FYI Joe Coleman
----- Original Message -----
birdeast
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 6:58 PM
Subject: DC Area, 8/30/2005
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 8/30/2005
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 $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 tape was made Tuesday, August 30, at 3:30
p.m.
Top birds this week are MISSISSIPPI KITE and RUFF, both in VA.
Other birds of interest include seabirds, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN,
AMERICAN and LEAST BITTERNS, AMERICAN KESTREL, SORA; shorebirds
including AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, UPLAND SANDPIPER, HUDSONIAN GODWIT,
RED KNOT, WHITE-RUMPED, BAIRD'S, and BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS and
WILSON'S and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES; jaegers; SANDWICH, BRIDLED, and
BLACK TERNS; COMMON NIGHTHAWK, WHIP-POOR-WILL, RUBY-THROATED
HUMMINGBIRD, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, OLIVE-SIDED and other flycatchers,
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, SEDGE WREN, and GOLDEN-WINGED and other warblers.
MISSISSIPPI KITES were again winging over their two Northern Virginia
haunts on Aug 28. A single bird was observed in Annandale, Fairfax Co,
west of I-495 and north of Braddock Rd. Four MISSISSIPPI KITES--2
adults and 2 juveniles--were aloft in the Waynewood subdivision in
southeastern Fairfax Co. All these birds can be expected to depart
soon.
A RUFF was reported Aug 27 from Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA; it
was with an assortment of shorebirds in Snow Goose Pool.
The Aug 27 pelagic out of Lewes, DE, found CORY'S and AUDUBON'S
SHEARWATERS, more than 550 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, RED-NECKED
PHALAROPE, and PARASITIC JAEGER. A fishing/birding trip the day before
also scored GREATER SHEARWATER, LEACH'S STORM-PETREL, LONG-TAILED
JAEGER, and BRIDLED TERN.
An Aug 28 Harford Bird Club trip to Conowingo Dam turned up an
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN on the Susquehanna River; it sat for about 3
hours near Bird Island (the second large island downstream from the
dam). Also in the area: BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS.
An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was sighted Aug 23 at Ted Harvey
Conservation Area, DE--as were 4 BLACK TERNS.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was found Aug 24 at the Harrison Rd pond, Fauquier
Co, VA. Two probable AMERICAN BITTERNS were spotted Aug 24 near Boyd's
Cove on South River, Anne Arundel Co, MD.
A family of AMERICAN KESTRELS--2 adults, 2 immatures--has taken up
residence on a building at the corner of Connecticut and Rhode Island
Avenues, NW DC; they can be seen catching insects on the wing and even
dropping down onto the sidewalk on Rhode Island.
An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was found Aug 28 and 29 at fields of the
Patton Turf Farm on River Rd, south of White's Ferry, Montgomery Co,
MD; these fields also hid 2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS on the 28th. A
third BUFF-BREASTED was among KILLDEER at the polo grounds on Hughes
Road, Montgomery Co.
Among 24 species of shorebirds tallied by the ANS trip to the Eastern
Shore Aug 27 and 28 were 6 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS at the Central Sod
Farm on John Brown Rd, Queen Anne's Co, MD; 1 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
and 1 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER in a field just south of Leipsic, DE;
and, at Shearness Pool, Bombay Hook NWR, DE, 4 BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPERS and 1 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER.
The weekly tour of Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD, scored 21
shorebird species, in including 33 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS and a
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, as well as 2 LEAST BITTERNS and a SORA.
On Aug 29, John Brown Rd hosted 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS and 3
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS.
As many as 8 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS have been seen through Aug 29
near the Woodward Turf Farm, south of Remington in southwestern
Fauquier Co, VA. The birds were in a field along Grassdale Rd, on the
right past the drive into the farm house on the right. In addition to
hundreds of KILLDEER, the fields held WILSON'S SNIPE and PECTORAL
SANDPIPERS.
Ten UPLAND SANDPIPERS were found along Grassdale Rd Aug 25 and 26.
In neighboring Culpeper Co, 2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were found Aug
25 through 29 on Newby's Shop Rd about 200 yards north of Kelly's Ford
Rd.
On Aug 28, the ORV zone of Assateague Island, Worcester Co, MD,
featured 1 WHIMBREL, 4 MARBLED GODWITS, and 8 SANDWICH TERNS.
A HUDSONIAN GODWIT was found Aug 26 at Chincoteague's Swan Cove Pool;
a MARBLED GODWIT was spotted at Chincoteague Aug 27.
A HUDSONIAN GODWIT was found Aug 25 at Bombay Hook's Raymond Pool,
along with an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, while a MARBLED GODWIT was found
at Shearness Pool Aug 23. On Aug 29, a HUDSONIAN GODWIT was spotted at
the north pond of Ted Harvey.
A RED KNOT continued at Swan Harbor Farm Park, Harford Co, MD, through
Aug 27, along with a STILT SANDPIPER.
A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was discovered Aug 25 picking through a potato
field south of Bombay Hook, at the intersection of Rte 9 and Edgewater
Farm Rd; it was still present Aug 28.
A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER spotted Aug 25 at the pond on Williams Rd, Cecil
Co, MD, was still present Aug 30.
The WWTP in Hurlock, Dorchester Co, MD, held a BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER, and a BLACK TERN, on August 28.
A basic-plumaged WILSON'S PHALAROPE was still at the Rte 50 borrow pit
west of Salisbury, Wicomico Co, MD, on August 28.
Two, perhaps 3, WILSON'S PHALAROPES were feeding at the impoundments
on Broadkill Beach Rd, DE, on Aug 28.
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS continue to entertain at various area venues,
including Van Ness St, NW DC; Vienna, Fairfax City, and Fall Church in
Northern Virginia; and, in MD, Bethesda in Montgomery Co and the Johns
Hopkins stadium in Baltimore.
Through Aug 27, WHIP-POOR-WILLS were calling along Old Hanover Rd,
Baltimore Co.
An immature RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, sporting an unusual
brown-and-white plumage, was discovered at Rock Creek Park's
Maintenance Yard, NW DC, Aug 28.
Some 13 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS, as well as an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER,
were found Aug 28 at Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co; they were at the
edge of Walnut Grove, the open woods just north of the contact
station. On Aug 26 an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER visited a yard in Howard
Co, MD.
An Aug 26 visit to Occoquan NWR, Prince William Co, VA, netted a
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER in a bare tree next to the gazebo.
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was one of a small mixed group of breeders
and migrants at along Freezeland Rd in Thompson WMA, western Fauquier
Co, on Aug 26; most of the birds were just south of the southernmost
parking lot.
Highlight of the monthly walk at the Blue Ridge Center in northwestern
Loudoun County, VA, on Aug 27, was a well-seen LEAST FLYCATCHER.
A SEDGE WREN was pished up Aug 23 at Ted Harvey, just past the gate to
the Bay.
A GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was one of several migrants seen Aug 24 at the
Rock Creek Park Maintenance Yard, along with a YELLOW-BELLIED
FLYCATCHER. Sixteen species of warblers--and an assortment of
Emipds--were found Aug 25 at Middle Patuxent Environmental Area,
Howard Co. A hatch-year MOURNING WARBLER was the highlight of the
weekly Sunday walk at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co. Riverbend Park in
Fairfax Co was another focus for migrant warblers.
On Oct 22, See Life Paulagics is running an 11-hour trip out of Lewes,
DE. For more information, contact them at 215-234-6805 or check their
web page at paulagics.com.
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 of 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. But please do not submit photographs. 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 MD/DC Records Committee. For more information,
visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
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