FYI - this report is for sightings from July 8 through July 14 and was compiled
by Gerry Hawkins & transcribed by Steve Cordle.
Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 7/15/2014
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE/WV panhandle
Reports, comments, questions: voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Compiler: Gerry Hawkins
Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the
Central Atlantic States (independent of NAS)
Transcriber: Steve Cordle
Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of
the Voice (Individual $50; Family $65; Nature Steward $100; Audubon
Advocate $200). 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 covers the week starting Tuesday, July
8 and was completed on Tuesday, July 15 at 9:45 a.m.
The top birds this week were SOOTY SHEARWATER in MD and WILSON'S
STORM-PETREL in MD and DE.
Other birds of interest this week included SNOW GOOSE, TUNDRA SWAN,
MUTE SWAN, KING EIDER and various other ducks, NORTHERN BOBWHITE,
RED-NECKED and HORNED GREBES, ANHINGA, WHITE IBIS, MISSISSIPPI KITE,
WILSON'S PHALAROPE and various other shorebirds, GULL-BILLED, BLACK
and SANDWICH TERNS, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, MERLIN, MARSH WREN,
WILSON'S WARBLER, LINCOLN'S and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS and orange
SCARLET and SUMMER TANAGERS.
TOP BIRDS
Following Hurricane Arthur, seabird sightings included a SOOTY
SHEARWATER in flight at the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD on July
10. WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS also were seen in flight at the Ocean City
Inlet on this date, as well as at several other locations, including
at the end of Fowler Beach Road, Sussex Co, DE on July 8, 9 and 13 and
in DE waters from the Lewes-Cape May ferry on July 10 and 12. In
addition, two WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS were observed at the mouth of the
Choptank River, Talbot Co, MD on July 12.
OTHER BIRDS OF INTEREST
Sightings of geese and swans included a SNOW GOOSE at 12 Stones Road
Pond, Harford Co, MD on July 9, 11 and 13 and Bombay Hook NWR, Kent
Co, DE on July 13, and a TUNDRA SWAN at Bombay Hook NWR on July 12. In
addition, 18 MUTE SWANS were at Bethel Beach, Matthews Co, VA on July
11.
Sightings of ducks included a continuing female KING EIDER on Poplar
Island, Talbot Co, MD on July 9. WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were at North
Beach, Calvert Co, MD on July 8 (1), Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD on
July 9 (2) and Black Walnut Point, Talbot Co, MD on July 13 (1). BLACK
SCOTERS were observed at various locations, including several
locations in Sussex and Kent Cos, DE on July 7, 9, 10 and 11 (1-6),
North Beach, Calvert Co, MD on July 8 and 9 (1) and Ocean City Inlet,
Worcester Co, MD on July 10 (80). Four LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen on
Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD on July 9. Duck sightings during the week
also included GADWALL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CANVASBACK, RING-NECKED
DUCK, GREATER and LESSER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER and
RUDDY DUCK.
A NORTHERN BOBWHITE was heard along Turner Road in Calvert Co, MD on
July 8, 10 and 11, and an adult and a juvenile were encountered along
Old Bradley Road in Wicomico Co, MD on July 10.
A breeding adult RED-NECKED GREBE was at Violette's Lock on the C&O
Canal, Montgomery Co, MD on July 10-12. A breeding adult HORNED GREBE
was seen at North Beach, Calvert Co, MD on July 9.
An ANHINGA was reported at a pond along Blackwater Road, Chesapeake
Co, VA on July 13.
WHITE IBIS was seen at several locations during the week, including in
Sussex Co, DE on July 8 (2), Truitt's Landing, Worcester Co, MD on
July 10 (1) and South Haven Beach, Matthews Co, VA on July 11 (8).
A MISSISSIPPI KITE was reported in flight over Virginia Beach, VA on
July 8, 11 and 12. On July 13 two MISSISSIPPI KITES were observed
perched high in a tree in a residential yard in Warrenton, Fauquier
Co, VA, which is the same general area in which this species has
nested in recent years.
Shorebird sightings included a WILSON'S PLOVER on Metompkin Island,
Accomack Co, VA on July 8. This past week saw increasing evidence of
shorebird migration, with WHIMBRELS on Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD
and at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD; a MARBLED GODWIT in flight
over Ocean City, Worcester Co, MD; STILT STANDPIPERS at Poplar Island,
Talbot Co, MD, Broadkill Beach marsh, Sussex Co, DE and Bombay Hook
NWR, Kent Co, DE; a RED KNOT at the end of Fowler Beach Road in Prime
Hook NWR, Sussex Co, DE; a PECTORAL SANDPIPER at Bombay Hook NWR, Kent
Co, DE; WESTERN SANDPIPERS at various locations, including North
Beach, Calvert Co, MD, Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD, the Craney Island
Disposal Area, Portsmouth, VA and Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE; and a
WILSON'S PHALAROPE on Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD. Shorebird
sightings also included BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS,
BLACK-NECKED STILT, AMERICAN AVOCET, SOLITARY and SPOTTED SANDPIPERS,
GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WILLET (Western subspecies), RUDDY
TURNSTONE, SANDERLING, DUNLIN and LEAST and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS.
A GULL-BILLED TERN was seen at Swan Creek Wetland-Cox Creek, Anne
Arundel Co, MD on July 8, on Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD on July 9
and on Skimmer Island in Ocean City, Worcester Co, MD on July 12.
BLACK TERNS were spotted at Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD on July 9
(4), Craney Island Disposal Area, Portsmouth, VA on July 9 (3) and
Prime Hook NWR, Sussex Co, DE on July 11 and 13 (1). SANDWICH TERNS
were seen at various locations in Matthews Co, VA on July 11, at
Assawoman Wildlife Area, Sussex Co, DE on July 11 (1) and on a sandbar
at the end of Prime Hook Beach Road, Sussex Co, DE on July 13 (1).
A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was reported along Fowler Beach Road in Prime
Hook NWR, Sussex Co, MD on July 9 and at the Bridgewater Retirement
Community, Rockingham Co, VA on July 10.
A MERLIN was observed eating prey and in flight at Burke's Garden,
Tazewell Co, VA on July 12.
A continuing MARSH WREN was reported at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic
Gardens, Washington, DC on July 9.
A WILSON'S WARBLER was reported in Page Co, VA on July 13.
A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen at Finzel Swamp Nature Preserve, Garrett
Co, MD on July 11. A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was spotted again in West
Friendship Park, Howard Co, MD on July 7 and also reported at a home
in Hampton, VA on July 10 and at the Edith Carrier Arboretum,
Harrisonburg Co, VA on July 13.
An unusual all-orange SCARLET TANAGER was seen at Middle Patuxent
Environmental Area, Howard Co, MD on July 13, and an all-orange SUMMER
TANAGER was reported at Pennyfield Lock on the C&O Canal, Montgomery
Co, MD on July 12.
***
This week's report was based on reports on the DE, MD, VA, and WV list
servers via the ABA Internet links, and on eBird records.
The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606,
http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/index.php/support-ans/shop), is an
excellent source for guidebooks and many other nature-related titles.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Please post reports before midnight
Monday, identify the county as well as the state, and include your
name and a Tuesday morning contact, e-mail or phone.
Thank you for your interest, and enjoy the birds.
*Of interest to the records committee.
