DC Area, 11/18/97
Steve Cordle (scordle@erols.com)
Tue, 18 Nov 1997 16:14:03 -0500
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 11/18/97
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, Nov 18, at
2pm. 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: WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL and
HARLEQUIN DUCK in VA; RED CROSSBILL IN MD; GOLDEN EAGLE in MD and
VA; ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK in DC; and KING EIDER in VA and DE.
Other birds of interest include: TUNDRA SWAN, BRANT,
OLDSQUAW, scoters, other ducks, BONAPARTE'S GULL, EVENING
GROSBEAK, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW,
PINE SISKIN, and PURPLE FINCH.
There were no reports this week of the Pacific Loon found on
Oct 30 in PA. The Brown-chested Martin found Nov 6 in Cape May,
NJ, was last reported on Nov 15; call the Cape May Hotline, at
609-861-0466, for more information about this and the other
rarities that have been showing up in the Cape May area.
Winter finches continue to invade our region. The most
interesting sightings this week were of the two crossbill
species. An adult, male WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was found in the
arboretum at the Blandy Experimental Farm, US Rt 50, in Boyce,
Clarke Co, VA (DeLorme Pg 78, D4), on Nov 13. Another male
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was reported at a feeder near Belle Haven,
Northampton Co, VA, the same day. A RED CROSSBILL was seen
flying over the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Anne Arundel
Co, MD, on Nov 12.
A dark-phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was spotted in the Potomac
River, from the Naval Research Laboratory, SW DC, on Nov 17. It
was headed upriver, towards Hains Pt.
Another raptor of note this week was GOLDEN EAGLE, with one
bird seen at Snicker's Gap hawkwatch, on the Loudoun-Clarke Co
line, VA, on Nov 16; two at the Rockfish Gap hawkwatch, on the
Augusta-Nelson Co line, VA, on Nov 15; three off US Rt 40 at Town
Hill, Allegany Co, MD, on Nov 16; one at Kiptopeke St Pk,
Northampton Co, VA, on Nov 15; and another at Eastern Shore of VA
NWR, also in Northampton Co, on Nov 16.
Birders aboard the Cape May-Lewes Ferry spotted an adult
male KING EIDER just inside one of the breakwaters off Lewes, DE,
on Nov 15. The same day, a female KING EIDER was observed off
CBBT Is #4, and a female HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen off CBBT Is #2.
TUNDRA SWANs are beginning to arrive in sizable numbers,
with several flocks noted during the week. Reports in the DC
metro area include a flock heard flying over western Gt Falls,
Fairfax Co, VA, on the evening of Nov 12, and a flock of at least
nine birds seen at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands, Loudoun Co, VA,
on Nov 17. Farther afield, seven flocks totaling nearly 300
birds were noted flying over Rocky Gap, Allegany Co, MD, and 74
birds were observed flying over Town Hill, MD, all on Nov 16.
BRANT were found inland this week. Two immature birds were
at Farmington Landing, on Piscataway Creek, near where the creek
empties into the Potomac River, Prince Georges Co, MD (DeLorme Pg
36-37, B3), on Nov 16.
Sea ducks were also found inland, with two female SURF
SCOTERs spotted at Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, MD, on Nov 12; and
a single female BLACK SCOTER seen at Greenbrier St Pk, Washington
Co, MD, on Nov 16. Also turning up inland, in Montgomery Co, MD,
were OLDSQUAW, with two birds spotted on the Potomac River just
upstream from Violettes Lock, on Nov 13, and two in the reservoir
at Black Hill Regional Park, on Nov 11. Other waterbirds at
Black Hill on Nov 11 were more than 300 BUFFLEHEAD, approximately
100 RUDDY DUCKs, and several COMMON GOLDENEYEs. BUFFLEHEAD and
RUDDY DUCKs were also reported from several other locations in
our region, as were HOODED MERGANSERs.
Two BONAPARTE'S GULLs were seen on the Potomac River, just
upstream from Violettes Lock, MD, on Nov 13, and a single
BONAPARTE'S GULL was reported from the Dulles Airport pond,
Loudoun Co, VA, on Nov 12.
Winter sparrow and finch reports include, in addition to the
crossbills, a male LAPLAND LONGSPUR seen at Hart-Miller Island,
Baltimore Co, MD, on Nov 15; a flock of SNOW BUNTINGs flying over
Sideling Hill, Washington Co, MD, on Nov 16; and an AMERICAN TREE
SPARROW, seen at the Julie Metz Wetlands Mitigation Project, on
Neabsco Rd, about 1-1/2 miles south of Woodbridge, Prince William
Co, VA, on Nov 11.
EVENING GROSBEAKs were also reported, with fourteen birds
observed at Snicker's Gap hawkwatch, VA, on Nov 16; and flocks
of 12-25 birds at several locations in Augusta Co, VA, on Nov 11-12.
PINE SISKINs continue to frequent area feeders, with a
report of up to 12 birds seen near McKee-Beshers WMA, Montgomery
Co, MD, during the week, and two birds spotted in the Great Falls
area, Fairfax Co, VA, on Nov 14. PURPLE FINCHes were reported
from numerous locations.
There will be a 12-person-limit trip to Charles County, MD,
areas from Marshall Hall to Myrtle Grove, on Sun, Nov 23. Call
the leader, George Jett of Waldorf, at 301-843-3524, to reserve
your spot.
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.