> -----Original Message-----
> From: [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 3:23 PM
> To:
> Subject: DC Area, 11/30/04
>
>
> Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
> Date: 11/30/04
> Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE
> Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
> Reports (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
> (email):
> (deadline): midnight Mondays
> Compiler: Lydia Schindler
> 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 $30; Family $40; Nature Steward
> $60; Audubon Advocate $100). 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.AudubonNaturalist.org.
>
> This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon
> Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tuesday, Nov 30, at noon.
>
> Top birds this week are *KELP GULL, *RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, and
> *CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD in MD; CALIFORNIA GULL, BLACK-CHINNED
> HUMMINGBIRD, ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, and MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD
> in VA; and *CAVE SWALLOW in both MD and VA.
>
> Other birds of interest include RED-THROATED LOON, RED-NECKED
> and EARED GREBES, pelagic birds, waterfowl, raptors including
> NORTHERN GOSHAWK,VIRGINIA RAIL, SANDHILL CRANE, LESSER
> BLACK-BACKED GULL, SNOWY OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, HORNED
> LARK, nuthatches, AMERICAN PIPIT, warblers, sparrows, LAPLAND
> LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, and BREWER'S
> BLACKBIRD.
>
> Maryland's *KELP GULL was again in place behind the Sea Breeze
Crab
> House, Sandgates, St. Mary's Co, on Nov 27.
>
> An adult CALIFORNIA GULL was discovered at the Neabsco Creek
> mudflats, Prince William Co, VA, on the morning of Nov 26.
>
> A *RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD is frequenting feeders in Baltimore Co,
> just north of the city line. It is a female, banded on Nov
> 28, and was still present Nov 29. (To make an appointment to
> see this bird, contact )
>
> A *CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD continues to fuel up at feeders on
> private property near Bowie in Prince George's Co, MD. The
> most recent report is from Nov 29.
>
> BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD showed up Nov 28 at a yard in Cape
> Charles, Northampton Co, VA, and was back again the next day.
> (The feeders can be observed from the porch at 9 Randolph
> Ave; from Rte 13, turn at the stoplight onto Rte 184 and
> proceed to the last block.)
>
> A likely ASH-TROATED FLYCATCHER was seen Nov 23 at Island #4
> of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, Northampton Co.
>
> The metro area witnessed an amazing influx of far-off-course
> CAVE SWALLOWS this week. On Nov 26, 2 CAVE SWALLOWS showed up
> at the bridge on Lilypons Rd, southern Frederick Co, MD, and
> delighted birders throughout the morning. Near sunset on Nov
> 27, 4 CAVE SWALLOWS were sighted near the Rte 121 bridge at
> Little Seneca Lake (Black Hill RP), Montgomery Co, MD. They
> were present again the next morning until about 9 am. On Nov
> 27, a single low-flying CAVE SWALLOW soared for about a
> minute over the boardwalk at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA.
>
> Somewhat further afield, some 30 to 40 CAVE SWALLOWS have
> been visiting Northampton Co, in the vicinity of the Eastern
> Shore of VA NWR and Kiptopeke SP, through at least Nov 28.
>
> A male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD also enlivened the ESV NWR. It was
> discovered on the afternoon of Nov 27, and it was seen again
> the next morning, in fields along Rte 600, near a lane called
> Dixon Dr about a quarter mile north of the refuge.
>
> The RED-THROATED LOON at Black Hill RP was last reported Nov
> 26, across the lake from the parking lot below the Visitor Center.
>
> An EARED GREBE was discovered at Black Hill Nov 26; this
> elusive bird, which has been observed both near the pontoon
> boat dock below the Visitor Center and from the parking lot
> near the bridge on Rte 121, was most recently reported Nov 29.
>
> The Nov 28 ANS trip to Dorchester Co, MD, found RED-THROATED
> LOON and RED-NECKED GREBE on the Choptank River at Cambridge,
> as well as SURF and BLACK SCOTERS. Two PEREGRINE FALCONS were
> busily interacting in the vicinity of the Cambridge radio tower.
>
> A Nov 27 fishing trip out of Rudee Inlet, Virginia Beach,
> yielded a fine selection of pelagic species, including
> GREATER and MANX SHEARWATERS (47 of the latter), some 25 RED
> PHALAROPES, POMERINE and PARASITIC JAEGERS, a perfectly
> plumaged juvenile THAYER'S GULL, 92 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES,
> and a dozen RAZORBILLS.
>
> A RICHARDSON'S CACKLING GOOSE was again seen Nov 25 in
> southern Cecil Co, MD, on Crystal Beach Rd outside Ceciltown.
> Two RICHARDSON'S CACKLING GEESE were still at Rocky Gap SP,
> Allegany Co, MD, Nov 29. And a RICHARDSON'S CACKLING GOOSE
> was present Nov 28 at Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co.
