-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:02 PM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 4/1/08

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               4/1/2008
Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE
Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2
        (email):     
     (deadline):    midnight Mondays
Compiler:           Andy Martin
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 $40; Family $50; Nature Steward $75; Audubon
Advocate $150). 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 report was completed Tuesday, April 1, at
1:00 p.m.

Top bird this week is BARNACLE GOOSE* in VA and LITTLE GULL in MD.

Other birds of interest include swans and ducks, NORTHERN BOBWHITE,
RED-THROATED LOON, RED-NECKED and other grebes, AMERICAN WHITE
PELICAN, AMERICAN BITTERN, egrets and herons, NORTHERN HARRIER,
falcons, rails, SANDHILL CRANE, shorebirds, gulls, CASPIAN TERN, MONK
PARAKEET, SHORT-EARED OWL, CHIMNEY SWIFT, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD,
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, EASTERN PHOEBE, COMMON RAVEN, swallows,
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, MARSH WREN, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, BROWN
THRASHER, warblers, VESPER SPARROW, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, BALTIMORE ORIOLE,
and PURPLE FINCH.

A BARNACLE GOOSE* continued at Willow Lake in the Raphine area in
northern Rockbridge Co, VA; it was seen on March 29.

An adult winter plumage LITTLE GULL was "picked out" from a flock of
580 Bonaparte's Gulls off of Diamond Point Rd at Back River, Baltimore
Co, MD on March 30.

TRUMPETER SWAN #960 continues at Little Oxbow Lake, Anne Arundel Co,
MD as of March 29.

Four COMMON EIDER were seen off the tip of south jetty on March 29
during an all-day Seawatch at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD.
Three SURF SCOTERS were found at Piney Reservoir in Piney Run Park,
Carroll Co, MD on March 30. Five WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were reported
from Meadows Lake in Garrett Co, MD on March 27.

Ten NORTHERN BOBWHITE were found in Somerset Co, MD on March 31.

Twenty-five RED-THROATED LOONS passed by Fort Smallwood, Anne Arundel
Co, MD on March 28.  RED-THROATED LOONS were also reported this past
week from the Chesapeake Bay near Fort Howard Park, Baltimore Co, MD
on March 28; the Shenandoah River between the Public Boat Landing and
Watermelon Park, Clarke Co, VA on March 29; and Downs Park, Anne
Arundel Co, MD on March 30.

A RED-NECKED GREBE was reported from Chester Cove Marina, MD on March
26. Another RED-NECKED GREBE was spotted far out on the Potomac River
adjacent to Piscataway Park in southwestern Prince George's Co, MD on
March 27. A three-grebe day was had on March 28 near Bridge #1 at Loch
Raven Reservoir, Baltimore Co in MD. A single RED-NECKED GREBE was
found along with double digit numbers of Horned and Pied-billed Grebe.

An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN flew northwest over Fort Smallwood Park,
Anne Arundel Co, MD on March 28. Another AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was
seen off North East Town Park, Cecil Co, MD on March 29. Thirty-seven
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD
on March 30.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was reported from Possum Point, Prince William Co,
VA on March 30 and from McKee-Beshers WMA, Montgomery Co, MD on March
30. A CATTLE EGRET was reported from a yard along the Occoquan River
in Occoquan, VA on March 26. A LITTLE BLUE HERON was found at Swan
Creek in northern Anne Arundel Co, MD on March 28.

Three pair of YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were seen sitting near their
nests along Sligo Creek, Montgomery Co, MD on March 28.

A NORTHERN HARRIER was observed passing over DuPont Circle, NW
Washington, DC on March 26.

An immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK and an adult male MERLIN were seen at
Patterson Park, Baltimore Co, MD on March 26. The goshawk was reported
again near same location on March 29. A PEREGRINE FALCON was observed
perched on the "M" of the McGuireWoods Bldg. (south face) in downtown
Richmond, VA on March 26 and 27. A pair of PEREGRINE FALCONS were
observed at the intersection of M St and New Jersey Ave in SE
Washington, DC on March 27. Another PEREGRINE FALCON was observed
perched on the southwest corner of the Cannon House Office Building in
SW Washington, DC on March 31.

Four KING RAILS were heard calling at Occoquan NWR, Prince William Co,
VA on March 30. A VIRGINIA RAIL was heard and a SORA observed along
the Boardwalk Loop at Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co, VA on March 29.

Four SANDHILL CRANES were seen in the uppermost portion of Piney Run
Reservoir located in Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, MD on March 28.

Four LEAST SANDPIPER were found at Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co, VA on
March 30. A PECTORAL SANDPIPER was found at the Lakeside Business Park
in Edgewood, Harford Co, MD on March 26. Nine PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were
found along the Rappahannock River near Leedstown, Westmoreland Co, VA
on March 29.

