FYI - this report is for sightings from March 20 through March 26 and was
compiled by Helen Patton & transcribed by Steve Cordle.
Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 3/27/2012
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: Helen Patton
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, March 27 at
10:30 AM.
Top bird this week is VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* in MD.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, RUFFED GROUSE, RED-THROATED
LOON, HORNED GREBE, NORTHERN GANNET, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN
BITTERN, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, GLOSSY IBIS, gulls, BLUE-HEADED
VIREO, HERMIT THRUSH, warblers, sparrows, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
Some of the delights of this special season are the continuing early
First-of-Season sightings, several of which were record setting; the
many birds nesting much earlier than normal and the carpets of
wildflowers along some of the paths.
The likely chip-notes of the VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* were heard at the
Pickering Creek Audubon Center in Talbot Co, MD, on March 25 although
the bird did not show itself except for a flight to a tree where it
disappeared. To find the bird, take the gravel entrance road into
Pickering Creek Audubon and park in the lot on the left; take the
trail that heads towards the impoundments and begin looking in the
bushes on both sides of the path in both scrubby fields. Pickering
Creek has asked that the following practices be adopted immediately by
those searching for the bird: 1. In general, do what you can to
minimize the chaos and confusion for the bird due to your searching.
2. In particular - please respect the fact that the habitat of the
field where the bird has been seen is a warm season grass meadow
disrupted only by a minimal set of deer trails. This meadow has not
previously been tramped down by human traffic, and it would be best to
keep it that way. Therefore, birders are asked to do their searching
through use of existing mown trails, driveways, mowed fields, and
dormant agriculture lands, but are asked to NOT trample through the
warm season grassy meadows. Such trampling is not likely to produce
the bird, and will likely result in the bird leaving the entire area.
A COMMON TEAL was at Raymond Pool in Bombay Hook NWR, DE during the
week and a drake EURASIAN WIGEON was seen along the Prime Hook Beach
Road. A LONG-TAILED DUCK few over a house in Edgewater, Harford Co, MD
on March 20. An astounding raft of 32,000 RUDDY DUCKS was at Cabin
Creek, Anne Arundel Co, MD on March 25.
Four RUFFED GROUSE were drumming in Finzel Swamp and another was at
Piney Reservoir, Garrett Co, MD on March 23.
A RED-THROATED LOON was near the Bloody Point Bar light seen from the
end of Kent Point Road, Kent Island, Queen Anne's Co, MD on March 25.
There were 36 HORNED GREBES in various stages of winter and breeding
plumage at Violette's Lock, Montgomery Co, MD on March 20.
NORTHERN GANNETS were seen at Cabin Creek and the Chesapeake Bay
Environmental Center, both Queen Anne's Co, MD on March 25. Eight
NORTHERN GANNETS were wheeling and diving just south of the Bay
Bridge, Anne Arundel Co, MD on the same day. More NORTHERN GANNETS
were in Chesapeake Bay and up the South River between the Mayo
Peninsula and Thomas Point, Anne Arundel Co, MD during the week.
Twenty two NORTHERN GANNETS were near Romancoke, Queen Anne's Co, MD
on March 25.
At least eighty one AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were at Blackwater NWR,
Dorchester Co, MD on March 22.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was flushed out of some wetlands near the Font
Hill neighborhood in Ellicott City, Howard Co, MD on March 25. Five
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were at the Jones Falls Trail, Baltimore
City, MD on March 20. More YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were on Dead
Run, Baltimore Co, MD on March 22. As of March 23, the YELLOW-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS have returned to Sligo Creek Park in Silver Spring,
Montgomery Co., MD.
A GLOSSY IBIS was at the Beasley Tract of the Princess Ann WMA in
Virginia Beach, VA on March 23. The count of GLOSSY IBIS had increased
to thirty one by March 26.
A BLACK-HEADED GULL was at Point Lookout SP, St. Mary's Co, MD on
March 24. Two LITTLE GULLS were with the BONAPARTE'S GULLS at Back
River; one was downstream of the Eastern Blvd. Bridge and the other
was in the water off Diamond Point, Baltimore Co., MD on March 21. A
LITTLE GULL flew up Bank River from the dock to Hart-Miller Island,
Baltimore Co, MD on March 26.
A BLUE-HEADED VIREO was at Spear's Farm, Buckingham Co, VA on March
22. Another BLUE-HEADED VIREO was at New Germany SP, Garrett Co, MD on
March 26.
HERMIT THRUSHES were singing at Governor Bridge NA, Prince George's
Co, MD on March 23.
Two ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were in the trees west of the DC Veteran's
Memorial, DC, on March 22. The ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER previously
reported from Linkwood, Dorchester Co, MD put in a brief appearance on
March 23. There were also many reports of early warblers, notably
LOUISANA WATERTHRUSH, throughout the area.
A VESPER SPARROW was at the Easton Airport, Talbot Co, MD on March 22.
A VESPER SPARROW was at Cub Run, Fairfax Co., VA on March 23. Another
VESPER SPARROW was at Blandy Experimental Farm, Clarke Co., VA also on
March 23. A VESPER SPARROW was at Southwest Area Park, Baltimore Co,
MD on March 25 and 26.
Six NELSON'S SPARROWS and two SEASIDE SPARROWS were at Bethel Beach,
Matthews Co, VA on March 21.
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen throughout the week in a number of
locations.
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
