Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 9/4/2018
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/central and southern DE/WV panhandle
Reports, comments and questions: voice@xxxxxxxxxxx
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 of the Naturalist (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.anshome.org ;<http://www.anshome.org/> .
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon
Naturalist Society. This report covers the week starting
Tuesday, August 28 and was completed on Tuesday, September 4 at
7:00 a.m.
Information on noteworthy birds is presented below in taxonomic
order, as set forth in the American Ornithological Society
Checklist for North and Middle American Birds, as revised
through the 59th Supplement (June 2018).
The top birds this week were RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, ROSEATE
SPOONBILL* and SWALLOW-TAILED KITE* in VA.
Other birds of interest this week included TUNDRA SWAN,
REDHEAD, RING-NECKED DUCK, HOODED MERGANSER, RUDDY DUCK,
NORTHERN BOBWHITE, AMERICAN AVOCET, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER,
UPLAND SANDPIPER, HUDSONIAN and MARBLED GODWITS, STILT, BAIRD'S
and BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, WILLET, WILSON'S and RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES, BONAPARTE'S GULL, GULL-BILLED and BLACK TERNS,
AMERICAN WHITE and BROWN PELICANS, AMERICAN BITTERN, LITTLE
BLUE and TRICOLORED HERONS, WHITE IBIS, BROAD-WINGED HAWK,
OLIVE-SIDED and YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS, PHILADELPHIA VIREO,
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, SEDGE and MARSH WRENS, LARK SPARROW,
BOBOLINK, GOLDEN-WINGED, MOURNING and CERULEAN WARBLERS, SUMMER
TANAGER and DICKCISSEL.
TOP BIRDS
On August 31 and September 1 an apparent RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD was
seen at a feeder in Wallers Quarters, a private residential
community in Spotsylvania Co, VA. Although several RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRDS have been seen in Louisiana and one in Tennessee
in recent days, this is by far the easternmost sighting of this
western breeder this migratory season.
The historic northward irruption of ROSEATE SPOONBILLS*
continued during the week, with an incredible five individuals
seen together at the Craney Island Disposal Area (restricted/no
public access) in Portsmouth, VA on August 29 and 31.
On September 2 and 3 a soaring SWALLOW-TAILED KITE* was seen
from a private location on Far Hills Road in Albemarle Co, VA,
and on September 3 likely this same bird was photographed
soaring above nearby Oakencroft Lane in Charlottesville, VA.
OTHER BIRDS OF INTEREST
A resident injured TUNDRA SWAN continues at Kinder Farm Park in
Anne Arundel Co, MD. On September 2 a continuing male REDHEAD
and a male HOODED MERGANSER, both of which may be injured, were
photographed at the John. H. Kerr Reservoir-Tailrace Park in
Mecklenburg Co, VA. Out-of-season diving ducks also included a
continuing RING-NECKED DUCK at Loch Raven Reservoir-Loch Raven
Point in Baltimore Co, MD that was seen most recently on
September 2, and continuing RING-NECKED and RUDDY DUCKS at the
Broadway Waste Water Treatment Facility on New Market Road in
Rockingham Co, VA that were most recently seen on September 3.
On August 29 a NORTHERN BOBWHITE was a surprise visitor to
Calvert High School in Calvert Co, MD, where it was well
photographed on the baseball field.
Migrating COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were conspicuous during the week,
and many birders enjoyed watching them in nocturnal flight over
their homes.
Shorebird highlights during the week included the following.
- Continued large numbers of AMERICAN AVOCETS at Bombay
Hook NWR in Kent Co, DE and the Craney Island Disposal
Area (restricted/no public access) in Portsmouth, VA, with
week highs of 200 and 472 individuals reported at these
respective locations on September 2 and August 30,
respectively.
