FYI
Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
From: <scordle@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <birdeast@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 5:54 PM
Subject: DC Area, 8/17/04
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 8/17/04
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)
Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of
the Voice (Individual $30; Family $40; Nature Steward $60; Audubon
Advocate $100). 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, August 17, at 4 p.m.
Top birds this week are ANHINGA in VA; WHITE IBIS, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER,
and *CURLEW SANDPIPER in MD; and GLOSSY IBIS in DC.
Other birds of interest include seabirds, waders, MISSISSIPPI KITE,
BALD EAGLE, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, VIRGINIA RAIL, SANDHILL CRANE,
shorebirds, GULL-BILLED, BRIDLED, and BLACK TERNS, BLACK-BILLED
CUCKOO, COMMON RAVEN, SEDGE WREN, and BOBOLINK.
ANHINGAS are again visiting the Stumpy Lake golf course in the
Kempsville area of Virginia Beach [DeLorme 30, B2]. One female Anhinga
was found on Aug 13; two females were in view Aug 14. [For directions,
see Claudia Wilds.**]
An immature WHITE IBIS was discovered Aug 12 in Queen Anne's Co, MD.
It was in a small pond along Rte 309, just west of Ruthsburg Rd (Rte
481) [DeLorme 50, C3].
An immature WHITE IBIS showed up Aug 17 at Piney Run Park, Carroll
County, MD [DeLorme 57, A4]. It was standing on a small brush pile at
the upper end of the lake off White Rock Rd. Access to this part of
the park is restricted, but it may be possible to see this bird from
the side of White Rock Rd through the dense vegetation.
A GLOSSY IBIS was found Aug 17 at Hains Point, SW DC; it was on the
7th fairway of the golf course, close to the cross road that links to
the road leading out to the point.
A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was discovered among a small group of shorebirds
at Bladensburg Waterfront Park, Prince George's Co, MD, Aug 15; it was
seen again early on the morning of Aug 16 and again around 5 pm, both
times at low tide. The BAIRD'S and another half dozen species of
shorebird were on a small mudflat beneath a footbridge being
constructed on the bank of the river.
The *CURLEW SANDPIPER discovered Aug 8 at Assateague Island SP,
Worcester Co, MD, was relocated by numerous intrepid birders through
the week, with the most recent report from Aug 16. The bird frequents
bayside flats about 2.5 km north of the parking lot. One large mudflat
can be reached by walking up the beach until a white-topped post
marked 8.0 comes into view, then heading diagonally toward the post
through a narrow fringe of marsh. On Aug 14 and 15, the Curlew
Sandpiper was found south of this area, around the first group of
trees to a small flat by the bay.
A deepwater pelagic out of Rudee Inlet, Virginia Beach, Aug 15,
produced CORY'S, GREATER, SOOTY, and AUDUBON'S SHEARWATERS, WILSON'S
and LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS, RED PHALAROPE, and BRIDLED TERN.
An adult SNOWY EGRET, along with 4 immature LITTLE BLUE HERONS, were
reported Aug 12 at Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge/North Tract, Anne
Arundel Co, MD. On Aug 11, a LITTLE BLUE HERON was noted at Kenilworth
Aquatic Gardens, NE DC. Two LITTLE BLUE HERONS were seen at Huntley
Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA, on Aug 12. And on Aug 11, a LITTLE BLUE
HERON was spotted as it flew over West Ox Rd and the Fairfax Co
Parkway.
Fairfax Co again enjoyed several sightings of MISSISSIPPI KITE. A
MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen in the vicinity of the Waynewood Elementary
School on Aug 12, 15, and 16. Two adults were spotted over the Carl
Sandburg MS, west of Waynewood, on Aug 10; and one was seen west of
Fort Hunt Aug 13.
The hawk watch at Snicker's Gap, on the Clarke/Loudoun Co line,
registered a dozen BROAD-WINGED HAWKS--and 3 BALD EAGLES--on Aug 15.
That same day, the Rockfish Gap hawk watch at Afton, Augusta Co, VA,
had 41 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS and its first BALD EAGLE of the season.
