FYI - this report is for sightings from Feb 22 through Feb 28 and was compiled
by John Bjerke & transcribed by Steve Cordle.
Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 03/01/2011
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE/WV panhandle
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
(email): voice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Compiler: John Bjerke
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 $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, March 1, at 8
AM.
Top birds this week are WOOD STORK* and LITTLE GULL in DE.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, RED-NECKED GREBE, a
shearwater, OSPREY, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, MERLIN,
AMERICAN WOODCOCK, gulls, alcids, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE*, SHORT-EARED
OWL, ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD*, NORTHERN SHRIKE, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE,
SNOW BUNTING, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, and COMMON REDPOLL.
A WOOD STORK* flew over Harbeson, Sussex Co, DE on Feb 23; it may have
been the stork seen at Pt. Lookout in MD the previous week.
A LITTLE GULL was seen at Indian River Inlet, Sussex Co, DE on Feb 26
and 27.
Winter-weary birders actively reported signs of spring this week.
Early-returning OSPREY were spotted at the Choptank River, Caroline
Co, MD; in Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA; and in Occoquan Bay
NWR, Prince William Co, VA. Occoquan Bay also hosted a TREE SWALLOW.
AMERICAN WOODCOCK displayed across the region; particularly notable
near the metro area were Huntley Meadows Park in VA and the Sycamore
Landing Road area in Montgomery Co, MD.
Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were at the Salisbury landfill pond,
Wicomico Co, MD on Feb 26. Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen
near Rts 50 and 213, Queen Anne's Co, MD on Feb 27. Three GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were found at Fort Frederick SP, Washington Co, MD
on Feb 27. A ROSS'S GOOSE was in a flock of SNOW GEESE on Rt 309,
Queen Anne's Co, MD on Feb 27.
An adult male COMMON EIDER was in the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co,
MD on Feb 26. Four female COMMON EIDERS were at Indian River Inlet
during the week. The HARLEQUIN DUCK spending time in Ft Armistead
Park, Baltimore, MD was seen on Feb 23.
RED-NECKED GREBES were found all over the region. Sightings included a
bird at the marina in Port Deposit, Cecil Co, MD Feb 22 through 26; a
bird on the Potomac River at Violette's Lock, C&O Canal, Montgomery
Co, MD on Feb 24, 26, and 27; a bird on the Potomac near Great Falls
on Feb 24 and 27; a bird at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA on Feb 27; a
bird near Island 1 of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Northampton
Co, VA on Feb 27; a bird in Cape Charles harbor, Northampton Co, VA on
Feb 27; and two birds seen from Herring Point, Cape Henlopen SP,
Sussex Co, DE.
A juvenile NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen from Bayside drive, Assateague
SP, Worcester Co, MD on Feb 27. A light phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was
found in the marsh along Port Mahon Rd, Kent Co, DE on Feb 24. A
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was on Reeses Corner Rd, Kent Co, MD on Feb 27.
Three MERLINS perched in the golf course at Hains Pt, Washington, DC
on Feb 24; two were seen there on Feb 26. A MERLIN was spotted in
north Arlington, VA on Feb 26. A MERLIN flew near the Lorton Treatment
Plant, Fairfax Co, VA on Feb 26. Another MERLIN was found on
Assateague Island on Feb 26 and one was seen on Skimmer Island, Ocean
City, MD that day.
A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen on Paper Mill Flats, Baltimore Co, MD on
Feb 23 and Feb 26 through 28. Another adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen
from Lapidum close to the Cecil Co, MD shoreline on Feb 27. An
immature GLAUCOUS GULL flew by the College Creek Hawkwatch in
Williamsburg, VA on Feb 28.
A pelagic trip out of Ocean City, MD on Feb 26 had great success.
Birders saw a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, 2 DOVEKIES, 14 COMMON MURRES*,
99 RAZORBILLS, and a dark puffinus shearwater which was probably
either a SOOTY SHEARWATER or a SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER*.
A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE* was found on Feb 27 along Rt 282 about a
quarter mile from the intersection with Rt 213, Cecil Co, MD.
A SHORT-EARED OWL hunted over the marsh along Port Mahon Rd on Feb 24.
The ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD* in Chester, Chesterfield Co, VA continued
through February 24.
A NORTHERN SHRIKE continued at Life of the Marsh Trail on Assateague
Island, MD.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES are still widely scattered over DC, MD, and
VA.
Although spring is on the way, some of the winter specialties are
still here. A SNOW BUNTING was found in Sandy Point SP, Anne Arundel
Co, MD on Feb 26. A WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL continues to visit a feeder
in Henrico Co, VA. Two COMMON REDPOLLS were seen in Back Bay NWR,
Virginia Beach, VA on Feb 24 and one COMMON REDPOLL came to a feeder
in West Ocean City, MD on Feb 25. Another COMMON REDPOLL was at a
feeder in Sykesville, Howard Co, MD on Feb 28.
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
