Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist Date: 7/28/98 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 and Linda Friedland Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States (independent of NAS!) Transcriber: Steve Cordle (scordle@capaccess.org) This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tue, July 28, at noon. 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,the address is 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, and the website is http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org. Top birds this week are: VIRGINIA RAIL and possible CALIFORNIA GULL in DC; WILSON'S PHALAROPE, UPLAND SANDPIPER, HUDSONIAN GODWIT in DE; ALDER FLYCATCHER in VA; CURLEW SANDPIPER in MD; and WHITE IBIS in MD and DE. Other birds of interest include: GREAT EGRET, LEAST BITTERN, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, WHIMBREL, STILT SANDPIPER, other sandpipers, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK, LEAST, and CASPIAN TERNs, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, and BLUE GROSBEAK. An adult VIRGINIA RAIL was found in the Enid Haupt Garden south of the Smithsonian Institution castle building on the evening of Jul 27 and again on the morning of Jul 28. It was in and near shrubbery on the northwest side of the National Museum of African Art. A possible adult CALIFORNIA GULL was reported in a flock of Ring-billed Gulls on the Washington Monument grounds off Constitution Ave, DC, on Jul 23. Confirmation of the identification is needed. An immature WHITE IBIS was found among a flock of about 20 Great Egrets at Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD, early on the morning of Jul 26. The bird was first spotted from the bridge on Lilypons Rd, then observed flying to a pond on the east side of the main building, and later back to the west side. It was not relocated by birders searching for it later, however. An immature WHITE IBIS is also still being seen at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, with reports for Jul 22 and 27. A breeding-plumaged CURLEW SANDPIPER was found at Hart-Miller Is, Baltimore Co, MD, on Jul 25. An ALDER FLYCATCHER continues to be seen and heard from Oatlands Mill Rd at the southwest end of the Dulles Wetlands, Loudoun Co, VA, with reports for Jul 22 and Jul 28. From Rt 15, seven miles south of Lessburg, turn left (east) on Oatlands Mill Rd. After about 1/4 mi you will reach the first gate to the wetlands, on your right. Continue on Oatlands Mill about 100 yds past this gate and park along the side of the road, but do not enter the property; the wetlands is a restricted area. Look across the field to the young trees on the far side. Early morning is best for hearing the bird, and a scope is recommended. WILLOW FLYCATCHERs are being heard about a mile farther up the road, at the second gate. The DE coast continued to provide good shorebirding this week. WILSON'S PHALAROPEs are still being seen, with one bird spotted from the central observation tower at Little Creek Wildlife Area, on Jul 24; seven birds in Raymond Pool, Bombay Hook NWR, on Jul 25; and four birds in Raymond Pool on Jul 27. Nine UPLAND SANDPIPERs were spotted in fields at Dover AFB and on the opposite side of Rt 9 from the base, between Bergold Rd and Museum Gate Rd, on Jul 25. A HUDSONIAN GODWIT was found in Raymond Pool, Bombay Hook NWR, also on Jul 25. Additional sightings in DE included a total of 130 STILT SANDPIPERs spotted from the large observation tower at Little Creek, DE, on Jul 24, and large numbers of WESTERN SANDPIPERs at Kitts Hummock, on Jul 25. A WHIMBREL was spotted flying over Cape Henlopen St Pk, DE, on Jul 26. Bombay Hook's Raymond Pool hosted 200 AMERICAN AVOCETs on Jul 22, and 600 on Jul 27. A BLACK TERN and a LEAST TERN were in Bombay Hook's Shearness Pool on July 22. LEAST TERNs numbering one to five were also found along Rt 16, leading into Broadkill Beach; at Fowler's Beach; Little Creek Wildlife Area; and Cape Henlopen St Pk, during the week. The high count of LEAST TERNs reported from MD was 32 adult and young birds on the tidal bar near the observation tower on the point that extends into Prospect Bay at Horsehead Wetlands Ctr, Grasonville, Queen Annes Co, on Jul 26. The same day, the Horsehead Wetlands hosted a BLACK TERN, flying in the area of the canoe launch site on Marshy Creek. Other MD water bird sightings included four STILT SANDPIPERs at Hart-Miller Is, Baltimore Co, MD, on Jul 25. VA hosted its share of water birds, too, with nine GREAT EGRETs seen from Oatlands Mill Rd, at the Dulles Wetlands, Loudoun Co, on Jul 26. Also in VA, two SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERs, 17 LEAST SANDPIPERs, two PECTORAL SANDPIPERs, both yellowlegs, and five CASPIAN TERNs were noted at Hunting Creek, Alexandria, on Jul 26. CASPIAN TERNs, along with SPOTTED SANDPIPERs and a LEAST SANDPIPER, were also reported from Ft. Belvoir's Accotink Bay Wildlife Area, Fairfax Co, during the week. A LEAST BITTERN and a juvenile YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON were seen regularly at Lake Royal, Fairfax Co, most recently on Jul 24. A family of BLUE GROSBEAKs, including adult male and female birds and a youngster, were seen on Rt 656 (Hibler Rd), just east of Rt 661, Lucketts, Loudoun Co, VA, on Jul 25. Upcoming pelagics include a trip departing VA Beach, VA, on Sun, Sept 13; to reserve your spot, call Brian Patteson, at 703-765-4484, as soon as possible. Another pelagic will depart Lewes, DE, also on Sept 13; call 302-529-1876, for more information. There will be a reservations-only trip to Huntley Meadows Park, VA, on Sun, Aug 2; call the leader, Ed Eder of Alexandria, at703-360-7994, to reserve your spot. There will be a reservations-only trip to DE coastal areas on Sun, Aug 8; call the leader, Henry Bielstein, of Fort Washington at 301-292-9592 to secure your place. 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 email reports to: voice@capaccess.org. Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING. -- Steve Cordle Arlington, VA scordle@tidalwave.net http://www.tidalwave.net/~scordle