- Ten shorebird species at the Woodward Turf Farm in
Culpeper Co, VA (private but accessible with permission
from the on-site office), which included two UPLAND
SANDPIPERS on August 29-31 and September 2 and 3 and six
UPLAND SANDPIPERS on September 1; a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER on
August 30 and September 1; and several AMERICAN GOLDEN-
PLOVERS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS all week.
- AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS at several other locations,
especially in Virginia, where single individuals were
found at a field along the west side of Arlington Road
near the intersection with Sherwood Gate in Northampton
Co; a field along Strangeway Road near the intersection
with Naylor's Beach Road in Richmond Co; a field along
Bristow Road in Prince William Co; and at Sandybottom Turf
Farm in Charles City Co. A single AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
also was spotted at Bombay Hook NWR in Kent Co, DE on
August 30 and the Harford County Airport on Aldino Road in
Harford Co, MD on September 3.
- An UPLAND SANDPIPER found at the Murray Sod Farm in
Worcester Co, MD on September 2.
- Two HUDSONIAN GODWITS spotted with MARBLED GODWITS at
the North Wash Flats impoundment at Chincoteague NWR in
Accomack Co, VA on September 2.
- A continuing MARBLED GODWIT at Back Bay NWR in Virginia
Beach, VA on September 1, which was joined by a second
individual on September 2.
- An inland STILT SANDPIPER photographed at a flooded
field on the east side of the intersection of John Wayland
Hwy and Eberly Road in Rockingham Co, VA on September 2.
- A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER photographed at Back Bay NWR in
Virginia Beach, VA on September 1 and 2.
- BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS at several locations,
especially in Virginia, where small numbers were found at
a field along the west side of Arlington Road near the
intersection with Sherwood Gate in Northampton Co; the
Staunton View Public Use Area in Mecklenburg Co; the
Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction on Lumber Mill Road in
Rockingham Co; and several locations in Charles City Co,
including the Riverside and Sturgeon Point Turf Farms.
Elsewhere, a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was spotted at the
Hughes Road polo fields in Montgomery Co, MD on September
2 and 3; Prime Hook NWR-Broadkill Marsh in Sussex Co, DE
on September 2 and 3; and Bombay Hook NWR in Kent Co, DE
on September 2.
- A WILLET (WESTERN) spotted at Swan Creek Wetland-Cox
Creek (restricted access) in Anne Arundel Co, MD on August
31, and at the stone and pedestrian bridges over Hunting
Creek in Fairfax Co, VA and nearby Jones Point Park in
Alexandria, VA on September 2 and 3.
- WILSON'S PHALAROPES at several locations, especially in
Virginia, where sightings consisted of five individuals at
Chincoteague NWR in Accomack Co on August 31; 2-3
individuals at the Craney Island Disposal Area
(restricted/no public access) in Portsmouth on August 29,
30 and 31; a single individual at a private location in
Westmoreland Co on September 1; and a single individual at
Hog Island WMA in Surry Co on September 2. A WILSON'S
PHALAROPE also was found at Swan Creek Wetland-Cox Creek
(restricted access) in Anne Arundel Co, MD on August 31
and Bombay Hook NWR in Kent Co, DE on September 2.
- Two RED-NECKED PHALAROPES reported at the Craney Island
Disposal Area (restricted/no public access) in Portsmouth,
VA on August 31.
Two BONAPARTE'S GULLS were reported at Black Walnut Point in
Talbot Co, MD on September 1. A single GULL-BILLED TERN was
spotted at Shearness Pool in Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE on
September 2, which was the only report of this species during
the week outside of its southeastern coastal Virginia
stronghold. Sightings of BLACK TERNS included five individuals
at Chincoteague NWR in Accomack Co, VA on August 31; six
individuals over the Potomac River from Algonkian RP in Loudoun
Co, VA on August 29; and two individuals at Lake Holiday
(restricted access) in Frederick Co, VA on September 3. In
Maryland, 2-3 BLACK TERNS were observed at the Chestertown WWTP
in Kent Co on August 30-September 2; and a BLACK TERN was seen
again at Perryville Community Park in Cecil Co on August 31.
