FYI - this report is for sightings from April 28 through May 4 and was
compiled by Bob Hartman & transcribed by Steve Cordle.
Joe Coleman
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 5/5/2015
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/central and southern DE/WV panhandle
Reports, comments, questions: <mailto:voice@xxxxxxxxxxx> voice@xxxxxxxxxxx
Compiler: Bob Hartman
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 <tel:301-652-9188> 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> 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, April 28,
and was completed on Tuesday, May 5, at about 7:30 a.m.
Top birds this week: WHITE-FACED IBIS, SNOWY PLOVER*, LAWRENCE'S WARBLER
(BLUE-WINGED/GOLDEN-WINGED hybrid), and NELSON'S SPARROW, all in MD, and
WESTERN TANAGER* in VA.
Other birds of interest are: TRUMPETER SWAN, TUNDRA SWAN, dwindling ducks,
BROAD-WINGED HAWK, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, LITTLE GULL, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE,
and warblers and other migrants, including GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER and
CERULEAN WARBLER.
TOP BIRDS
A WHITE-FACED IBIS was present on May 3 along Public Landing Rd just west of
Paw Paw Creek Rd, in Worcester Co MD. A SNOWY PLOVER*, the MD first state
record, showed up May 4 at Hart-Miller Island (Baltimore Co). On May 3, a
LAWRENCE'S WARBLER (a BLUE-WINGED/GOLDEN-WINGED hybrid) was seen in
Washington Co MD, several hundred ft east along the railroad tracks at the
end of Shanktown Rd. A NELSON'S SPARROW was seen April 28 in Anne Arundel
Co MD along Dent Rd. A really special yard bird was a WESTERN TANAGER*
coming to a feeder in Stuart's Draft VA (Augusta Co) on May 3.
OTHER BIRDS OF INTEREST
The TRUMPETER SWAN at Lake Churchill (Montgomery Co MD) continued through
May 2. Another late swan, probably an immature TUNDRA SWAN, was present May
2 on Merganser Pond at Patuxent Research Refuge N. Tract (Anne Arundel Co
MD). Although ducks are disappearing, a few are hanging around, including
very late CANVASBACKs, two seen at Swan Creek Wetland (Anne Arundel Co MD)
April 28 and May 1, and one seen at Swan Harbor Farm Park (Harford Co MD) on
April 29 and May 1. Even later was a lonely REDHEAD present at Hanlon Park
in Baltimore City on April 29.
Although not numerous, a trickle of BROAD-WINGED HAWKs is being reported
from hawk watches.
An early WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was reported May 4 at Hart-Miller Island,
and two late LITTLE GULLs continued April 30 in Baltimore City at Back
River.
A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was reported May 2 along Shepherds Mill Rd in Clarke Co
VA.
All the expected warblers and other migrants are being seen, sometimes in
surprising numbers. Quite unusual in Montgomery Co MD was a GOLDEN-WINGED
WARBLER seen May 3 at Little Bennett RP. Seemingly more numerous than usual
in the lowlands were CERULEAN WARBLERs, seen April 28 and May 1 & 2 in Rock
Creek Park (NW DC), and also April 30 at Patapsco Valley SP (Carroll Co MD),
May 1 at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship (Loudon Co VA),
with a high count of ten on May 1 at Susquehanna SP (Cecil Co MD).
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 <tel:%28301-652-3606> (301-652-3606,
<http://anshome.org/shop> http://anshome.org/shop) is an excellent source
for guidebooks and many other nature-related titles.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to <mailto:voice@xxxxxxxxxxx>
voice@xxxxxxxxxxx. Please post reports before midnight Monday, identify the
county as well as the state, and include your name and a Tuesday morning
contact, either e-mail or phone.
Thank you for your interest, and enjoy the birds.
*Of interest to the applicable records committee
