Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist Date: 11/11/97 Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE Telephone: 301-652-1088 Reports (voice): 301-652-9188 x3101 (fax): 301-951-7179 (email): voice@capaccess.org (deadline): 8am tuesdays Compiler: Steve Cordle Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States (independent of NAS!) Transcriber: Steve Cordle (scordle@capaccess.org) !!Visit the ANS web site at http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org, and check http://www.capaccess.org/snr/chase.txt for updates between tuesdays!! This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tue, Nov 11, at 2pm. Please consider joining the Society, especially if you are a regular user of the Voice (Indiv.$30; Family $40; Nature Steward $60; Audubon Advocate $100). The membership number is above and the address is 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815. Top birds this week are: PACIFIC LOON, EARED GREBE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, COMMON EIDER, WOOD SANDPIPER, PARASITIC JAEGER, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, BROWN-CHESTED MARTIN, and COMMON REDPOLL. Other birds of interest include: RED-THROATED LOON, SNOW BUNTING, and EVENING GROSBEAK. The lake above the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River in Cecil Co, MD provided lots of good birding this past week. (DeLorme p76, A3). A PACIFIC LOON, presumably the one seen in Pennsylvania last week, moved down the river into MD this week. It was seen in Cecil Co, MD on Thursday and Friday, Nov 6 & 7, and again on Sun and Mon Nov 10 & 11. In between, it was seen in PA on Sat, Nov 8. Thursday Directions: From Conowingo, MD, go north on Rt 222 to Mt Zoar Rd. Turn left and follow the road to the river. At the river, on Belle Manor Rd, go over the bridge over Conowingo Creek and go about 1/4 mile to a pullover on the left. There is a path down to the RR tracks. Follow the tracks about 1/2 mile north. On Friday, the bird was seen about a mile north of the boat launch on Mt Zoar Rd. On Sun, the Loon was seen from the entrance to the RR tunnel just south of the PA line. On Monday it was seen from the boat launch near the RR crossing. In the same area, about a mile above the boat launch, an EARED GREBE was seen on Wed, Nov 5, and a juvenile PARASITIC JAEGER was just north of the boat launch the afternoon of Thurs, Nov 8. Also on the Susquehanna, hundreds of RED-THROATED LOONS were seen on Sat Nov 8, some still in partial breeding plumage with red on their necks. Just north in PA a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was seen on Friday, Nov. 9 flying past the 1st RR tunnel, and roosting with hundreds of gulls in mid-river, just below the atomic plant. Other water birds seen this past week include a PARASITIC JAEGER at Cape Henlopen State Park, DE between the point and the pier on Friday, Nov 7. Also, 2 COMMON EIDER were seen off the point there the same day. A RED-THROATED LOON was seen at Indian River Inlet, Sussex Co., DE on Nov 8. Farther afield, a probable WOOD SANDPIPER, a Eurasian species, was seen at Springton Reservoir, Edgemont, Delaware Co, PA on Sun Nov 9. At last report that day, numbers of birders were headed there to confirm the sighting. The bird was seen on the mud flats from Gradyfield Rd. between Providence and Bishop Hollow Rds. You may wish to check the Philadelphia/PA bird line at 215-567-2473. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, Greenland Race, was spotted by several people at Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project, Co Rt 650, Oatlands Mill Rd, Loudon Co, VA on Sunday, Nov 9, at the far end nearest Rt 15 among a large flock of geese (DeLorme p80, D1). Four TUNDRA SWANS were also there the same day. NORTHERN GOSHAWKs were seen in two different spots this week. On Thu. Nov. 6 one was seen from the Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project, Loudon Co, VA and another was seen flushing pigeons and starlings from rooftops in the Adams-Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC at the intersection of 19th St and Columbia Rd the same day, at about the same time. Just outside our area in Cape May, NJ, a BROWN-CHESTED MARTIN, a South American species, was seen among other swallows, including Cave Swallows, from Friday, Nov 6 through Tues, Nov. 11 at various places in the Cape May area. You may wish to consult the Cape May Hotline at 609-861-0466 for the bird's latest location. Other wintering land birds seen this week include widespread reports of EVENING GROSBEAKs and PINE SISKINs, as well as a COMMON REDPOLL in goldenrod stalks in a lot at S Division St and Philadelphia Ave, near the inlet at Ocean City, MD on Nov 9. Keep an eye on your feeders. There were also 2 SNOW BUNTINGs seen near the dredge pipes on the beach at Indian River Inlet, Sussex Co, DE on Nov 8. There will be a reservations-only trip to Huntley Meadows Park, VA, on Sat, Nov 15; call the leader, Ed Eder of Alexandria, at 703-360-7994, to secure your place. There will be a 12-person-limit trip to Charles County: Marshall Hall to Myrtle Grove on Sun, Nov 23. Call the leader, George Jett in Waldorf at 301-843-3524 for a reservation. To report bird sightings you can FAX your report to ANS at 301-951-7179, or call 301-652-9188, extension 3101 for a dedicated answering machine at all hours. Internet users can e-mail reports to: voice@capaccess.org. Thank you for calling and GOOD BIRDING.