Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 7/25/2017
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/central and southern DE/WV panhandle
Reports, comments and questions: voice@xxxxxxxxxxx
Compiler: Gerry Hawkins
Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central
Atlantic States (independent of NAS)
Transcriber: Steve Cordle
Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of
the Voice of the Naturalist (Individual $50; Family $65; Nature
Steward $100; Audubon Advocate $200). 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 covers the week starting Tuesday, July
18 and was completed on Tuesday, July 25 at 8:00 a.m.
Information on noteworthy birds is presented below in taxonomic order,
as set forth in the American Ornithological Society Checklist for
North and Middle American Birds, as revised through the 58th
Supplement (July 2017).
The top birds this week were RUFF* in DE and VA, NEOTROPIC CORMORANT*
in MD, LITTLE EGRET* in DE and ROSEATE SPOONBILL* in VA.
Other birds of interest this week included BRANT, TRUMPETER SWAN,
GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, REDHEAD, GREATER SCAUP, SURF, WHITE-WINGED
and BLACK SCOTERS, LONG-TAILED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, RED-BREASTED
MERGANSER, RUDDY DUCK, AMERICAN AVOCET, WILSON'S PLOVER, WHIMBREL,
STILT SANDPIPER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, LITTLE, BONAPARTE'S and LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULLS, GULL-BILLED TERN, WILSON'S STORM-PETREL, ANHINGA,
LEAST BITTERN, GREAT EGRET, TRICOLORED HERON, WHITE IBIS, MISSISSIPPI
KITE, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER and DICKCISSEL.
TOP BIRDS
A continuing RUFF* at Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE was seen on July
18-21. On July 20 a RUFF* was well photographed during the weekly
survey at the Craney Island Disposal Area (restricted access) in
Portsmouth, VA.
A continuing NEOTROPIC CORMORANT* in Calvert Co, MD was seen at
several proximate locations: the Chesapeake Beach Marina on July 21
and 22, Chesapeake Beach Veterans Memorial Park on July 23 and the
North Beach marsh on July 22 and 24.
A continuing LITTLE EGRET* at Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE was last
seen on July 18.
Two ROSEATE SPOONBILLS* found on July 16 at the Shirley Plantation in
Charles City Co, VA were seen again on July 18, 19 and 20, and one
ROSEATE SPOONBILL was seen there on July 21 and 22 prior to the time
the owner of this private property restricted access because some
observers continued to stray from the main road notwithstanding prior
requests that they not do so. In addition to the Shirley Plantation
spoonbills, on July 18 a kayaker photographed two apparently different
ROSEATE SPOONBILLS* perched on a pier at Plum Tree Island NWR in
Poquoson, VA. These and other recent sightings of southern wetland
bird species far north of their normal ranges suggest that birders in
the reporting area should be on the lookout for these species in the
coming weeks, including, in addition to ROSEATE SPOONBILL,
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK, PURPLE GALLINULE, LIMPKIN, WOOD STORK,
REDDISH EGRET and GREAT BLUE HERON (white form), which has recently
been seen as far north as Oxford, Maine.
OTHER BIRDS OF INTEREST
On July 23 a banded BRANT was spotted on the beach by the Lewes-Cape
May Ferry in Sussex Co, DE.
On July 21 two TRUMPETER SWANS were reported from the Wingina boat
ramp off James River Road in Nelson Co, VA.
Waterfowl also included small numbers of many migratory duck species.
These included an unspecified number of GADWALL reported at Bombay
Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE on July 20 and a continuing AMERICAN WIGEON at
Masonville Cove in Baltimore Co, MD on July 19. Noteworthy diving
ducks included a continuing pair of REDHEADS at Tydings Memorial Park
in Harford Co, MD on July 21; a GREATER SCAUP at Kent Narrows in Queen
Anne's Co, MD on July 23; 1-2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS at the North Beach
marsh in Calvert Co, MD on July 21, 23 and 24; a BUFFLEHEAD in Deep
Creek Lake, Garrett Co, MD on July 20; a RED-BREASTED MERGANSER at
Fort Monroe in Hampton, VA on July 22; and a RUDDY DUCK spotted in
Sussex Co, DE waters from the Lewes-Cape May Ferry on July 19.
Migratory diving ducks in the reporting area also included all three
scoter species. A WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was seen at Black Walnut Point,
Talbot Co, MD on July 19 and 22 and the Chesapeake Bay Environmental
Center (Horsehead) in Queen Anne's Co, MD on July 24. SURF SCOTERS
were seen at several locations, including 12 individuals at the
Assateague Island NS-South Ocean Beach, Worcester Co, MD on July 18;
four individuals at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center
(Horsehead) in Queen Anne's Co, MD on July 24; and one individual at
Big Water Farm (private) in Queen Anne's Co, MD on July 21 and 24.
BLACK SCOTERS also were seen at several locations, including nine
individuals by the Lewes-Cape May Ferry in Sussex Co, DE on July 23;
four individuals at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center
(Horsehead) and one individual at Prospect Bay in Queen Anne's Co, MD
on July 24; two individuals at the Ocean City Inlet in Worcester Co,
MD on July 23; and a single individual at the North Beach marsh in
Calvert Co, MD on July 21, 23 and 24.
