FYI Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 2/27/2007
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: Joe Coleman
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 at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday,
February 27.
Top birds this week are THICK-BILLED MURRE* in MD, COMMON MURRE* in DE
and MD, and GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE* and PAINTED BUNTING* in VA.
Other birds of interest include geese, ducks, RED-NECKED GREBE,
NORTHERN FULMAR, GREAT CORMORANT, OSPREY, eagles, and PEREGRINE
FALCON, RED KNOT, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, gulls, DOVEKIE, RAZORBILL,
ATLANTIC PUFFIN, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, LOGGERHEAD
and NORTHERN SHRIKE, AMERICAN PIPIT, sparrows including CLAY-COLORED,
LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, and BALTIMORE ORIOLE.
A THICK-BILLED MURRE* was first seen on Feb 22 and throughout the rest
of the week was in and near the inlet at Ocean City, MD. At other
times it was in the man-made canal that connects with the inlet across
Rte 50 from Hoppers Crab House.
COMMON MURRE* were seen on a very productive pelagic trip out of
Lewes, DE on Feb 25, with 4 in DE waters and 1 in MD waters.
A GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE continued to visit a private feeder in Galax,
Carroll Co, VA with reports as recently as Feb 24. Contact (276)
236-8034 or (276) 237-1891 if you wish to make arrangements to see the
bird.
While the PAINTED BUNTING at the backyard feeder in Lovettsville,
Loudoun Co, VA didn't show up all week long, it did reappear during
the snow storm on Feb 25.
Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were found Feb 25 mixed in with other
geese along Myers Mill Rd near Jeffersonton, Culpeper Co, VA. GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE continue to be reported from Augusta Co, VA with 3
seen on Feb 26, one on a pond on Bell's Lane near Staunton, and two in
a feedlot near Riley's Farm, Swoope. The same survey found a CACKLING
GOOSE near Invista.
On both Feb 22 and on Feb 25 single ROSS'S GEESE were found mixed in
with large flocks of geese. The one on Feb 22 was near Beulah,
Dorchester Co, MD, and the one on the 25th was on Choptank Rd,
Caroline Co, MD.
The EURASIAN WIGEON continued to be seen throughout the week at
Eagle's Landing Golf Course, Worcester Co, MD.
REDHEADS continue to be found in higher than normal numbers this year
with reports from all over the region this past week.
On Feb 22 and 24, nine COMMON EIDERS were observed north of the Ocean
City inlet jetty.
Either one or two HARLEQUIN DUCKS continued to be reported throughout
the week at the Ocean City, MD inlet, sometimes along the north jetty
and other times along the south jetty.
Two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen Feb 22 on the Potomac River about =BD
mile upstream from Little Falls, Montgomery Co, MD.
The RED-NECKED GREBE continues at Little Seneca Lake in Black Hill
Regional Park, Montgomery Co, MD with the most recent report from Feb
24. On the 24th and on the 25th, a RED-NECKED GREBE was seen at the
Ocean City inlet and 2 were seen at the West Ocean City Marina.
The pelagic trip out of Lewes also found NORTHERN FULMARS with 9 in DE
and 22 in MD.
On Feb 24 a GREAT CORMORANT was found north of the Ocean City inlet
jetty.
First of the season OSPREYS were reported from Broadkill Beach Rd,
Prime Hook NWR, DE on Feb 22 and from Suffolk, VA on the 25th.
On Feb 22 a survey of the lower 6 miles of Cat Point Creek, part of
the Rappahannock River, VA, eagle concentration area counted between
134 and 144 BALD EAGLES, the highest number ever recorded on any of
their winter counts.
An immature GOLDEN EAGLE was seen flying over MD Rte 20 just west of
Baker's Lane in Kent Co on the 24th. The same group, towards the end
of their visit of Chesapeake Farms, observed another immature GOLDEN
EAGLE. On Feb 23 an immature Golden Eagle was seen flying in northwest
Rockbridge Co, VA.
The PEREGRINE FALCON is again being seen in the Bailey's Crossroads
area of Fairfax Co, VA with the most recent sighting on Feb 27.
Also at the Ocean City inlet on Feb 25, mixed in with other shorebirds
was a single RED KNOT.
AMERICAN WOODCOCKS were seen and heard performing their display flight
at the NTA White Marsh Park and Ride in eastern Baltimore Co, MD on
the morning of the 26th and at Queenstown, Queen Anne's Co, MD, the
morning of the 27th.
A first-year ICELAND GULL was at the Ocean City inlet on the 22nd and
the 24th. Several LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and a first-winter
GLAUCOUS GULL were found at the Salisbury Landfill, Wicomico Co, MD on
Feb 22 and Feb 24.
The Lewes pelagic trip on the 25th also saw in MD and DE waters LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULLS, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, over 4,000 DOVEKIES, 50
RAZORBILLS, and several ATLANTIC PUFFINS.
Two SHORT-EARED OWLS were found along Spinks Ferry Rd in the Lucketts
area of Loudoun Co on Feb 24. SHORT-EARED OWLS also continued to be
seen along Crenshaw Rd near Rectortown, Fauquier Co, VA.
The always-present RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen at Sky Meadows SP,
Fauquier Co, VA, with 8 on the 24th.
A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was again found on the east side of Sky Meadows
SP, this time on the 24th, and two were found the same day in Augusta
Co, VA in Swoope near the intersection of Rte 876, Cattleman Rd, and
Rte 707, Livick Rd.
The NORTHERN SHRIKE continued to be seen along the entrance road to
the headquarters of the Prime Hook NWR, DE, with a report from Feb 23.
AMERICAN PIPITS and HORNED LARKS continued to be reported from several
different locations throughout the area.
AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS continued to be seen in small numbers
throughout the region last week. A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was found Feb
24 at the Marshy Point Nature Center in eastern Baltimore Co, MD. FOX
SPARROWS, in small numbers, were seen visiting a number of feeders
last week. An immature GAMBEL'S WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, a western
taiga subspecies, was found in a flock of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS at
Chesapeake Farms, Kent Co, MD, on Feb 24. A immature GAMBEL'S was also
reported Feb 25, from Rte 298, just west of Butlertown, Kent Co, MD,
near the location of the one seen on Feb 24.
LAPLAND LONGSPURS were found at several different locations last week.
On Feb 20, five LAPLAND LONGSPURS were found along Dairy Farm Rd in
Anne Arundel Co, MD, among a larger flock of Horned Larks. Two LAPLAND
LONGSPURS were seen there on the 21st. Two were also found near
Remington, Fauquier Co, VA on Feb 25.
SNOW BUNTINGS were found on the 25th with one on Lewistown Rd, Talbot
Co, MD and two on Sparks Rd, Caroline Co, MD.
Five RUSTY BLACKBIRDS visited feeders in a Waldorf, Charles Co, MD
yard on Feb 25.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES continue to show up at various feeders throughout
the area with one seen last week in the Lynchburg, VA, Old City
Cemetery on Feb 22 and one at a feeder in Reston on the 26th.
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. 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 the record committee.
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