FYI - this report is for sightings from April 21 through April 27 and was
compiled by Joe Coleman & transcribed by Steve Cordle
Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 4/28/09
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: Joe Coleman
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 report was completed Tuesday, April 28, at
3:30 pm.
Top birds this week are WHITE-FACED IBIS* in MD and DE, SWALLOW-TAILED
KITE* in VA, YELLOW RAIL* in MD, EUROPEAN WHIMBREL* in MD,
WHITE-WINGED DOVE* in MD, and HARRIS'S SPARROW* in MD and VA.
Other birds of interest include BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK*,
NORTHERN BOBWHITE, EARED GREBE, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN
BITTERN, CATTLE EGRET, MISSISSIPPI KITE, GOLDEN EAGLE, rails including
BLACK, COMMON MOORHEN, shorebirds, ICELAND GULL, terns, EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVE*, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, flycatchers including
OLIVE-SIDED, COMMON RAVEN, warblers including SWAINSON'S, SUMMER
TANAGER, VESPER and HENSLOW'S SPARROWS*, ROSE-BREASTED and BLUE
GROSBEAKS, BOBOLINK, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, and RED CROSSBILL.
The WHITE-FACED IBIS* near Berlin, Worcester Co, MD was seen again
this past week with reports from the 23rd through the 27th of April;
it was reported with five GLOSSY IBIS on the 24th. The bird was on the
east side of Rte 113 just south of Rte 346 in a big grass field only
slightly south and east of the Berlin WWTP, which is just south of Rte
50. The WHITE-FACED IBIS* on the Prime Hook Beach Road, Sussex Co, DE
continued to be seen last week.
A SWALLOW-TAILED KITE* was seen circling and then flying rapidly north
the morning of April 25 as a birder was leaving the Waterpenny plant
sale in Sperryville, Rappahannock Co, VA.
YELLOW RAILS* were intermittently heard late at night on April 24 and
on April 25 about half way down Rumbly Point Rd in Somerset Co, MD.
While only one may have been heard on Sunday evening, April 26, three
other rail species, including two BLACK RAILS were heard.
A EUROPEAN WHIMBREL* was found April 24 during a survey of the ORV
Zone of Assateague Island National Seashore, MD.
A WHITE-WINGED DOVE* in MD was well seen at the eastern end of Hunting
Quarter Rd in Montgomery County, MD, about a 100 yards beyond the
intersection with River Rd. Approaching from Potomac, Md., the
intersection is just past the McKee-Besher's turnout on the left and
just before River Rd passes the Buddhist temple.
The HARRIS'S SPARROW at a residence near Dayton, Rockingham Co, VA was
reported again on April 25. The owner at 5946 West Dry River Rd is
happy to share with courteous birders. The HARRIS'S SPARROW in
Columbia, Howard Co, MD, continues with a report from April 25. It
can be found at 6760 Alexander Bell Drive in Columbia. (From I-95,
take MD 175 west 1/2 mile to Gateway Drive; go south on Gateway to a
right on A. Bell. Walk around the right side of the building to the
rear, where there are several feeders.) As always, treat private
property with respect.
The BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK* continues at Silver Lake, Rehoboth,
DE.
NORTHERN BOBWHITE were seen April 25 near the wetland in the native
meadow at Blandy Experimental Farm, Clarke Co, VA.
An EARED GREBE was found at Roanoke VA's sewage treatment plant on
April 21.
On April 21 a dozen AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS landed at Lake Liganore,
New Market, Frederick Co, MD.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen April 25 and April 27 at Huntley Meadows
Pk, Fairfax Co, VA. A CATTLE EGRET was seen April 21st and 22nd where
the Tidal Basin in SW DC drains into the Potomac River.
A MISSISSIPPI KITE flew over the Ft Smallwood Park, Anne Arundel Co,
MD on April 27. A GOLDEN EAGLE was found April 26 along Clifton Farms
Road in Russell Co, VA.
BLACK RAILS were heard in the marshes of southern Dorchester Co, MD
early on Apr 25. Three SORAS were found at Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD
on Apr 15. Another SORA was seen at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co, MD
on Apr 17. Two VIRGINIA RAILS and a SORA were heard at the Union Mills
wetland, Carroll Co, MD on Apr 26. On April 25 two KING RAILS were
seen at the bridge which crosses the road at the Occoquan Bay NWR,
Prince William Co, VA. A VIRGINIA RAIL and a SORA were seen at Swan
Harbor Farm Park in Harford Co, MD on April 26.
A COMMON MOORHEN was found April 26 at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co,
MD.
On April 23 there was a single PIPING PLOVER on the beach on the west
side of Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA.
An ICELAND GULL was seen off Brown's Island in downtown Richmond, VA
on April 22.
A FORSTER'S TERN was found at North Branch, Allegany Co, MD on Apr 25.
On April 23 a pair of EURASIAN COLLARED DOVES* was seen on a wire
along Briery Branch Rd, Rte 257 W just past the little white church on
the left and Rte 604 near mail box 511 in Rockingham Co, VA.
A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was found a little southwest of Purcellville, VA
on April 25. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS were also found on April 26 at Blue
Mash, Montgomery Co, MD and in a backyard in Vienna, Fairfax Co, VA.
An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was found April 26 near the corner of MD
Rte198 and Good Hope Rd, by the parking lot of the Spencerville
Seventh-Day Adventist School. Numerous other people reported
first-of-season observations of various different flycatchers this
past week.
A COMMON RAVEN was seen April 21 flying over a yard in Fairfax
Station, Fairfax Co, VA. A COMMON RAVEN flew over the Fort Smallwood
Park hawk watch, Anne Arundel Co, MD on April 25.
Warbler sightings continued to multiply with many sites reporting a
number of different species. Among the sites with the most reports
were Huntley Meadows and Dyke Marsh in Fairfax Co, VA; Hughes Hollow
in Montgomery Co, MD; and Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC. An
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was among the warblers found April 27 in the
James River Park, Richmond, VA. Five SWAINSON'S WARBLERS were heard
and one seen along Jericho Ditch, in Great Dismal Swamp NWR, Suffolk,
VA on April 25.
SUMMER TANAGERS popped up at a few locations including Sugarloaf
Mountain, Frederick Co, MD, on April 26,
A VESPER SPARROW was found at the Millington WMA in eastern Kent Co,
MD on April 25. A VESPER SPARROW was again found at the intersection
of Wilt Rd and Wakefield Valley Rd, Carroll Co, MD on April 26.
HENSLOW'S SPARROWS were heard singing along Old Legislative Road in
Allegany Co, MD on April 21.
ROSE-BREASTED and BLUE GROSBEAKS popped at several locations this past
week.
A single male BOBOLINK was seen perched on a chain link fence near
Lime Kiln Middle School in Fulton, Howard Co, MD on April 25.
BOBOLINKS have also returned to the agricultural fields in Beltsville,
Prince George's Co, MD.
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were found both on April 24 and 25 at Little Patuxent
Oxbow Lake Nature Preserve, Anne Arundel Co, MD.
A RED CROSSBILL was found April 23 in Constitution Gardens, DC. Three
RED CROSSBILLS were found April 23 at Reddish Knob, Rockingham Co, VA,
about a mile from the intersection of service road 85.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey,
VA-Bird, and Delaware list servers.
The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606,
http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/default.asp?page=511) is an excellent
source for guidebooks and many other nature-related titles.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or call 301-652-1088 and select 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 records committee.
