FYI - this report is for sightings from May 29 through June 4 and was compiled
by Joe Coleman & transcribed by Steve Cordle.
Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 06/05/2012
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE/WV panhandle
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports, comments, questions:
(e-mail): voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
Compiler: Joe Coleman
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 was completed Tuesday, June 5, at
10:30 AM.
Top bird this week is BLACK RAIL* in WV.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, NORTHERN BOBWHITE, HORNED
GREBE, SOOTY SHEARWATER, WILSON'S STORM PETREL, AMERICAN WHITE
PELICAN*, AMERICAN & LEAST BITTERN, CATTLE EGRET, GLOSSY IBIS*,
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, MISSISSIPPI KITE, GOLDEN EAGLE, PEREGRINE
FALCON, SANDHILL CRANE, shorebirds, ROYAL TERN, RED-COCKADED
WOODPECKER, ALDER FLYCATCHER, COMMON RAVEN, swallows, BROWN CREEPER,
SEDGE WREN, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, warblers, HENSLOW'S SPARROW, and
DICKSISSEL.
A BLACK RAIL was found May 29 a little north of Capon Bridge,
Hampshire Co, WV. To get there take Rte 50 from Winchester, VA to
Capon Bridge, and than take Co Rd 15 north out of town for 1.31 miles
to a gravel pull off right before a turn into a development. The Black
Rail was heard and continued to be heard through June 4 in the
bullrush wet meadow almost directly across from the entrance to the
road.
A drake BLUE-WINGED TEAL was seen May 30 at Schoolhouse Pond, Upper
Marlboro, Prince George's Co, MD; a female was seen there on May 31. A
survey on June 3 at the Cox Creek/Swan Creek property in northern Anne
Arundel Co, MD, produced a continuing male RING-NECKED DUCK, four
LESSER SCAUP, and two RUDDY DUCKs, and a hen RED-BREASTED MERGANSER in
the nearby river. A HOODED MERGANSER with its three ducklings was
observed June 3 at the privately-owned Dulles Greenway Wetlands
Mitigation Project, Loudoun Co, VA during the bluebird box survey. A
female COMMON MERGANSER with four ducklings riding on her back was
seen in the Shenandoah River from the Shanondale WMA, Jefferson Co,
WV.
NORTHERN BOBWHITES were observed in a number of locations this past
week including four May 31 at the Rappahannock River Valley NWR, Wilna
Tract Richmond Co, VA; a couple were also heard on June 2 along
Montressor Rd near Leesburg, Loudoun Co, VA.
A HORNED GREBE continued to be seen at Sandy Point SP, Anne Arundel
Co, MD; on June 2 it was between the Main and the East Beach.
A SOOTY SHEARWATER and a WILSON'S STORM PETREL flew past Assateague
Island National Seashore's South Beach (Worcester Co, MD) on May 31.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS* continued to be seen in DE last week with
reports from Thousand Acre Marsh near Delaware City and Fowler Beach.
An AMERCIAN BITTERN and a LEAST BITTERN were observed during the June
5 Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD trip; a LEAST BITTERN was also
seen during the May 30 trip there. A LEAST BITTERN was seen June 3
during the regular weekly walk at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA.
A CATTLE EGRET was found June 2 at the Dulles International Airport,
Loudoun Co, VA.
A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was found June 2 at the Winkler Botanical
Preserve, Alexandria, VA.
A GLOSSY IBIS* was seen June 1 at one of the small ponds on Bell's Ln,
Augusta Co, VA.
An adult MISSISSIPPI KITE was soaring high over Raymond Pool, Bombay
Hook NWR, DE on June 2. On June 3 a MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen wheeling
over The Winery at Bull Run on Lee Highway before crossing Bull Run
from Fairfax Co into Prince William Co, VA.
A second year GOLDEN EAGLE was seen June 2 along Rte 640 in Highland
Co, VA.
PEREGRINE FALCONS continue to be seen in the Bailey's Crossroads area
of Fairfax Co, VA with a report of both a male and female there on
June 1.
A SANDHILL CRANE was observed June 1 about a mile west of Swain's
Lock, C&O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD.
On trips to Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD on May 30 and June 4,
BLACK-NECKED STILTS, WHIMBRELS, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, were among
the many shorebirds seen along with a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE on May 30.
A flock of BLACK-NECKED STILTS was seen June 1 near Chincoteague. RED
KNOTS continued to be seen in a variety of locations feeding on
horseshoe crab eggs along Delaware Bay this past week. Sixty-nine
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS were seen June 1 at Chesapeake Farms, Kent Co,
MD.
A ROYAL TERN was seen June 3 from Hains Point, SW DC.
A RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER was seen June 3 during a stop at the Piney
Grove Preserve, Sussex Co, VA.
An ALDER FLYCATCHER was observed throughout the week at the Howard
County Conservancy, Woodstock, MD with the most recent report from
June 3. It is in a field along the stream beside Rte 99.
Three COMMON RAVENS were seen June 3 flying over Savage Park, Howard
Co, MD.
On June 3 CLIFF SWALLOWS were reported nesting under the bridge over
Goose Creek on Rectortown Rd, a little north and west of Rectortown,
Fauquier Co, VA; there were also a couple of NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED
SWALLOWS nesting in the stream bank there.
Two BROWN CREEPERS were seen and heard on May 30 and June 1 on
Virginius Island, Harper's Ferry, Jefferson Co, WV.
A SEDGE WREN was found June 3 in an uncut field in Augusta Co, VA,
just north of Rte 775 near where it connects Rte 608 to Rockfish Rd.
A SWAINSON'S THRUSH was still singing on June 2 in the Glencarlyn area
of Arlington Co, VA.
On June 3 eight GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLERS were observed along Old
Legislative Rd in Allegany Co, MD as well as a half dozen HENSLOW'S
SPARROWS. (From I-68, take exit 33 south for 2 miles, cross through
Woodland, and start listening.) A GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER and a
MOURNING WARBLER were found on June 2 during a trip to Highland Co,
VA.
DICKCISSELS were observed in a number of locations this past week
including one on the Hart-Miller Island trip on May 30. A dozen
DICKSISSELS were reported from a variety of locations in Frederick and
Carroll Counties, MD on May 31. Two were reported the same day from
the Rappahannock River Valley NWR's Wilna Tract, Richmond Co, VA and
from the Remington area of Fauquier Co, VA with one at Woodward Turf
farms on Sumerduck Road, Co Rd 651, and the other on Grassdale Rd, Co
Rd 755; the ones on Grassdale Rd were also observed on June 3 as well
as a couple in Culpeper Co, VA, near the Woodward Turf Farm.
DICKCISSELS were also observed this past week on Candlewood Rd,
Jefferson Co, WV.
Most of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey,
VA-Bird, West Virginia Birding List, and DE-Birds 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. 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
