FYI Joe Coleman
-----Original Message-----
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 1/30/2018
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/central and southern DE/WV panhandle
Reports, comments and questions: voice@xxxxxxxxxxx
Compiler: Joe Coleman
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.anshome.org.
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon Naturalist
Society. This report covers the week starting Tuesday, January 23 and was
completed on Tuesday, January 30 at 10 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 BARROW'S GOLDENEYE* in MD, SNOWY OWL in DC, DE,
MD and VA, HARRIS'S SPARROW* in MD, and WESTERN TANAGER* in VA.
Other birds of interest this week included waterfowl, RED-NECKED and EARED
GREBES, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, rails, SANDHILL CRANE, DOVEKIE, COMMON
MURRE, RAZORBILL, gulls, GREAT CORMORANT, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN
BITTERN, OSPREY, "NORTHERN" RED-TAILED HAWK*, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN
EAGLE, SHORT-EARED OWL, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, NORTHERN SHRIKE, SEDGE WREN, RED
CROSSBILL, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, sparrows, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, and warblers.
TOP BIRDS
A male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE* continues (for the seventh consecutive winter) to
be seen at The Elms Environmental Education Center (private), St. Mary's Co,
MD with the most recent reported sighting on Jan 27.
One, and possibly two, SNOWY OWLS, were seen in flight and photographed
perched on buildings in SW DC throughout the week; one appears to be using
an interior courtyard (restricted) at the USDA building (13th and
Independence) as its roost. The continuing SNOWY OWL was seen at Dulles
Airport, Loudoun Co, VA on Jan 23 and 27. Another was seen at Liberty
University, Lynchburg, VA on Jan 25 and 26. There was also one seen at West
Point, King William Co, VA on Jan
27 and 28. There was also one on the 26th at the Chincoteague NWR, Accomack
Co, VA. A continuing SNOWY OWL at Assateague State Park/Assateague Island
NS, Worcester Co, MD was seen most recently on Jan 26. On Jan 23 a SNOWY OWL
was scoped at the end of Green Dumpster Rd, Deal Island, Somerset Co, MD.
Four SNOWY OWLS were seen Jan 24 at Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD;
two were seen there Jan 26. A SNOWY OWL was seen Jan 27 on the beach at Cape
Henlopen SP, Sussex Co, DE.
A HARRIS'S SPARROW* continues along a short spur to a boat ramp off the
Anacostia River Trail in Prince George's Co, MD, with the most recent
sighting on Jan 28.
A male WESTERN TANAGER* continued (for the seventh winter) to visit a
residential feeder in Settlers' Mill, Williamsburg, VA throughout the week.
Additionally, two WESTERN TANAGERS* continued to visit a feeder in the
Alanton neighborhood, Virginia Beach, VA, with the most recent reported
sighting on Jan 24.
OTHER BIRDS OF INTEREST
SNOW GEESE continue to turn up at several inland locations during the week
including a flyover flock of about 40 at Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA on
Jan 24. ROSS'S GEESE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, and CACKLING GEESE
continued to be seen in a number of locations throughout the area this past
week.
The continuing inland BRANT in Nottoway Co, VA was seen most recently on the
29th in and near a pond at the Piedmont Geriatric Hospital.
Six TRUMPETER SWANS, five adults and one juvenile, were seen and
photographed Jan 27 along Parrott River Rd, Pulaski Co, VA. Seen throughout
the week were the continuing TRUMPETER SWAN (P95) at Lake Elkhorn and at
Stone Lake (private), Howard Co, MD and the two TRUMPETER SWANS at the
Owensville Road ponds in Anne Arundel Co, MD. Other sightings of TRUMPETER
SWAN include three on the 28th at the Central Tract, Patuxent Research
Center (private), Prince George's Co, MD and a continuing individual at the
Ivy Street ponds in Waynesboro, VA, seen most recently on Jan 29.
A BLUE-WINGED TEAL was seen Jan 23 at the Messick Rd Pond, Somerset Co, MD.
Four BLUE-WINGED TEAL were seen Jan 27 at the Dutch Gap Conservation Area,
Chesterfield Co, VA; five were there on the 24th. A GREATER SCAUP was seen
Jan 24 at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA. A female HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen Jan
24 and 28 in a dammed area of the North Branch of the Potomac in Luke, MD.
Fifteen SURF SCOTERS were seen Jan 26 at hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co,
MD. A WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was seen Jan 24 at Lake Anna SP, Spotsylvania Co,
VA. A WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was also seen at Fort McHenry NM in Baltimore Co,
MD on Jan 23. Inland LONG-TAILED DUCKS included one seen in the Potomac
River at Belle Haven Park and the next-door Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA
during the week; there was one at Belle Isle, James River Park, Richmond, VA
on Jan 24 and two there on the 26th. The continuing LONG-TAILED DUCK at
Silver Lake, Rockingham Co, VA was seen again Jan 24.
A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen Jan 27 from Pots Net, Sussex Co, DE. One was
also seen Jan 27 and 28 from Burton's Island, Delaware Seashore SP, Sussex
Co, DE. The continuing RED-NECKED GREBE in the Roanoke River Greenway,
Roanoke, VA was seen as recently as Jan 29. The EARED GREBE at King-Lincoln
Park in Newport News, VA was seen again on Jan 27.
The continuing out-of-season male RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD at a feeder in
the Alanton neighborhood in Virginia Beach, VA was seen most recently on Jan
23.
A VIRGINIA RAIL was seen Jan 23 at Hughes Hollow/McKee Beshers WMA,
Montgomery Co, MD. A COMMON GALLINULE was seen Jan 24 in the Bayside
Development Pond, Worcester Co, MD.
