Just in case you're int'd.
Joe Coleman, Loudoun Co, VA
----- Original Message -----
From: <scordle@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <birdeast@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 5:36 PM
Subject: DC Area, 8/24/04
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 8/24/04
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 24, at 5 p.m.
Top birds this week are WHITE IBIS and *CURLEW SANDPIPER in MD and
GLOSSY IBIS in DC.
Other birds of interest include BROWN PELICAN, LITTLE BLUE HERON,
MISSISSIPPI KITE, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, shorebirds including BAIRD'S and
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, BLACK and other TERNS, COMMON NIGHTHAWK,
OLIVE-SIDED, YELLOW-BELLIED, and other FLYCATCHERS, PURPLE MARTIN,
SEDGE WREN, GOLDEN-WINGED, MOURNING, and other warblers, and BOBOLINK.
The immature WHITE IBIS at Piney Run Park, Carroll County, MD [DeLorme
57, A4] was located again Aug 18. At 5:30 pm it was feeding in a back
corner of the lake off White Rock Rd, though two hours later it was
nowhere to be found.
The GLOSSY IBIS discovered Aug 17 near the Hains Point golf course, SW
DC, has been seen daily through Aug 23. It favors the grassy strip
between the outbound road and the Washington Channel.
The *CURLEW SANDPIPER at Assateague Island SP, Worcester Co, MD, has
been found repeatedly--with diligent searching--through Aug 21. The
bird frequents bayside mudflats about 2.5 km north of the parking lot.
This area can be reached by walking north 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. Bonus birds in the
area have included PIPING PLOVER, MARBLED GODWIT, and BLACK TERN.
BROWN PELICANS began nesting in the middle portions of the Chesapeake
Bay in 1992; now, more than 2,000 pairs breed in the mid-Atlantic each
summer, and this year nearly 2,500 pelican chicks have been banded.
An immature LITTLE BLUE HERON was reported Aug 21 at Huntley Meadows
Park, Fairfax Co, VA, along with 7 species of shorebird. A LITTLE BLUE
HERON was spotted Aug 19 at the Wye Research Center near Queenstown,
Queen Anne's Co, MD.
A MISSISSIPPI KITE was observed in the vicinity of the Waynewood
Elementary School, Fairfax Co, Aug 17 and 18.
The Rockfish Gap hawk watch at Afton, Augusta Co, VA, finds
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS moving earlier than expected; by Aug 21 they'd
already tallied 61.
Shorebird migration is in full swing. In the District, on Aug 20 about
20 LESSER YELLOWLEGS and 15-20 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS foraged in long wet
grasses at Anacostia River Park, NE DC.
In Northern VA, some 9 shorebird species could be found at Cameron
Run, Alexandria, on Aug 17; birds here can be viewed from the bike
path along Eisenhower Ave.
At Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA, shorebirds this week included UPLAND
SANDPIPER, HUDSONIAN and MARBLED GODWITS, and WILSON'S PHALAROPE.
There were also GULL-BILLED and LEAST TERNS.
A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was reported from the Hurlock sewage ponds,
Dorchester Co, MD, Aug 22. On Aug 21, Hart-Miller Island in the
Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore Co, showcased 22 species of shorebird and 5
species of tern, including 31 BLACK TERNS. SEMIPALMATED PLOVER and
LEAST and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were noted at the turf farm north of
Sycamore Landing Rd, east of the C&O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD, Aug 21.
A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was seen again at Bladensburg Waterfront Park,
Prince George's Co, MD, Aug 18, at low tide around 4:30 pm; as before,
it was on a small mudflat beneath a footbridge being constructed on
the bank of the river.
On Aug 17, half a dozen shorebird species--including 2 BAIRD'S
SANDPIPERS--were at the Youghiougheny Reservoir, Garrett Co, MD. A
juvenile BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was seen Aug 18 at the Aldino Sod Farms in
Harford Co, MD.
The DE shore continues to draw large numbers of waders and shorebirds.
On Aug 22, a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was found on one of the grassy
islands at Bombay Hook NWR's Shearness Pool, while a HUDSONIAN GODWIT
arrived at Raymond Pool at high tide. Two BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS
were found that day in a potato field on Rte 9, opposite the entrance
road to the refuge. Thousands of shorebirds were reported from
Slaughter Beach, DE, on Aug 20.
On the lower Delmarva peninsula, a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was spotted
as it ducked between furrows of a wet field on the east side of Rte
600 between Oyster and Willis Wharf, Northampton Co, VA.
FORSTER'S TERNS were on view at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, NE DC, Aug
18. Three BLACK TERNS and 2 FORSTER'S TERNS fed over the Potomac at
Violette's Lock on the C&O Canal, Montgomery Co, Aug 20. Eleven BLACK
TERNS--along with many CASPIAN and FORSTER'S TERNS--were found at the
Eastern Neck narrows, Kent Co, MD, Aug 22.
COMMON NIGHTHAWK numbers are on the upswing. In Montgomery Co,
Nighthawks have been spotted in Ashton and at the Blue Mash Nature
Trail; by Aug 23, 100 or more nighthawks plied the fields around the
intersection of Rte 108 and Zion Rd. On Aug 21 in Fairfax Co, 7
nighthawks showed up at Van Dyck Park, while 21 swooped over the Hyatt
at the Town Center in Reston.
An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was sighted at Rock Creek Park's Picnic area
#18 Aug 22.
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER made several appearances. One was reported
from Brighton Dam, Montgomery Co, Aug 19, and one from Blue Mash Aug
22. One was seen Aug 22 along the entrance road to Little Creek
Wildlife Area, DE. And one was found Aug 23--along with LEAST and
TRAILL'S FLYCATCHERS--at the Military Rd Field in Rock Creek Park.
On Aug 17, a huge gathering of PURPLE MARTINS--at least 3,500,
possibly 4,500--lined the power lines at the entrance to Mariners
Point Park in southern Harford Co, MD. Most of these birds were
females or juveniles.
On Aug 21, at least 3 SEDGE WRENS were singing in Augusta Co, VA, from
a field along Rte 876 near its intersection with Rte 602. Subsequent
sounds suggested begging and feeding activities.
Warbler migration is well under way. Highlights include GOLDEN-WINGED
WARBLER, seen Aug 23 both in NW DC, near the horse corrals in Rock
Creek Park, and in Prince William Co, behind the Visitor Center at
Leesylvania SP. A MOURNING WARBLER was found Aug 22 at Banshee Reeks
Nature Preserve, Loudoun Co, VA.
Other warbler reports in VA come from Long Branch Nature Center and
Potomac Overlook Park, Arlington Co; Thompson WMA, Fauquier Co; and
the New York Monuments area of Manassas National Battlefield Park,
Prince William Co.
In MD, assorted warblers have been seen at Layhill Park and Blue Mash
in Montgomery Co. A dozen warbler species were found at Black Walnut
Point on Tilghman Island, Talbot Co, Aug 22. In Baltimore City, a
warbler flock on Weatheredsville Rd (between Windsor Mill and
Franklintown) held an early YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.
Two BOBOLINKS were found Aug 20 at Southwest Area Park, Baltimore
Co--as were 2 immature LITTLE BLUE HERONS.
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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