DC Area, 12/9/97
Steve Cordle (scordle@erols.com)
Tue, 09 Dec 1997 17:07:55 -0500
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/9/97
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE
Telephone: 301-652-1088
Reports (voice): 301-652-9188 x3101
(fax): 301-951-7179
(email): voice@capaccess.org
(deadline): midnight mondays
Compiler: Jane Hill
Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central
Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
Transcriber: Steve Cordle (scordle@capaccess.org)
!!Check http://www.capaccess.org/snr/chase.txt for updates between
tuesdays, and /vguide.txt for guidelines on reporting your
sightings to the Voice!!
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon
Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tue, Dec 9, at 2 pm.
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 ROSS' GOOSE and possible FRANKLIN'S
GULL in VA; WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL in MD; and RED CROSSBILL in MD
and DE.
Other birds of interest include: AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN,
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, MERLIN, PEREGRINE
FALCON, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, BALD EAGLE, GOLDEN EAGLE, OSPREY,
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, COMMON
REDPOLL, SNOW BUNTING, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, EVENING GROSBEAK, and
LINCOLN'S SPARROW.
An adult ROSS' GOOSE was discovered on a farm pond about 1/2
mi west of Beaverdam Reservoir, Loudoun Co, VA, on Dec 7 (DeLorme
Pg 80, D1), and was relocated there on Dec 8. It was with a flock
of geese that included about 1,000 Canada Geese, up to three adult
Snow Geese, and an immature bird that may be a hybrid between
Ross' and Snow Goose. To reach this site from the Capital
Beltway, follow Rt 7 nearly to Leesburg. Take the Rt 7 and 15
bypass south around Leesburg and turn left off it onto Rt 621
(Evergreen Mill Rd). Go about 6 mi on Rt 621 and turn left again
onto Rt 861 (Reservoir Rd). Go about 1-1/2 mile until you come to
a small farm pond on your right, just past a farmhouse, and look
for the bird.
Crossbills continued to delight area birders, who braved
cold, wind, and snow, from the mountains to the shore, to look for
them this week. In the mountains, up to 18 WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILLs and a single RED CROSSBILL were found near the lake at
New Germany St Pk, Garrett Co, MD (DeLorme Pg 66, B2), on Dec 5,
but were not relocated the following day despite diligent
searching. In the Piedmont, a flock of about 15 RED CROSSBILLs
was noted flying over a house in Rockville, Montgomery Co, MD, on
Dec 8. And, at the coast, Cape Henlopen St Pk, DE, hosted two RED
CROSSBILLs, seen near the parking area and observation tower at
the point, on Dec 6.
Other winter finches found this week included a COMMON
REDPOLL at a feeder on the east side of Laurel, Anne Arundel Co,
MD, on Dec 7, and 60 EVENING GROSBEAKs at New Germany St Pk, MD,
on Dec 6.
The two gulls believed to be FRANKLIN'S GULLs that were
reported last week from the upper reaches of Accotink Bay, Ft
Belvoir Military Reservation, Fairfax Co, VA, were seen again on
Dec 7. [DeLorme Pg 77, C5; ADC No. VA Pg 32 B1] This time there
were three of these birds, all smaller than the Ring-billed Gulls
with which they were asscociating. Accotink Bay is open to the
public, and birders are encouraged to look for the gulls to
confirm their identification. To reach the site, from US Rt 1
turn south on Gunston Rd, then go right on Warren Rd. When you
reach the bottom of a hill, proceed to the right, along the cove
of Accotink Bay, to an archery range, where you can park. With
your scope, examine the gull flocks on the mudflats along the bay.
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLs are turning up with increasing
regularity in our region. Several were reported this week. An
adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was found in a large, mixed flock
of gulls on the mudflats of Neabsco Creek, off Neabsco Rd opposite
the entrance to Leesylvania St Pk, Prince William Co, VA, on Dec
3. Another adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was spotted at the
Frederick Co Landfill, MD, on Dec 6. A third LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL was seen in a flock of gulls that included 115 Bonaparte's
and six Laughing Gulls, on the mudflats along Hunting Creek west
of the George Washington Parkway, Alexandria, VA, on Dec 7. Two
adult and one second-winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLs were found
at Brown's Station Landfill, north of Upper Marlboro, Prince
Georges Co, MD, over the weekend.
The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN that has been frequenting
Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA, was reported again on Dec 5.
A male BREWER'S BLACKBIRD was spotted with a flock of Red-
winged Blackbirds along the edge of a small pond at the
easternmost end of the Julie Metz Wetland Mitigation Bank, off
Neabsco Rd, Prince William Co, VA, on Dec 5. A LINCOLN'S SPARROW
and a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT were found at this same location on Dec
8.
A BALTIMORE ORIOLE was seen between the parking area near the
observation tower and the beach, Cape Henlopen St Pk, DE, on Dec
3.
A variety of raptors were reported this week. Highlights
included up to three GOLDEN EAGLEs seen in the Bluegrass Valley of
Highland Co, VA, on Dec 5, and, also in Highland Co, a ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWK, seen north of Meadowdale on Dec 6. A PEREGRINE
FALCON was spotted flying from the US Capitol to the Natl Air and
Space Museum, DC, on Dec 2. An adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK was found
at New Germany St Pk, MD, on Dec 7. Two late OSPREYs were
reported, with a young bird seen at the north end of Dyke Marsh,
Alexandria, VA, on Dec 7, and an adult female noted over Hughes
Hollow, Montgomery Co, MD, on Dec 6. A MERLIN was spotted flying
over Anacostia River Park, Prince Georges Co, MD, on Dec 6; and
another MERLIN was frequenting Silver Spring, MD, on Dec 2 and 5.
Numbers of BALD EAGLES are building below Conowingo Dam, Harford
Co, MD, making this a good place to see as many as several dozen
at a time; keep your eye out for Golden Eagle there as well.
The airfield at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, St Mary's
Co, MD, hosted 20 SNOW BUNTINGs on Dec 3. Two days later, this
flock had built to thirty SNOW BUNTINGs, along with seven LAPLAND
LONGSPURs.
There are no trips scheduled for the rest of December, while
Christmas Bird Counts are being conducted. The following are some
of the early counts close to DC; for other counts, see the
December Audubon Naturalist News, p. 17, or call 301-652-9188, x
0, and ask for information. Birders of every level of skill are
welcome on all counts; don't hesitate to call a compiler and
experience the fun and rewards of helping to monitor our winter
birds.
SAT, Dec. 20: WASHINGTON, DC, contact Dee Hammond-Brooks at
Woodend, 301-652-9188, x 3006; TRIADELPHIA RESERVOIR, MD,
compiler, Rick Sussman, call 301-774-1185.
SUN, Dec. 21: Seneca, MD-VA, compilers, Bill Kulp and Steve
Pretl call Bill at 301-593-4617, or Steve at 301-251-8648; JUG
BAY, MD, compiler, Sam Droege, call 410-798-6759 (h) or 301-497-5840
(o).
SAT, Dec. 27: BOWIE, MD, compiler, Fred Fallon, call 301-249-1518.
SUN, Dec 28: MANASSAS-BULL RUN, VA, compiler, Stan Gray, call
at work, 703-841-4588.
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.