Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist Date: 12/2/97 Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE Telephone: 301-652-1088 Reports (voice): 301-652-9188 x3101 (fax): 301-951-7179 (email): voice@capaccess.org (deadline): midnight mondays Compiler: Jane Hill Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States (independent of NAS!) Transcriber: Steve Cordle (scordle@capaccess.org) !!Check http://www.capaccess.org/snr/vguide.txt for guidelines on making bird reports!! This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tue, Dec 2, at 3pm. 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: ROSS' GOOSE in MD and DE; KING EIDER and COMMON EIDER in DE and VA; COMMON EIDER in DE and VA; HARLEQUIN DUCK in VA and MD; FRANKLIN'S GULL in VA; and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD in MD. Other birds of interest include: WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, RED KNOT, PURPLE SANDPIPER, ICELAND GULL, PEREGRINE FALCON, MERLIN, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, EASTERN PHOEBE, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, a vireo not identifiable to species, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, SNOW BUNTING, RED CROSSBILL, and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. A blue-phase ROSS' GOOSE was spotted in a flock of tens of thousands of Snow Geese in a harvested cornfield in the northwest corner of the intersection of DE Rts 113 and 16 (DeLorme Pg 44, A2), on the morning of Nov 27. The ROSS' GOOSE reported in Anne Arundel Co, MD, last week was seen again by numerous birders this past week. From Nov 27 through Nov 30, it was seen near the pond with willow trees on Rt 259 (Greenock Rd) (DeLorme Pg 38, A2; Pg 48, D2). This pond is about 0.35 mi southwest of the intersection of Rt 259 with Rt 408, and is the first pond on the left if you are approaching from that intersection. Earlier in the week, on Nov 25, the goose was spotted about 0.4 mi southwest of this spot, in a grassy field near a red barn, on the south side of Rt 259. Two gulls believed to be FRANKLIN'S GULLs were reported from the upper reaches of Accotink Bay, Ft Belvoir Military Reservation, Fairfax Co, VA, on Nov 29. A BREWER'S BLACKBIRD was spotted in a mixed flock of several thousand blackbirds in a field on Crouse Mill Rd, north of the town of Queen Anne, Queen Annes Co, MD (DeLorme Pg 50, C3), late on the afternoon of Nov 29; the flock subsequently took off and headed south. A female and three male HARLEQUIN DUCKs were spotted near the south jetty at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD, on Nov 27. Seventeen PURPLE SANDPIPERs were seen at the inlet the same day. Farther south, a female HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen off the fishing pier at CBBT Is #1, Northampton Co, VA, on Nov 29; and another one was off Is #4 the following day. Eiders were seen from Cape Henlopen to the CBBT this past week. A male KING EIDER was spotted off Cape Henlopen St Pk, DE, on Nov 27 and 29. A pair of COMMON EIDERs was seen there on Nov 27. Two KING EIDERs, at least one of them a male, were seen at Indian River Inlet, DE, on Nov 29 and 30. An adult male COMMON EIDER was seen off CBBT Is #3, VA, on Nov 30. A female KING EIDER was seen off Is #2, on Nov 30, and a first-winter ICELAND GULL was reported from that island on Nov 29. SNOW BUNTINGs were seen in twos and threes at Sandy Pt St Pk, Anne Arundel Co, MD, on Nov 28 and 29. They were mostly in the short grass just north of the beachside rest rooms, and were also seen on rock piles at water's edge. Fifty-four SNOW BUNTINGs were counted at Hart-Miller Is, Baltimore Co, MD, on Nov 29. And 38 SNOW BUNTINGs were seen along the beach near the point at Cape Henlopen St Pk, on Nov 27. Cape Henlopen St Pk is a dependable site for Snow Buntings in most years, and is also proving a good spot for crossbills this year. Numerous sightings of both crossbill species were reported from there on Thanksgiving Day and over the weekend. The high count for WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was six birds, seen between the point and the observation tower, on Nov 27. Eight RED CROSSBILLs were also seen flying at this location that day. Single WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL reports on Nov 27 came both from the closed campground near the parking lot, and from just south of Gordon Ponds Wildlife Area, which is between Cape Henlopen Pk and Rehoboth Beach. The high count reported for RED CROSSBILLs was 26 birds, seen at Cape Henlopen St Pk on Nov 27; they were near the parking area for the Great Dunes Trail. Twenty-two RED CROSSBILLs were seen at the park on Nov 29; these birds were flying over the parking area near the observation tower. And ten RED CROSSBILLs were seen in the tower area the following day. A female or immature WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was reported from the Potomac River near Riley's Lock, C&O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD, on Nov 28 and 30. Raptor sightings this week were topped by a report of a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK seen near the intersection of I-70 and US Rt 15, Frederick Co, MD, on Nov 27. PEREGRINE FALCONs and MERLINS were reported from several locations in our region. Lastly, there were several reports of lingering migrants. A winter-plumaged RED KNOT was seen along the beach at Gordons Pond Wildlife Area, DE, on Nov 27. A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was spotted along Cornfield Harbor Rd, St Mary's Co, MD, on Nov 29. An EASTERN PHOEBE was found at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co, MD, on Nov 30, and another one was in Jeffersonton, Culpeper Co, VA, on Nov 29. An immature male BALTIMORE ORIOLE was seen on the fishing pier at CBBT Is #1, VA, on Nov 29. And a vireo identifiable only as a member of the Solitary Vireo complex was found at Jeffersonton, VA, also on Nov 29. There will be a trip to Cambridge and Blackwater NWR, MD, areas on Sun Dec 7; call the leader, Dick Cleveland of Gaithersburg, at 301-926-7109, for information and to reserve 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.