FYI
Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
Birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 3:42 PM
Subject: DC Area, 5/2/06
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 5/2/2006
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 compiled Tuesday, May 2, at 3 pm.
Top birds this week are WHITE-FACED IBIS, SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, and
SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER in VA and RUFF and WESTERN KINGBIRD in MD.
Other birds of interest include mergansers, AMERICAN and LEAST
BITTERNS, night-herons, GLOSSY IBIS, rails, SORA, COMMON MOORHEN,
shorebirds, GULL-BILLED and LEAST TERNS, BLACK-BILLED and
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW, WHIP-POOR-WILL, CHIMNEY
SWIFT, ACADIAN and LEAST FLYCATCHERS, WARBLING VIREO, BANK SWALLOW,
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, VEERY, warblers, tanagers, sparrows, and
ROSE-BREASTED and BLUE GROSBEAKS.
A WHITE-FACED IBIS and a GLOSSY IBIS were seen at Huntley Meadows
Park, Fairfax Co, VA, off and on each day between April 26 and May 1.
A GLOSSY IBIS was photographed April 28 from the Wildlife Loop at
Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA.
A SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was seen April 24 in the vicinity of Gloucester
Point, Gloucester Co, VA.
The female RUFF continued at Pickering Creek Nature Center, Talbot Co,
MD, through at least April 28.
A WESTERN KINGBIRD has returned to its haunts near the Visitor Center
at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, with sightings as recent as May 2.
An adult male SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was spotted April 25 on the
Eastern Shore of VA; it was flycatching from a wire on the west side
of Arlington Rd, about a quarter-mile south of Rte 646 (Townsend Rd).
A female COMMON MERGANSER with nine chicks was seen on the Potomac
River near Violette's Lock, Montgomery Co, MD, on April 27. Six female
RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were reported from Difficult Run, Great Falls
NP, Fairfax Co, on April 30. A HOODED MERGANSER trailing eight
ducklings was seen at Lilypons Water Gardens, Frederick Co, MD, April
29.
AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at Lilypons April 26 and 29, at Hughes
Hollow, Montgomery Co, April 26, and at Huntley Meadows April 29 and
30. A LEAST BITTERN was found at Hughes Hollow April 26, and at
Occoquan April 30.
A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was spotted April 27 on an island in the
Potomac, close to the Maryland shore, just below Great Falls NHP, MD.
Reports of YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON came from Lilypons April 26 and
27, along Rock Creek in Chevy Chase, MD, April 28, and on the north
side of Sycamore Landing Rd, Montgomery Co, April 30. Still in
Montgomery Co, on April 26 a YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was spotted on
the grounds of the Stoneridge Academy, near the junction of Rte 355
and Cedar Lane. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS are again nesting in
Reston, Fairfax Co; the nest is in a tree along Twin Branches trail,
which begins where Glade Dr ends at Twin Branches Rd.
A KING RAIL was again found at Occoquan Bay NWR on April 29. On April
29, Lilypons hosted 2 VIRGINIA RAILS, a SORA, and a COMMON MOORHEN. A
VIRGINIA RAIL and a SORA were also in evidence at Blackwater NWR,
Dorchester Co, MD, on April 29. COMMON MOORHEN was again seen at
Hughes Hollow on April 26, and at Pennyfield April 27.
An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was among many BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS along
the entrance road to Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on April 29.
On April 29, Chincoteague held 3 PIPING PLOVERS at the Cove,
BLACK-NECKED STILTS on the causeway, and WHIMBRELS on the refuge. That
same day, Cape Henlopen SP, DE, also hosted PIPING PLOVERS and
WHIMBRELS. BLACK-NECKED STILTS were also seen at Elliot Island,
Dorchester Co.
A PIPING PLOVER and 2 BLACK-NECKED STILTS were also the highlight of
an April 26 trip to Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA. This group also saw
a GULL-BILLED TERN.
LEAST TERNS arrived at Southwest Area Park in southwestern Baltimore
Co on April 28, and at Wye Island, Queen Anne's Co, MD, on April 29.
A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, as well as 3 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, was found
at the Chester Phelps WMA in western Fauquier Co, VA, on April 30.
Other YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS were sighted at Kenilworth Aquatic
Gardens, NE DC, April 26; Rock Creek Park, NW DC, on April 29 and 30;
and Huntley Meadows April 30.
One CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW and 2 WHIP-POOR-WILLS were calling April 30 in
Prince William Co, VA; they were along Joplin Rd at the American
Legion bridge, about 2 miles from Prince William Forest Park.
CHIMNEY SWIFTS are again roosting in the Hampden area of Baltimore. On
April 25, some 545 swifts gradually dropped into the Bookbindery
chimney at dusk. On April 30, in the Seven Corners area of Falls
Church, Fairfax Co, several hundred CHIMNEY SWIFTS descended into a
75-ft brick chimney near the intersection of Rte 7 and Patrick Henry
Dr--and they emerged the next morning precisely at sunrise.
An ACADIAN FLYCATCHER was reported April 29 in Montgomery Co, along
Beach Drive between Cedar Lane and Old Spring Lane. On April 30, a
LEAST FLYCATCHER was found along High Point Rd in Mason Neck SP,
Fairfax Co.
WARBLING VIREOS have returned in force. Five were seen April 30 during
the Sunday morning walk at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co.
Perched BANK SWALLOWS were giving good views at Hughes Hollow April
26.
A BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH discovered April 27 at Fort Smallwood Park is
a first-ever for Anne Arundel Co.
A VEERY was found April 27 at Fort Bayard Park, NW DC, and April 30 at
Middle Patuxent EA, Howard Co, MD.
More than 2 dozen warbler species frequented the area this past week.
Highlights include BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER at Rock Creek Park, the
National Arboretum, NE DC, and Mason Neck; CAPE MAY at Rock Creek Park
and in Howard CO; CERULEAN on the C&O towpath near the power line cut
adjacent to Blockhouse Point, and in a yard in Baltimore; NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSH at several locations, including Pennyfield Lock and
Riley's Lock in Montgomery Co; and 35 (!) YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS at the
Phelps WMA on April 30.
Both SUMMER and SCARLET TANAGERS were at Huntley Meadows April 30.
SAVANNAH, GRASSHOPPER, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were among 9 species
tallied April 30 in western Montgomery Co; the intersection of
Montevideo and Sugarland Rds also hosted 3 BOBOLINKS.
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS showed up at numerous area feeders. BLUE
GROSBEAKS appeared at several locations, including Kenilworth Park, NE
DC, Huntley Meadows, Barcroft Park in Arlington, VA, Paint Branch
Stream Valley Park in Prince George's Co, MD, and yards in Anne
Arundel and Charles Counties.
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 big photo files, 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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