>
> More than 150 TUNDRA SWANS flew over Jug Bay, Prince George's
> Co, Nov 24.
>
> The day after Thanksgiving, visitors to the World War II
> Memorial, NE DC, were treated to a spectacular display by a
> BALD EAGLE, which soared for more than 20 minutes over
> Constitution Gardens and the Memorial itself.
>
> On Nov 28, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was observed as it pursued
> pigeons over the Home Depot parking lot in Falls Church, Fairfax
Co.
>
> Hawk watchers at Snicker's Gap, on the Clarke/Loudon Co (VA)
> line, tallied 3 GOLDEN EAGLES on Nov 25 and the second
> ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK of the season on Nov 29.
>
> On Thanksgiving morning, a MERLIN visited a yard in Vienna,
> Fairfax Co. A PEREGRINE FALCON flashed past Bladensburg Water
> Park, Prince George's Co, on Nov 27.
>
> A VIRGINIA RAIL was vocalizing at Lilypons Water Gardens on Nov
27.
>
> A juvenile SANDHILL CRANE was discovered Nov 25 just south of
> Poolesville, Montgomery Co. Through at least Nov 28, the bird
> has been foraging in a winter wheat field on the east side of
> West Willard Rd, just north of the Poolesville Public Golf Course.
>
> A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was discovered Nov 27 at the
> Frederick Co landfill on Reich's Ford Rd. (Exit 55 from I-70,
> then Reich's Ford Rd south).
>
> On Nov 27 a SNOWY OWL was observed in Calvert Co, MD; it
> perched on a mailbox along Holland Cliff Rd, west of Huntington.
>
> RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue to frequent Huntley Meadows
> Park, Fairfax Co; three were there Nov 27. An immature
> RED-HEADED WOODPECKER is a daily visitor to a peanut feeder
> in a yard that backs to Bel Pre Creek in Montgomery Co.
>
> A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH visited an Alexandria, VA, yard Nov
> 27. Half a dozen BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were on view Nov 28
> at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co.
>
> Not all the warblers you see are Yellow-rumps. A late
> BLACKPOLL WARBLER showed up at the Eastern Shore of VA NWR
> Nov 23, while a PRAIRIE WARBLER brightened Gordon's Pond in
> DE Nov 27. On Nov 27, Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, showcased an
> ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER as well as a male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT.
> And on Nov 28, one ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was found along Oak
> Grove Rd in DE, about 1.5 miles north of DE 20, while another
> was observed in the vicinity of the impoundments along DE Rte
> 9, north of Woodland Beach.
>
> AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS have arrived at Lilypons, with reports
> from Nov 27 and 29. AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was also discovered
> on the Nov 27 walk at the Blue Ridge Center in northwestern
> Loudoun Co. FOX SPARROWS were in evidence at Lilypons, Black
> Hill, and Dyke Marsh, where 5 were found on Nov 23.
>
> Three or four LAPLAND LONGSPURS and 2 AMERICAN PIPITS were
> picked out of a large flock of HORNED LARKS on Lilypons Rd
> Nov 27. On Nov 24, 2 LAPLAND LONGSPURS had been found along
> nearby Oland Rd.
>
> A SNOW BUNTING was found at Rocky Gap SP, Allegany Co, MD,
> Nov 24. A SNOW BUNTING was again found in southern Cecil Co,
> MD (along New Cut Rd outside Ceciltown), Nov 25. Some 38 SNOW
> BUNTINGS were counted at Hart-Miller Nov 28.
>
> Approximately 20 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS were located Nov 26 in
> the Nokesville area of Prince William Co; the flock was in a
> cow pasture off Fleetwood Rd, next to Asbury Church. Four
> BREWER'S were there Nov
> 27, with a flock of 130 AMERICAN PIPITS nearby.
>
> Those of you lucky enough to host a winter hummingbird are
> asked to contact hummingbird bander Mary Gustafson at
> Mary is working to document winter
> hummingbirds in the east.
>
> A Dec 11 pelagic trip out of Lewes, DE, has fewer than 10
> spaces remaining. For more information, contact See Life
> Paulagics at 215-234-6805 or check their web site at
> www.paulagics.com.
>
> Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOSPREY,
> VA-Bird, and Delaware Birds list servers.
>
> Claudia Wilds's book, Finding Birds in the National Capital
> Area, is an excellent source of directions to many birding
> sites. And the ANS Bookstore is an excellent source for this
> and many other nature-related titles: 301-652-3606.
>
> To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
> You may also report by calling
> 301-652-1088 and selecting menu option 2. Please post e-mail
> reports before midnight Monday, identify the county and
> state, and include your name and a Tuesday morning phone number.
>
> Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
>
> * Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For more
> information, visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
> |