FYI Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 8/21/2007
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)
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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 ;<http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/>
.
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon
Naturalist Society. This report was completed Tuesday, August 21, at
noon.
Shorebirds dominated this week's reports.
Other birds of interest include GREAT CORMORANT, TRICOLORED HERON,
WHITE IBIS, GULL-BILLED and BLACK TERNS, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE,
COMMON NIGHTHAWK, hummingbird, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, PHILADELPHIA
VIREO, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, SEDGE WREN, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, and
SALT-MARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW.
The weekly bird census at Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, on August
18 yielded 19 species of shorebird, including 10 WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPERS and 1 BAIRD'S. That same day several WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPERS were present in the north impoundment at Ted Harvey
Conservation Area, DE, while the southern impoundment held 2 distant
MARBLED GODWITS; later a close-in juvenile MARBLED GODWIT appeared
briefly at Bear Swamp, Bombay Hook NWR, DE. Two WHITE-RUMPS were found
at Taylor's Gut (along Rte 9 north of Bombay Hook), and BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPERS lurked in the vegetation of the southern impoundment on
Broadkill Rd (Rte 16), DE.
An UPLAND SANDPIPER was spotted in King William Co, VA, Aug 18; it was
at a sod farm along Horse Landing Rd, not far from the county
courthouse. (Be wary of speeding cars, and please do not walk on this
private property or park on their grass.) Hog Island WMA, Surry Co,
VA, hosted both HUDSONIAN and MARBLED GODWITS, plus 13 additional
species--and at fairly close range--on Aug 18. On Aug 19, a STILT
SANDPIPER paid a surprise visit to the "Big Pond" at Blue Mash Nature
Trail, Montgomery Co, MD. On Aug 15, highlights among 17 shorebird
species at Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA, were 2 WILSON'S PHALAROPES.
A GREAT CORMORANT was reported Aug 18 from Ft Smallwood Park in
northern Anne Arundel Co, MD. This bird, seen at fairly close range,
was described as a second-year immature.
An adult TRICOLORED HERON was present at Ft Smallwood Park on Aug 14,
18, and 19.
An immature WHITE IBIS was discovered Aug 17 at Lost Lake in the Glen
Arney section of Patapsco Valley SP, Baltimore Co. It was seen there
again Aug 18 and 19, typically in the early morning and evening. At
other times the ibis was spotted from the bridge on Gun Rd. (To get to
the park from Howard Co, follow Rte 1 through Elkridge and into
Baltimore Co, and turn left onto South St; park entrance is on the
left. [DeLorme 58 C1]. In the park, turn right at the T intersection
and follow around to the small pond.)
Two or three GULL-BILLED TERNS were hawking insects across from Bombay
Hook's Shearness Pool on Aug 18. BLACK TERNS were observed at several
locations, including Hart-Miller Island on Aug 18 and, on Aug 19, at
Assateague Island, Worcester Co, MD, and Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD.
Three BLACK TERNS were seen Aug 18 along Fowler Beach Rd, DE, and a
probable BLACK TERN was noted at Ft Smallwood.
A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was found Aug 19 at Blackwater NWR,
Dorchester Co, MD, at stop #10 on the wildlife drive. A EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVE was found Aug 14 on the lower Eastern Shore of VA; it
was on wires along Rte 600, south of Magotha Rd.
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS are performing nightly at Gallows Rd and Boone Blvd
near Rte 7 in the Tyson's Corner area of Fairfax Co, VA; the show
begins when the lights come on at 9 PM.
An all-white hummingbird visited a yard in Suffolk, VA, on Aug 18.
An Aug 19 traffic jam on Rte 66, some 3 miles east of Marshall in
Fauquier Co, VA, had its brighter side: an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
working from a roadside snag.
Another roadside bonus was a PHILADELPHIA VIREO, heard and seen along
Rte 9 north of Bombay Hook on Aug 18.
Six RED-HEADED NUTHATCHES were tallied at Turkey Point in Elk Neck SP,
Cecil Co, MD, Aug 18.
SEDGE WRENS were once again active along Cedar Creek Road in southern
Dorchester Co on August 19.
Migrating warblers are trickling through local haunts, including Rock
Creek Park, NW DC, and the National Arboretum, NE DC. A GOLDEN-WINGED
WARBLER appeared at James River Park in Richmond, VA, on Aug 18, and a
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER visited a yard on Compton Mt, Buchanan Co, VA,
on Aug 21.
SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS were abundant along the DE Bay Shore
this weekend, with 15 reported at Bombay Hook alone.
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 for 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 or call 301-652-1088 and select 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 record committee.