An ICELAND GULL was observed flying north on March 29 during an
all-day Seawatch at the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD.  Another
ICELAND GULL was seen March 30 at the Prince William Co Landfill in
VA.. Fourteen LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen along the flood wall
on the James River near Richmond, VA on March 26. Two LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULLS were found at the KG Ponds, Leedstown, Westmoreland
Co, VA on March 29.

Individual CASPIAN TERNS were reported this week from Lake
Kittamaqundi, Columbia, MD on March 26; Fort Smallwood Park, Anne
Arundel Co, MD and Patterson Park, Baltimore, MD on March 29; and
Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA and Occoquan NWR, Prince William Co, VA on
March 30.

A MONK PARAKEET visited a backyard feeder in Silver Spring, Montgomery
Co, MD on March 30.

Individual SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen this week at Jug Bay, Anne
Arundel Co, MD on March 27 and at Blue Mash, Montgomery Co, MD on
March 31.

A single CHIMNEY SWIFT was observed flying over Waynewood in southeast
Fairfax Co, VA in the late afternoon on March 28.

A RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD showed up at a feeder on Smith Grove Rd in
Dinwiddie Co, VA on March 28.

Ten RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were reported from Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier
Co on March 29. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen a Hughes Hollow
within the McKee-Beshers WMA, Montgomery Co, MD on March 27.

A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was seen off Russell Rd, NW of Berryville, Clarke
Co, VA on March 29. Another LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was reported from Sky
Meadows SP, Fauquier Co also on March 29.

A COMMON RAVEN was seen over Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co, VA on March
29.

A variety of swallows continue to arrive in the area with reports last
week of PURPLE MARTIN, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED and BARN SWALLOW. TREE
SWALLOW numbers continue to increase. A BANK SWALLOW was observed at
Little Patuxent Oxbow Lake Nature Preserve, Anne Arundel Co, MD on
March 29.

Two RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH were seen in the Virginia Pines near the
Maintenance Bldg. at Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co, VA on March 29.
Another RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH showed up (along with a male PURPLE
FINCH) at a yard in Glenn Dale, Prince George's Co, MD on March 30. A
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH was heard at Patuxent River NRMA, Calvert Co, MD
on March 30

A MARSH WREN was found at Swan Creek in northern Anne Arundel Co, MD
on March 28.

YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS were heard singing along Possum Point Rd, not
far from the intersection with Cockpit Point Rd on and at Leesylvania
SP, Prince William Co, VA on March 30.

There were increasing reports of PINE WARBLERS and LOUISIANA
WATERTHRUSH this week. Other summer residents or migrants starting to
arrive in our area this past week include GREAT EGRET, GREATER and
LESSER YELLOWLEGS, EASTERN PHOEBE, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER and BROWN
THRASHER.

Five VESPERS SPARROWS were found in a field below the Visitor Center
at Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA on March 29. Three VESPER SPARROWS
were found off Parkgate Rd (near the 90 degree bend) in Nokesville,
Prince William Co, VA on March 30.

RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were reported from a number of places throughout the
area this past week including in Washington, DC from: Kenilworth
Aquatic Gardens, in MD from: Lake Roland, Baltimore Co, Patapsco
Valley SP near Ridge Rd and Stony Run and Waterworks Park, Anne
Arundel Co, Blue Mash and McKee-Beshers WMA, Montgomery Co, and Little
Meadows Campground Lake, Garrett Co and in VA from: Huntley Meadows,
Fairfax Co, Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William Co, Sky Meadows SP,
Fauquier Co, and Julie Metz Wetlands near Woodbridge. 

A BALTIMORE ORIOLE, not seen since March 13, returned to a suet feeder
in Gloucester, VA on March 30. 

A singing PURPLE FINCH visited a backyard feeder in Ellicott City,
Howard Co, MD on March 28.Twenty PURPLE FINCH were reported from Great
Falls NP (VA side) on March 30. PURPLE FINCH were also seen at
Leesylvania SP, VA on March 30.

Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey and
VA-Bird list servers.

Finding Birds in the National Capital Area by Claudia Wilds is an
excellent source for directions to many birding sites. The ANS
Bookstore (301-652-3606 or
www.audubonnaturalist.org/cgi-bin/mesh/store) is an excellent source
for this and many other nature-related titles.

To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
 or call 301-652-1088 and select menu
option 2. Please post reports before midnight Monday, identify the
county as well as state, and include your name and a Tuesday morning
contact, either e-mail or phone. 

Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.

*Of interest to the records committee.