FYI Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
Birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 5:06 PM
Subject: DC Area, 9/20/2005
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 9/20/2005
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: Helen Patton
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, September 20, at 4:30
p.m.
Top birds this week are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in DE and VA, WHITE
IBIS in VA and MD, SWAINSON'S HAWK in VA, and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
in MD.
Other birds of interest include RED-THROATED LOON, waders, raptors,
SORA, shorebirds including GODWITS, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, COMMON
NIGHTHAWK, CHIMNEY SWIFT, OLIVE-SIDED and YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS,
PHILADELPHIA VIREO, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, SWAINSON'S THRUSH,
CONNECTICUT and other WARBLERS, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, ROSE-BREASTED
GROSBEAK, BOBOLINK, and PURPLE FINCH.
An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was found at Sept 16 at the north
impoundment at Ted Harvey Conservation Area, DE, where it preened and
slept in the far northeast corner.
An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was found Sept 18 at Staunton River SP,
Halifax Co, VA; it was seen from the point where the Dan and Staunton
Rivers meet.
Some 42 immature WHITE IBIS were observed Sept 19 at Assateague
Island, Worcester Co, MD; they were in the marshes east and north of
the bridge leading from the Visitor Center. Also present were more
than 50 GREAT EGRETS and numerous SNOWY EGRETS, LITTLE BLUE HERONS,
and TRICOLORED HERONS.
At least 10 WHITE IBIS were present Sept 17 at the Eastern Shore of VA
NWR, Northampton Co.
A SWAINSON'S HAWK scored as the bird of the day Sept 18 at the hawk
watch at Kiptopeke SP, Northampton Co--even though it had stiff
competition from 770 other raptors, including 129 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS,
327 AMERICAN KESTRELS, 57 MERLINS, and 7 PEREGRINE FALCONS.
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was a first-timer at Hart-Miller Island,
Baltimore Co, MD, on Sept 17.
An early RED-THROATED LOON flew over Hooper's Island, Dorchester Co,
MD, Sept 17.
Area hawk watches are busy. Snickers Gap, on the Clarke/Loudoun Co
(VA) line, saw 545 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS on Sept 14 and 637 on Sept 19.
Rockfish Gap. Augusta Co, VA, tallied 942 BROAD-WINGS on Sept
15--including nearly 850 in a 5-minute period late in the day.
Cromwell Valley Park, Baltimore Co, registered 844 BROAD-WIINGED HAWKS
Sept 19--along with 8 AMERICAN KESTRELS, 3 MERLINS, and an
unusual-for-there PEREGRINE FALCON.
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS are winging over town, too. On Sept 19, 60 were
seen over Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, while a kettle of 10 was noted
over Van Dyck Park, Fairfax City, VA.
SORAS are moving through. One was found Sept 16 above Riley's Lock
along the C&O Canal at Seneca, Montgomery Co, MD. One was seen that
same day at the bird stream at Fort C. F. Smith Park, Arlington, VA.
On Sept 17, between 5 and 10 SORAS were found at their usual haunt at
Jug Bay Natural Area, Prince George's Co, MD.
Two juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were observed at Fort McHenry,
Baltimore, on Sept 13. Five AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were seen Sept 16
at the impoundments along Broadkill Beach Rd, DE, as were up to 7
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS.
The annual "Kiptopeke Challenge" fundraiser on Virginia's Eastern
Shore Sept 17 turned up a fine array of shorebirds. An AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen Sept 16 and 17 at Snow Goose Pool, Chincoteague
NWR, Accomack Co, VA. Over 20 MARBLED GODWITS were found at Oyster,
Northampton Co, while Chincoteague held 1 MARBLED and 2 HUDSONIAN
GODWITS. Two BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS were spotted along Chincoteague's
Wildlife Drive on Sept 16.
On Sept 17, 2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were among the 14 species of
shorebird at Hart-Miller.
On Sept 18, the flats along Paper Mill Rd, Baltimore Co, held 8
species of shorebird, including 1 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and 101
PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.
Shorebirds present at Ted Harvey Sept 16 included more than 20 STILT
SANDPIPERS and 10 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS.