In VA the two continuing SANDHILL CRANES were seen along the Sanctuary Trail
at Algonkian Nature Preserve, Loudoun Co on Jan 27.
A pelagic trip in DE waters on Jan 27 found a DOVEKIE, a COMMON MURRE, five
RAZORBILLS, and two BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES. A DOVEKIE was seen Jan 27 at
the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD. One to three RAZORBILLS were seen
Jan 27 in Indian River Inlet, Sussex Co, DE.
One of the two continuing BLACK-HEADED GULLS was seen Jan 24 and 27 at Wolfe
Neck WTP (restricted access), Sussex Co, DE. Single ICELAND GULLS continued
to be seen at a number of locations: In VA they were seen at the Belmont Bay
Marina, Prince William Co on Jan 27; on Jan 27 on Island #3 of the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Northampton Co, VA during a boat trip for the
Virginia Beach Winter Wildlife Festival; a continuing bird on Jan 27 at the
Walmart Ponds in Colonial Heights, VA; and one seen Jan 28 at the Virginia
Aquarium & Marine Science Center, Northampton Co, VA. In MD an ICELAND GULL
was seen Jan 27 and 28 at Riley's Lock, C&O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD; in the
Great Marsh, Cambridge, Dorchester Co, MD on Jan 23; on Jan 26 at Cox Point
Park, Baltimore, MD; on Jan 27 at the Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum,
Calvert Co, MD; and on Jan 25 and 28 at the Naylor Mill Rd Pond, Salisbury
Landfill, Wicomico Co, MD. A GLAUCOUS GULL was seen Jan 28 at the Jones
Crossroads Landfill, Sussex Co, DE.
A GREAT CORMORANT was seen Jan 27 at the Norris Farms Landfill (private),
Baltimore Co, MD.
Eight AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were at Pleasure House Natural Area, Virginia
Beach, VA on Jan 26. Eleven AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen Jan 27 at
Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was observed Jan 24 at Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD.
An OSPREY continues to be seen at Dutch Gap Conservation Area, Chesterfield
Co, VA with the most recent report from Jan 27. Another was seen at
Jamestown Island, James City Co, VA on Jan 24 and 27. A so-called "NORTHERN"
RED-TAILED HAWK (abieticola)*, a distinctive subspecies that is not
uniformly recognized as separate from the eastern subspecies, was again at
Oxon Hill Farm, Prince George's Co, MD on Jan 25. A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen
Jan 25 at Oxon Hill Farm, Prince George's Co, MD. GOLDEN EAGLES were seen
Jan 26 and 27 in Blue Grass Valley, Highland Co, VA. In MD a continuing
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen most recently at Pemberton Manor (Jan 25) and
Quail Covey Farm Pond (Jan 29), both in Queen Anne's Co. One was also seen
Jan 27 along Russell Rd, Garrett Co, MD. One and sometimes two ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWKS were seen during the week at Broadkill Marsh, Sussex Co, DE. One was
also seen Jan 27 at Bear Swamp, Prime Hook NWR, Sussex Co, DE.
In MD single SHORT-EARED OWLS were reported on Jan 25 at private residences
in both Anne Arundel Co and Prince George's Co. On Jan 23 in Somerset Co, MD
two SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen along Rumbly Point Rd and later in the day
there were three SHORT-EARED OWLS at the end of Green Dumpster Rd, Deal
Island. A single SHORT-EARED OWL was seen Jan 25 from the Jug Bay Wetlands
Sanctuary, Anne Arundel Co, MD. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen Jan 29 at Cedar
Point WMA, Charles Co, MD.
Two were seen Jan 27 along Russell Rd, Garrett Co, MD. One was seen at
Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD on Jan 24. SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen
in a number of locations in VA including throughout the week at St. Louis Rd
just north of the intersection with Foxcroft Rd in Loudoun Co, VA; in
Lucketts, Loudoun Co, VA on Jan 28; seven at Bell's Ln, Staunton, VA on Jan
25; and on Jan 23 between the Thomas Jefferson Rollins Nature Area and the
Public Boat Ramp at Messick Point, Poquoson. There was also one on Jan 24
along Featherbed Rd, White Post, Clarke Co, VA.
The continuing LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE at the Smith Farm in Lunenburg, VA was
recently seen Jan 27. A NORTHERN SHRIKE* continues for the second
consecutive winter at the Sully Woodlands in Fairfax Co, VA, with the most
recent sighting Jan 29.
A SEDGE WREN was found at Jefferson Patterson Park in Calvert Co, MD on Jan
27.
A single RED CROSSBILL was found Jan 24 at Reddish Knob, Augusta Co, VA
while six were found the same day at Briery Branch Gap, Rockingham Co, VA.
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was seen again near the intersection of Nicholson and
Model Rd, Rockingham Co, VA on Jan 24.
The continuing CLAY-COLORED SPARROW at the Laurel Hill Equestrian Center,
Fairfax Co, VA was seen most recently Jan 28. Ten VESPER SPARROWS were seen
at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park,
Dorchester Co, MD on Jan 27.
A continuing BALTIMORE ORIOLE visited a feeder in Lincoln, Loudoun Co, VA
throughout the week. A BALTIMORE ORIOLE was photographed Jan 23 eating an
orange on the Jefferson Park Trail, Charlottesville, VA.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were found at several locations in the reporting
area. Out-of-season warblers included a continuing YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
at a residential feeder in Virginia Beach, VA throughout the week.
***
This week's report was based on reports on the DE, MD, VA, and WV list
servers, and eBird records.
The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606,
http://anshome.org/naturalist-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
