DC Area, 10/21/97
Steve Cordle (scordle@CapAccess.org)
Tue, 21 Oct 1997 17:57:22 -0400 (EDT)
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 10/21/97
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE
Telephone: 301-652-1088
Reports (voice): 301-652-9188 x3101
(fax): 301-951-7179
(email): voice@capaccess.org
(deadline): 8am tuesdays
Compiler: Jane Hill
Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central
Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
Transcriber: Steve Cordle (scordle@capaccess.org)
!!Visit the ANS web site at http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org,
and check http://www.capaccess.org/snr/chase.txt for updates
between tuesdays!!
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon
Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tue, Oct 21, at 3:30 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: COMMON EIDER in VA; ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLER and NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW in MD; and ROSS' GOOSE and
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD in DE.
Other birds of interest include: HORNED GREBE, EARED GREBE,
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, BARNACLE GOOSE, SURF SCOTER, BLACK SCOTER,
other ducks, COMMON MOORHEN, AMERICAN AVOCET, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER,
MARBLED GODWIT, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, AMERICAN PIPIT, RUSTY BLACKBIRD,
DARK-EYED JUNCO, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, and FOX SPARROW.
A YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was spotted on Rd 12, also called
Smyrna-Leipsic Rd, between DE Rt 1 and Big Oak Rd, on Oct 18. Also in
DE this past week, an adult ROSS' GOOSE was reported from along
Whitehall Neck Rd, the entrance road to Bombay Hook NWR, on Oct 18;
this bird was at the far back of a field on the lefthand side, about
1/3 of the way into the refuge from Rt 9. Farther south, a COMMON
EIDER was seen off CBBT Is #4, Northampton Co, VA, on Oct 16.
A NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW, in a flock of Swamp and Song
Sparrows, was seen feeding in weeds at the edge of a pond at Terrapin
Pt St Pk, on Kent Is, Queen Annes Co, MD (DeLorme Pg 49, C5), on Oct
18. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was found in this same area on Oct 20.
To reach this little-known park's productive fields and hedgerows from
the DC metro area, take US Rt 50 east, cross the Bay Bridge to Kent
Is, and take the first exit (Exit 37, the Rt 8 exit). Turn left
(north) towards Love Point. After crossing over Rt 50, take the
second left (Schooner Lane) and drive around a circle, about 3/4 mile,
to the park, which will be on your right. Hike the trail to the Bay,
starting from the NW corner of the parking lot. Walk 0.2 mi south
along the beach, and, at the rocky breakwaters, turn left (which is
uphill, or east). Search carefully through the abundant grasses and
herbs in the long fields and around the ponds there, and you're likely
to turn up hundreds of sparrows. It is best to stay in the western
part of the field, because the park boundary is not marked.
Also found at this site were two LINCOLN'S SPARROWs, on Oct 20.
Two more LINCOLN'S SPARROWs and a FOX SPARROW were spotted at Blair's
Valley Lake, Washington Co, MD (DeLorme Pg 70, A3), on Oct 19 (see
Claudia Wilds' book Finding Birds in the National Capital Area for
detailed directions to this site). Other sparrows of note this past
week included DARK-EYED JUNCOs, which are moving into our region in
large numbers.
An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN continues to frequent Swan Cove,
Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA, with the most recent report for Oct
18. Also in Swan Cove this past week were three MARBLED GODWITs, on
Oct 17.
An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was reported from the Hurlock Sewage
Treatment Plant, Dorchester Co, MD (DeLorme Pg 43, C4), on Oct 15. A
juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was found at Westminster Reservoir
(also known as Cranberry Reservoir), which is 3 mi NE of Westminster,
Carroll Co, MD (DeLorme Pg 74, B1), on Oct 19. Three more AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVERs were seen at Staunton River St Pk, Halifax Co, VA
(DeLorme Pg 29, C6), the same day. Also seen at the Staunton River Pk
that day were three lingering AMERICAN AVOCETs. A migrant lingering
closer to the DC area was a winter-plumaged SPOTTED SANDPIPER, found
at Blockhouse Pt, C & O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD, on Oct 20.
Winter waterfowl continue to increase in numbers, with newly
arrived LESSER SCAUP showing up among the growing rafts of RUDDY
DUCKs. Other ducks noted this past week included GADWALL, NORTHERN
PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIDGEON, NORTHERN SHOVELER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and
RING-NECKED DUCK. A BARNACLE GOOSE, probably an escaped bird, was
reported from Dulles Airport pond, Loudoun Co, VA, on Oct 17. On Oct
19, the ducks and American Coots at this pond were accompanied by a
COMMON MOORHEN.
Sixteen BLACK SCOTERs and three SURF SCOTERs were seen in the
Choptank River, Caroline Co, MD, on Oct 20; these birds were observed
from Kingston Landing, Talbot Co. Another SURF SCOTER was spotted off
CBBT Is #2, VA, on Oct 18. Also seen at Is #2 that day was an
AMERICAN PIPIT.
Eight HORNED GREBEs were found at Dulles Airport Pond on Oct 17.
And an EARED GREBE is frequenting Musick's Campground, at South
Holston Lake, Washington Co, VA (DeLorme Pg. 21, D7), with a sighting
on Oct 19.
A flock of 30 RUSTY BLACKBIRDs was seen at Tuckahoe St Pk,
Caroline and Queen Annes Cos, MD, on Oct 17, and another flock was at
King's Creek, Talbot Co, MD, on Oct 20. We also received a secondhand
report of a flock of RUSTY BLACKBIRDs at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax
Co, VA, on Oct 18.
There will be a reservations-only trip to Waggoner's Gap, PA, on
Sat Oct 25; call the leader, Kerrie Kirkpatrick of Falls Church, at
703-560-4950, to reserve your spot. There will be a reservations-only
trip to Myrtle Grove, MD, on Sun Oct 26; call the leader, Frank
Witebski of Silver Spring, at 301-871-7990, 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 e-mail reports to:
voice@capaccess.org. Thank you for calling and GOOD BIRDING.