The number of AMERICAN AVOCETS in the reporting area significantly
increased during the week, with a high of 300 individuals reported at
Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE on July 24 and 131 individuals counted
during the weekly survey at the Craney Island Disposal Area
(restricted access) in Portsmouth, VA on July 20. In addition, on July
23 two AMERICAN AVOCETS were found at Delaware Seashore SP-Burton's
Island in Sussex Co, DE, and on July 21, 22 and 23 a single AMERICAN
AVOCET was seen at the North Beach marsh in Calvert Co, MD, which
perhaps was a stray from the over 80 AMERICAN AVOCETS counted on
nearby Poplar Island in Talbot Co, MD in the prior week.
On July 19 one of several breeding WILSON'S PLOVERS was seen on
Metompkin Island in Accomack Co, VA, which is one of the few places in
the reporting area that this species breeds. Migrating shorebirds
included four WHIMBRELS seen at Raymond Pool in Bombay Hook NWR, Kent
Co, DE on July 20; a single STILT SANDPIPER found at the Magothy Bay
Natural Area Preserve in Northampton Co, VA on July 19; and
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS at several locations, including a high of three
individuals at Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE on July 19, 20 and 22 and
1-2 individuals at the North Beach marsh in Calvert Co, MD on July 21
and 23.
A continuing LITTLE GULL was seen at Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE on
July 20. Two BONAPARTE'S GULLS were observed foraging at the Pickering
Creek Audubon Center in Talbot Co, MD on July 21, and one BONAPARTE'S
GULL was seen at Little Assawoman Bay in Sussex Co, DE on July 22. A
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen at Chesapeake Beach Veterans
Memorial Park in Calvert Co, MD on July 22 and on top of a terminal
from the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry in Surry Co, VA on July 24.
GULL-BILLED TERNS were seen at several locations in the Virginia
coastal plain, the only place in the reporting area at which this
species regularly breeds, including a reporting area high 12
individuals at Finney's Creek in Accomack Co on July 20 and 11
individuals counted during the weekly survey at the Craney Island
Disposal Area (restricted access) in Portsmouth on July 20. A
GULL-BILLED TERN also was seen at Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE on July
24.
On July 23 five WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS were seen flying together in
Sussex Co, DE waters from the Lewes-Cape May Ferry.
A continuing ANHINGA was seen in flight over the Carson Wetland in
Prince George Co, VA on July 19, and another solitary ANHINGA flew
over Burnt Reed Road in Southampton Co, VA on July 21.
Encounters with the elusive LEAST BITTERN included a reporting area
high five individuals at the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Anne Arundel
Co, MD on July 20. Noteworthy inland herons and egrets included 12
GREAT EGRETS in flight near Middleburg, VA on July 19.
TRICOLORED HERONS were seen at several locations in Maryland,
including a high of three individuals at Herrington Harbor in Anne
Arundel Co on July 22 and 23, 1-2 individuals at the North Beach marsh
in Calvert Co on July 21-24 and two individuals at the Chesapeake Bay
Environmental Center (Horsehead) in Queen Anne's Co on July 24.
Sightings of WHITE IBIS included a high of eight individuals seen as
far north as Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE on July 18, 19, 20 and 22;
one individual found at a pond near the Friendly Farm Restaurant in
Upperco, Baltimore Co, MD on July 23 and 24; and one individual at a
pond near the intersection of 10045 Red Run Boulevard and Owings Mills
Boulevard in Baltimore Co, MD on July 24.
During the week birders enjoyed watching a pair of adult MISSISSIPPI
KITES feed and protect a sole remaining chick in a nest near
Monticello Park in Alexandria, VA. These appear to be the most
northern breeding MISSISSIPPI KITES in the reporting area this year.
Early migrant warblers included a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH by Gose Mill
Pond in Burke's Garden, Tazewell Co, VA on July 23 and 24 and a
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER spotted during the regular Sunday morning walk
at Dyke Marsh WP in Fairfax Co, VA on July 23.
Sightings of nomadic breeding DICKCISSELS included a breeding pair
along Passwaters Farm Road in Sussex Co, DE on July 20 and 23; three
individuals along the border between the Blue Mash Nature Trail and
the Oaks Landfill in Montgomery Co, MD on July 23; a high of four
individuals in the Underwood Road area in Howard Co, MD on July 19-23;
and two individuals at the above-noted ROSEATE SPOONBILL hot spot in
Charles City Co, VA on July 18, 19, 21 and 22.
***
This week's report was based on reports on the DE, MD, VA, and WV list
servers, eBird records and various birding pages on Facebook.
The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606, http://anshome.org/shop)is
an excellent source for guidebooks and many other nature-related
titles.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to voice@xxxxxxxxxxx.
Please post reports before midnight Monday, identify the county as
well as the state, and include your name and a Tuesday morning
contact, e-mail or phone.
Thank you for your interest, and enjoy the birds.
*Of interest to the applicable state records committee