A juvenile BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was reported from Fort C.F. Smith Park
Sept 14. On Sept 17, 2 juvenile BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS were found on a
farm near Oak Grove, DE. A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was spotted at
Riverbend Park, Fairfax Co, on Sept 18; it was in the northwest corner
of the meadow.
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS are still around. On Sept 13, a dozen NIGHTHAWKS
were seen in Silver Spring, Montgomery Co, off Wayne Ave. A dozen were
seen Sept 17 in Fairfax Co, hawking insects over a tall building near
the intersection of Gallows Rd and Aline Ave, Fairfax Co. And on Sept
18, there were still a few NIGHTHAWKS in Ashton, Montgomery Co.
Hundreds of CHIMNEY SWIFTS were again observed, on the night of Sept
17, as they circled and dropped into the chimney at the Luther Jackson
Middle School in Fairfax Co.
An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was spotted at Cape Charles, Northampton Co,
on Sept 18. A YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was found Sept 18 at Rock
Creek Park, NW DC.
PHILADELPHIA VIREO put on a good showing: Sept 15 at Middle Patuxent
EA, Howard Co, MD; Sept 19 at the National Arboretum, NE DC--along
with 7 warbler species; Sept 19, Lake Needwood, Montgomery Co--in the
woods north of the lake--along with 9 warbler species; Sept 19, Little
Falls Parkway, Bethesda, Montgomery Co; Sept 19, Chester Phelps WMA,
Fauquier Co, VA.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were again reported from numerous locations.
SWAINSON'S THRUSH was spotted at several locations.
It was a good week for warblers, including CONNECTICUT WARBLER. One
was found Sept 16 at Sunset Beach, near Kiptopeke. One was seen Sept
17 at Long Branch Nature Center, Arlington Co. And one turned up Sept
19 at Wakefield Park, Fairfax Co.
In DE, 2 CONNECTICUT WARBLERS, an adult and a juvenile, were found
Sept 16 at White Clay Creek SP; one bird was seen there Sept 18. On
Sept 17 a CONNECTICUT WARBLER was found along the boardwalk at Prime
Hook NWR--and relocated later that day. On Sept 18 an adult female
CONNECTICUT WARBLER was found at Milford Neck WA. On Sept 19, a
first-winter CONNECTICUT WARBLER was found at Brandywine Creek SP.
Still in DE, on Sept 19 Little Creek WA held 14 warbler species,
including ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER--and also a PHILADELPHIA VIREO.
On Sept 18, Sunset Beach experienced a spectacular morning flight,
with "several hundred AMERICAN REDSTARTS, many dozens of MAGNOLIA and
PALM WARBLERS and NORTHERN PARULAS, and lesser numbers of" 16 other
warbler species--plus an apparent MOURNING WARBLER, photographed in
flight. A MOURNING WARBLER was one of 14 species sighted Sept 19 at
Chester Phelps WMA.
Riverbend again hosted an assortment of warblers, with 11 species on
Sept 18. Rock Creek Park had 14 species Sept 18. Assorted warbler
species were on display at the NY Monuments section of Manassas
National Battlefield Park, Prince William Co, VA; at Blue Mash Nature
Trail, Montgomery Co; and at Cylburn Arboretum.
At Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, MD, the warbler selection on Sept 19
included a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. A YELLOW-RUMP was also one of 18
species tallied Sept 18 at a property near Grundy, Buchanan Co, in
southwestern VA.
A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was a nice find at Manassas Sept 19.
Small flocks of ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS were noted at numerous
locations.
Some 1,200 BOBOLINKS were observed Sept 17 at Blackwater NWR,
Dorchester Co, MD; the large flocks were in a field near the end of
the Wildlife Drive. But by the next day, only 30 or so could be found.
Fifteen BOBOLINKS WERE SEEN AT OCCOQUAN Bay NWR Sept 17. A single
BOBOLINK was at Blue Mash Sept 18.
PURPLE FINCH showed up at a yard in Charles Co, MD, on Sept 14, and at
a feeder in Columbia, Howard Co, Sept 16.
On Oct 22, See Life Paulagics is running a trip out of Lewes, DE. For
more information, contact them at 215-234-6805 or check their web page
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 please do not submit photographs. 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.
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