Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 9/18/2012
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE/WV panhandle
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports, comments, questions:
(e-mail): <voice...>
(voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
Compiler: Bob Hartman
Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the
Central Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
Transcriber: Steve Cordle (<scordle...>)
Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of
the Voice (Individual $50; Family $65; Nature Steward $100; Audubon
Advocate $200). 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, September 18,
at 10 AM.
Top birds this week are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in DE, WHITE IBIS in
VA, SWAINSON'S HAWK in MD, GOLDEN EAGLE in VA, SANDHILL CRANE and
SABINE'S GULL in MD, possible MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD in MD, WESTERN
KINGBIRD in MD, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE and LAWRENCE'S WARBLER in VA, and
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD in MD.
Other birds of interest include BROAD-WINGED HAWK, AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER, UPLAND SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER, YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, COMMON
RAVEN, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, warblers including CONNECTICUT and
MOURNING WARBLERS, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW, LARK SPARROW,
LINCOLN'S SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, and RED
CROSSBILL.
On Sept 11, five AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS flew over the Cape Henlopen
Hawk Watch. A flyover immature WHITE IBIS was spotted Sept 15 in
Woodbridge VA (Prince William Co) at Neabsco Creek marsh, near the
entrance to Leesylvania SP. A dark-morph SWAINSON'S HAWK was
photographed Sept 15 over Hooper's Island MD (Dorchester Co), near
Neekis Neck and Swan Harbor Rds. On Sept 15, a GOLDEN EAGLE was
reported from the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, Augusta Co VA. A flyover
SANDHILL CRANE was seen over Cromwell Valley Pk, Baltimore Co MD, on
Sept 11. A SABINE'S GULL was present at Triadelphia Res.
(Montgomery/Howard Co MD) Sept 11 & 12. A large hummingbird, possibly
a female MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD, was seen by several on Sept 13 at
Robert E. Lee Pk, Lakeside Dr, Baltimore Co MD, but it was not
relocated, and the ID isn't certain. A WESTERN KINGBIRD was spotted at
Milltown Landing, Prince George's Co MD, on Sept 16. Also on Sept 16,
a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was reported at Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William
Co VA. A LAWRENCE'S WARBLER was seen along the Rockfish Valley Trail
(Glenthorne Loop), Augusta Co VA, on Sept 13. On Sept 17, a
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen well in a flock of other blackbirds
at Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co MD.
Hawk migration is in full swing, with hundreds of BROAD-WINGED HAWKS
being reported, mostly from the mountain hawk watches. The high count
was 3439 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS counted at Cromwell Valley Hawk Watch
(Baltimore Co MD) on Sept 12; that was a record count for Cromwell.
Away from the hawk watches, several kettles were observed. On Sept 15,
over Taylor's Island MD (Dorchester Co), a kettle of145 BROAD-WINGED
HAWKS was seen. Sept 16 was the big hawk day in MD/DC: kettles of
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were seen over Fox Chase MD (Anne Arundel Co; 450
hawks), Great Falls MD (Montgomery Co, seen from the VA side of the
Potomac R; 250 hawks), Alpha Ridge Pk (Montgomery Co MD; 400 hawks),
and National Arboretum (SE DC; 200 hawks).
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were widely distributed over DE, MD and VA,
with a high count of 50 on Sept 17 along S. Little Creek Rd, Kent Co
DE. An UPLAND SANDPIPER was spotted in VA Sept 13 at Woodward Turf
Farm, along the Fauquier/Culpeper Co line. Single BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS
were seen at Fulton Pond, on MD216 on Montgomery Co MD, on Sept 13 &
15, at Triadelphia Res. on Sept 15, and at Hart-Miller Island on Sept
17. BUFF BREASTED SANDPIPERS were seen several places: three at the
Woodward Turf Farm on Sept 13, four at Murray Turf Farm, Worcester Co
MD, on Sept 16, two at Swan Creek Wetland, Anne Arundel Co MD, on Sept
17, and a single on Sept 17 along S. Little Creek Rd.
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS and PHILADELPHIA VIREOS were thinly
distributed throughout the reporting area all week.
COMMON RAVENS were seen and heard on Sept 15, one in Woodbine, MD
(Carroll Co) and two around Killarney Ct, Vienna VA (Fairfax Co).
Surprising numbers of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were seen throughout the
viewing area all week.
Many species of warblers were seen, pretty much everywhere in the
reporting area. Of special note was a thin wave of CONNECTICUT
WARBLERS IN MD Sept 14-16 (10 birds at 8 locations from Baltimore
south to St. Mary's Co). Several MOURNING WARBLERS were reported, at
Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co MD, on Sept 11, in Rock Creek Pk, NW DC,
on Sept 11 & 14, and at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co VA, on Sept 16.
Sparrows are barely getting started now. Single CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS
were seen: at the feeders in Kiptopeke SP (Northampton Co VA) on Sept
14, along Chapel of Ease Rd, Vienna MD (Dorchester Co) on Sept 15, and
in Wheaton Regional Pk (Montgomery Co MD) on Sept 16. A VESPER SPARROW
was spotted at the Woodward Turf Farm on Sept 13, and single LARK
SPARROWS were seen, at Chincoteague NWR (Accomack Co VA) on Sept 15,
and at Bayside CG Assateague (Worcester Co MD) on Sept 17. A LINCOLN'S
SPARROW was spotted at the Mount Pleasant Farm of the Howard Co (MD)
Conservancy on Sept 11. A few WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS and DARK-EYED
JUNCOS were seen.
A remarkable count of 33 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS was attained at
Turkey Point SP (Cecil Co MD) on Sept 16, and a single flyover RED
CROSSBILL was spotted near Governor Bridge NA, Anne Arundel Co MD, on
Sept 11.
Most of this week's reports have been gleaned from the VA-Bird, West
Virginia Birding List, and DE-Birds list servers, and the mdbirding
web site.
The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606,
http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/default.asp?page=511) is an excellent
source for guidebooks and many other nature-related titles.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
<voice...> or call 301-652-1088. 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
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