wildlife Drive on Feb
28.
The SNOWY OWL remains at Dulles Airport, Loudoun Co, VA, with
sightings as recent as the morning of March 7. The bird is being
viewed from a 3-story public parking garage on the corner of Aviation
Dr and Propeller Ct, accessible from the Airport Services exit off the
Dulles Access Rd.
The ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in Richmond, VA, was busy pursuing insects
on March 3; it frequents the train yard just south of the Richmond
floodwall along the southern bank of the James River.
A CACKLING GOOSE was picked out of a flock of Canada Geese along
Carroll Rd, between Glencoe and Corbett Rds, Baltimore Co, on Feb 28.
On March 5, 3 CACKLING GEESE were found near The Plains, Fauquier Co,
VA; they were on a pond on Belvoir Rd (Rte 709, which and intersects
US 17 a mile or two south of I-66).
REDHEADS were again numerous in Occoquan Bay, with as many as 38
reported from Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William Co, VA, on Mar 3. Two
REDHEADS were found Mar 2 in Gaithersburg, Montgomery Co, MD, in the
lake adjacent to the old National Geographic headquarters off Rte 28;
a HORNED GREBE was also present.
A male COMMON EIDER was found Mar 5 near the jetty at the Ocean City
inlet, Worcester Co, MD.
Two PIED-BILLED GREBES seen Mar 6 at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co,
VA, were the first to appear there in several years. Half a dozen
HORNED GREBES were observed Mar 2 on the Potomac River between
Violette's Lock and Riley's Lock, Montgomery Co. An EARED GREBE was
reported from Lapidum Landing, Harford Co, MD, on March 5. There were
two reports of EARED GREBE in Rehoboth Bay, DE, on March 5, one from a
path at the end of Bayard and Bellevue Sts, and one from Dickinson St
in Dewey Beach.
Reports of COOPER'S HAWK in the District came from 14th and E Sts, SE
DC, Feb 28; 18th and D Sts, NW DC, March 1; and the American U
neighborhood, NW DC, March 3. On March 3, a COOPER'S HAWK flew over a
yard in Hagerstown, Washington Co, MD, while a MERLIN flew over a yard
in Woodbridge, Prince William Co.
Four Buteos, 2 immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS and 2 adult RED-TAILED
HAWKS, were observed in downtown Bethesda, Montgomery Co, March 28;
the RED-SHOULDERS were seen again March 1, as was a COOPER'S HAWK.
On March 4, birders venturing to VA's Highland Co found several
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS in the vicinity of Blue Grass and a GOLDEN EAGLE on
the west side of Snowy Mountain.
The return of OSPREY was noted with delight at numerous sites,
starting with the railroad bridge over the Potomac River below East
Potomac Park, where an OSPREY was sighted from a Metro train on Feb
28--while a PEREGRINE FALCON perched on the bridge's main span. Other
OSPREY sightings in MD come from Arlington Echo Outdoor Education
Center in Millersville, Anne Arundel Co; Schoolhouse Pond, Upper
Marlboro, and Jug Bay in Croom--both in Prince George's Co; and
Conowingo Dam, on the Harford/Cecil Co line. In VA, an OSPREY was
spotted at the dock at Occoquan Bay NWR on March 5.
Three WILSON'S SNIPE were found at Kenilworth Park, NE DC, on Feb 28.
That same day, a SNIPE visited a yard in Gaithersburg. SNIPE were also
seen March 4 and 5 at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co; on March 4, one of
the birds perched for 5 minutes atop a dead tree.
AMERICAN WOODCOCKS have been displaying at UMaryland Baltimore Co
since March 1; on March 5 the display was enhanced when the birds were
backlit by stadium lights from the ball park. On March 5, 3 or 4
WOODCOCKS were peenting in fields along both sides of Sycamore Landing
Rd, Montgomery Co.
The first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL in Cambridge, Dorchester Co, MD, was
seen again March 4, resting on a low stone wall at the foot of Oakley
St. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was noted at the Georgetown Reservoir,
NW DC, March 6.
The SHORT-EARED OWLS near Rectortown in northern Fauquier Co have been
observed several times this week. On Feb 28 there were at least a
dozen owls in the vicinity: Crenshaw Road about ½ mile north of
Rectortown
On March 5, the National Arboretum, NE DC, hosted a RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH; the woodpecker favors snags in
the wooded patch behind the Capitol columns, while the nuthatch
frequents the Asian Garden. The east side of the Youth Garden held a
PINE WARBLER or two.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were also reported from Arlington, VA, on March
2, along Pollard St near 30th St North; and from Weinberg Park, Anne
Arundel Co, on March 3.
A COMMON RAVEN was noted at Fort C F Smith Park, Arlington, VA, on
March 3, and a COMMON RAVEN was seen from Great Falls National Park,
Fairfax Co, on March 4. On March 4, a leucistic RAVEN was seen at the
east side of Beaverdam Reservoir in Loudoun Co; it was described as a
striking bird, a rich chocolate brown with silvery overtones. Another
abnormally plumaged RAVEN was reported from Owings Mills, Baltimore
Co, on March 4; this was a bird with black head and wings, but white
neck, chest, and back.
Another welcome sign of spring were the TREE SWALLOWS sighted at
several locations, including Tuckahoe SP, Queen Anne's Co, MD, March
4, and Hughes Hollow March 5.
On March 2, Ft CF Smith Park offered up a veritable bouquet of winter
visitors: RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BROWN CREEPER, WINTER WREN, HERMIT
THRUSH, FOX SPARROW, and PURPLE FINCH.
Two BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were found at Point Lookout SP, St. Mary's
Co, MD, on March 4, as was a PINE WARBLER. A PINE WARBLER arrived in a
Charles Co, MD, yard on March 6.
A NASHVILLE WARBLER was again found in Carroll Park, Baltimore City,
on Feb 28; it was next to the bike trail in a bushy spot about 100
yards up from the parking lot.
A FOX SPARROW visited a feeder in Eldersburg, Carroll Co, MD, March 3,
and the Parklawn picnic area of Rock Creek Park, Montgomery Co, March
6. Also on March 6, 2 FOX SPARROWS were found at Kenilworth Aquatic
Gardens, NE DC.
On March 4, 11 SNOW BUNTINGS were tallied at Hart-Miller Island,
Baltimore Co.
A singing RUSTY BLACKBIRD was reported from Occoquan Bay NWR March 5;
it was along Deephole Pt Rd.
A feeder in Darnestown, Montgomery Co, drew 20 or more PURPLE FINCHES
on March 1.
RED CROSSBILLS were again found in Highland Co on Feb 28, March 4, and
March 5; as before, they were at the hairpin curve on Rte 250, just
below (west) of the Confederate Breastworks overlook.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOSPREY and
VA-Bird 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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