A continuing AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN* at the Staunton View
Public Use Area in Mecklenburg Co, VA was seen most recently on
September 3. On September 2 and 3 a BROWN PELICAN was
photographed above Conowingo Dam in Harford Co, MD.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was among the birding highlights at
Cromwell Valley Park in Baltimore Co, MD on September 1.
An immature LITTLE BLUE HERON was seen again at Schoolhouse
Pond in Prince George's Co, MD on September 1, 2 and 3, and
three immature LITTLE BLUE HERONS and a TRICOLORED HERON were
found at Oxbow Lake in Anne Arundel Co, MD on September 2.
Sightings of TRICOLORED HERON also included a high of seven
individuals at the North Beach Marsh in Calvert Co, MD on
August 28, 29 and 31 and September 1; one individual on Bodkin
Island, Queen Anne's Co, MD on August 29; and one individual at
Black Walnut Point in Talbot Co, MD on August 30.
The northernmost WHITE IBIS in the reporting area during the
week were 32 individuals counted along Big Stone Beach Road in
the Milford Neck WMA, Kent Co, DE on August 30.
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were seen in small numbers at area hawk
watches, but numbers will increase in the coming days as this
species' highly synchronous migration moves toward its annual
mid-September peak in the reporting area.
An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was found at 20560 State Forest Road
in Sussex Co, DE on September 1; Cromwell Valley Park in
Baltimore Co, MD on September 3; and Blandy Experimental
Farm/State Arboretum of Virginia in Clark Co, VA on August 31,
as well as at several locations in Garrett Co, MD and western
Virginia. Empid highlights included a well-photographed YELLOW-
BELLIED FLYCATCHER at Susquehanna State Park in Harford Co, MD
on September 2 and 3, and a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER in the
same tree as a PHILADELPHIA VIREO at Leesylvania SP in Prince
William Co, VA on September 3.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES continued their early arrival in the
reporting area, with sightings including four individuals at
Rocky Gorge Reservoir-Supplee Park in Prince George's Co, MD on
September 1 and an individual that visited a back yard in
Bethesda, Montgomery Co, MD on September 2.
SEDGE WRENS continued at the Aquatic Resources Education Center
in Woodland Beach, Kent Co, DE, with 1-3 individuals
encountered on August 30 and September 1 and 2. A continuing
MARSH WREN at Blandy Experimental Farm/State Arboretum of
Virginia, Clark Co, VA was seen most recently on September 3.
A LARK SPARROW was photographed near Raymond Pool in Bombay
Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE on August 29 and by the Visitors Center
at Leesylvania SP in Prince William Co, VA on September 2.
Migrating BOBOLINKS included over 1,700 individuals counted by
an experienced birder at Back Bay NWR in Virginia Beach, VA
early in the morning on September 2.
Migratory warblers were seen in increasing numbers and
diversity during the week. Noteworthy warblers included a
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER reported at the Frederick Watershed in
Frederick Co, MD on August 31, Cromwell Valley Park in
Baltimore Co, MD on September 3 and Quiet Waters Park in Anne
Arundel Co, MD on September 3; a MOURNING WARBLER reported at
Patuxent River Park-Wooton's Landing in Anne Arundel Co, MD on
September 1; and a CERULEAN WARBLER reported along 3215 Bennett
Point Road in Queen Anne's Co, MD on September 1.
On August 29 a resident on Cavey Lane in Woodstock, Howard Co,
MD photographed a SUMMER TANAGER in his yard.
DICKCISSELS were most recently reported at the Underwood Road
area in Howard Co, MD on August 28.
***
This week's report was based on reports on the DE, MD, VA, and
WV list servers, eBird records and various birding pages on
Facebook.
The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606,
https://anshome.org/naturalist-shop) is an excellent source for
guidebooks and many other nature-related titles.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
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, e-mail or phone.
Thank you for your interest, and enjoy the birds.
*Of interest to the applicable state records committee
