FYI Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 8/5/2008
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, August 5, at
1:00 p.m.
Top bird this week is WHITE-FACED IBIS* in DE.
Other birds of interest include TRUMPETER SWAN, ANHINGA, herons
including TRICOLORED, WHITE IBIS, MISSISSIPPI KITE, shorebirds,
FRANKLIN'S GULL, GULL-BILLED TERN, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, swallows,
DICKCISSEL, and PURPLE FINCH.
A WHITE-FACED IBIS* continued to be reported from Raymond Pool, Bombay
Hook, NWR, DE this past weekend.
TRUMPETER SWAN #960 was seen again last week at the Oxbow Lake Nature
Preserve, Anne Arundel Co, MD.
A male ANHINGA was seen July 30 circling above the entrance causeway
at Stumpy Lake, Virginia Beach.
LEAST BITTERNS continue to be seen at the Oxbow Lake Nature Preserve
with a report of three on July 29 and one on Aug 2.
A TRICOLORED HERON in juvenile plumage was noted north of the Occoquan
marina on Aug 3. It was in the shallows near Fairfax Co, VA.
A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was sitting under the Kelly Avenue Bridge
on July 31 near Lake Roland, Baltimore Co, MD. Five different
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were seen Aug 2 at the Kenilworth Aquatic
Gardens, NE DC and four were there on the 4th.
An immature WHITE IBIS was seen on a farm in Leedstown, Westmoreland
Co, VA on July 30. A juvenile WHITE IBIS was seen July 31 at the Farm
Point area of the Jug Bay Sanctuary, Anne Arundel Co, MD. Nearby on
Aug 1, a juvenile WHITE IBIS was seen flying north over the Patuxent
River, Anne Arundel/Prince George's Co, MD on Aug 1.
MISSISSIPPI KITES were seen over Springfield, Fairfax Co, VA several
times during the past week. On July 29 a MISSISSIPPI KITE flew over
West Springfield near Carrleigh Parkway. On Aug 1 a MISSISSIPPI KITE
soared in lazy circles and then glided off to the southeast over the
eastern part of Springfield Golf & Country Club, also in West
Springfield. And on Aug 2 one was seen flying over a yard in North
Springfield.
On Aug 3, two MISSISSIPPI KITES were soaring over Runt Powell's farm
on Wolf Trap Rd in Halifax Co, VA.
Shorebirds and waders were also reported from a number of other
locations this past week including Paper Mill Flats, Baltimore Co, MD,
Leonard's Pond, Rockingham Co, VA, and Hog Island WMA, Surry County,
VA.
A first summer FRANKLIN'S GULL and two BLACK TERNS, along with a lot
of shorebirds, were seen at Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD, on
Aug 2.
A GULL-BILLED TERN was found Aug 2 at Truitt's Landing, Worcester Co,
MD along with a lot of shorebirds.
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen in Townsend, Northampton County, VA
on July 31near their usual haunts on the Eastern Shore.
Impressively large flocks of gathering swallows were seen in several
locations this past week. PURPLE MARTINS are massing in the thousands
in Shockoe Bottom in downtown Richmond, VA. And over 1500 BANK
SWALLOWS were seen perched on wires and corn plants the morning of
July 30 along Cottage Farm Rd between Oak Grove and Leedstown,
Westmoreland, Co, VA.
A singing male DICKCISSEL was seen July 30 near the ruins of the Old
Whitemarsh Church in Talbot Co, MD, just off US 50 south of Easton. A
singing male DICKCISSEL was seen Aug 2 south of Winchester in
Frederick Co, VA.
A female PURPLE FINCH was seen July 30 pecking around in a front yard
in Falls Church, VA.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey,
VA-Bird, and DE-bird list servers.
Finding Birds in the National Capital Area by Claudia Wilds is an
excellent source for 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 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.