A VIRGINIA RAIL was found Aug 15 at Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA;
it was in cattails at the pond on the west side of US 17.
Three SANDHILL CRANES are still being seen near Mt. Solon in Augusta
Co, VA. On Aug 15 the birds were on the west side of Mossy Creek
Rd/Rte 757, between box #581 and box #398. Traffic is dangerous; park
your vehicle in front of a vacant store and carefully walk back. A
scope is helpful.
In the District, PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were among half a dozen species
of shorebird seen at Anacostia River Park and Kenilworth Park, NE DC,
Aug 15.
In Northern VA, Hunting Creek featured 7 shorebird species Aug 14. On
Aug 16, a PECTORAL SANDPIPER joined assorted waders and shorebirds
along Cameron Run, Alexandria; birds here can be seen from the bike
path along Eisenhower Ave.
On Aug 10, "clouds of shorebirds" enlivened Lake Roland in Baltimore
Co.
On Aug 12, the waterbird/shorebird spectacle at Bombay Hook was
described as "breathtaking." "In Raymond Pool, hundreds of AMERICAN
AVOCETS mingle with dozens and dozens of SNOWY EGRETS, GREAT EGRETS,
GLOSSY IBIS, and BLACK-NECKED STILTS. A TRICOLORED HERON, GREAT BLUE
HERON, CATTLE EGRETS, and LITTLE BLUE HERON are also present. Numerous
STILT SANDPIPERS are mixed in with the hundreds of DOWITCHERS and
peeps..Also present are both YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER, SEMIPALMATED
PLOVERS, DUNLIN and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. Other birds seen at the
refuge included BALD EAGLES, BLACK-CROWNED AND YELLOW-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS, LEAST BITTERN, CASPIAN TERNS."
A field trip to Bombay Hook on Aug 14 met with perfect water levels
and tides and reprised most of these birds, adding WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPER and HUDSONIAN GODWIT.
At Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA, the shorebird mix included
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS and RED KNOT Aug 12 and AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER, UPLAND SANDPIPER, and WILSON'S PHALAROPE Aug 13.
Shorebirds were still numerous on Aug 17, but rains left water levels
high and made the roads treacherous; check with office about driving
conditions. A BLACK TERN visited Craney Island Aug 12.
Four GULL-BILLED TERNS skimmed the Hurlock sewage ponds, Dorchester
Co, MD, Aug 15. A SANDWICH TERN was seen at Skimmer Island, Ocean
City, Worcester Co, MD, Aug 11.
A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was observed near the lockhouse at Violette's
Lock on the C&O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD, Aug 12.
Two COMMON RAVENS were noted, along with several raptors, from the Sky
Meadows bridle path Aug 15.
Two of the SEDGE WRENS of Augusta Co were heard again Aug 12; they
sing from a field along Rte 876 near its intersection with Rte 602.
SEDGE WRENS discovered Aug 8 at the Eastern VA Rivers NWR, near
Tappahannock, Essex Co, were seen again Aug 12. (This is a
limited-access area; for permission to enter, call 804-333-1470.)
At Allen's Fresh in Charles Co, MD, two SEDGE WRENS were still singing
on territory Aug 16; these birds are on a private farm.
Two dozen BOBOLINKS fluttered along the road edge at the North Fork
wetlands, Prince William Co, Aug 14. A dozen BOBOLINKS were seen in
fields at Allen's Fresh Aug 16.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOSPREY,
VA-Bird, and Delaware Birds list servers.
**Claudia Wilds's book, Finding Birds in the National Capital Area,
is an excellent source of directions to many birding sites. And the
ANS Bookstore is an excellent source for this and many other
nature-related titles: 301-652-3606.
To report bird sightings, you can e-mail your report to
voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. You may also report by calling
301-652-1088 and selecting menu option 2. Please post e-mail reports
before midnight Monday, identify the county and state, and include
your name and a Tuesday morning phone number.
Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
* Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For more information,
visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
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