DC Area, 1/6/98
Steve Cordle (scordle@erols.com)
Tue, 06 Jan 1998 17:03:32 -0500
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 1/6/98
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/chase.txt for updates
between tuesdays, and www.capaccess.org/snr/vguide.txt for
guidelines on reporting your sightings!!
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the
Audubon Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tue, Jan 6, at 2
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: ROSS' GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON,
BLACK-TAILED GULL, SHORT-EARED OWL, ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD, and
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER in VA; possible YELLOW-BILLED LOON, COMMON
GULL, and ICELAND GULL in MD; crossbills in MD, VA, and DE; and
SAY'S PHOEBE in PA.
Other birds of interest include: RED-BREASTED MERGANSER,
REDHEAD, KING and COMMON EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, OSPREY, RED-
BREASTED NUTHATCH, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, PRAIRIE WARBLER, and PINE
SISKIN.
The New Year begins with some interesting birds in our
region. A first-winter COMMON GULL was seen at Conowingo Dam,
Harford Co, MD, Jan 1-4. Most of the sightings were in the
morning or just after noon. A first-winter ICELAND GULL was also
seen at the dam, Jan 3.
A gull that was reported in mid-December from the CBBT,
Northampton Co, VA, and tentatively identified as an adult BLACK-
TAILED GULL, was relocated Dec 31, on the south side of Island
#4. This time, it was carefully studied at close range and its
identification confirmed as a BLACK-TAILED GULL.
A bird reported as a YELLOW-BILLED LOON--but not yet
confirmed--was found at the Loch Raven Drive bridge of the Loch
Raven Reservoir, Baltimore Co, MD, on Jan 5. To reach the bridge
from the DC area, take I-95 to the Baltimore Beltway (I-695).
Take Exit 29, Cromwell Bridge Rd, off the beltway, and head NE
about 1 mi. Then turn left on Loch Raven Dr and proceed about
1-1/2 mi and cross the first bridge. Pull off and park immediately,
and look for the bird. If you don't find it at this location,
continue around the lake on Loch Raven Dr, then go left on
Dulaney Valley Rd and proceed until you come to a bridge. Park
in the parking area just before the bridge. From here you can
look toward the first bridge, and also north into a part of the
lake not visible from the first bridge. This road is busy, so
cross with caution. Also note that Loch Raven Dr is closed to
all vehicular traffic between Providence Rd and Morgan Mill Rd,
on Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-5pm.
A white-phase ROSS' GOOSE was seen in a large flock of
white-phase Snow Geese at False Cape St Pk, Virginia Beach, VA,
on Dec 31. This spot is just south of the boundary of Back Bay
NWR.
To the north of our normal reporting area was a SAY'S
PHOEBE, seen in Newville, PA, Jan 3-5; for directions, call the
Baltimore Birdline, at 410-467-0653.
Two SHORT-EARED OWLs were seen in a field on the east side
of Bull Run Post Office Rd, Fairfax Co, VA (DeLorme Pg 76, A-B,
1-2), at sunset on Jan 1. To reach this site from US Rt 29
heading west, turn right on Bull Run Post Office Rd, go about 3
miles, and after passing the Sudley Rd turnoff on your left, go
another 1/4 mi and scan the field on your right.
Crossbills continue to delight birders searching stands of
pine trees in MD. A flock of 10 RED CROSSBILLs was seen feeding
on cones at the tops of white pines along Rt 117, between Moore
Rd and Whites Store Rd, ne of Poolesville, Montgomery Co, MD
(DeLorme Pg 55, D6), on the Sugarloaf CBC, Jan 4. To look for
these birds, from Rt 28, go north on Rt 117 and after passing
Moore Rd you'll come to a pond on your right; search the stand of
pines on your left, across from the pond, just south of a small
bridge where construction work is in progress. Park with caution
along this road.
Pine trees at Liberty Lake Reservoir, Carroll Co, MD,
continued to host crossbills this week, with reports from two
main locations. The first location was a stand of white pines on
Pine Knob Rd (DeLorme Pg 57, A5), where reports included up to
eight RED CROSSBILLs on Jan 1; up to 10 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLs
on Jan 2; about 18 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLs Jan 3; and six WHITE-
WINGED CROSSBILLs on Jan 4. The second location was on Deer Park
Rd (DeLorme Pg 74, D2), where reports included about 30 RED and
six WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLs on Jan 1; at least 16 WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILLs on Jan 3; and two RED and 16 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLs
on Jan 4. At both sites, large flocks of PINE SISKINs and RED-
BREASTED NUTHATCHes were also common. To reach the Pine Knob Rd
site, follow State Rt 32 north from State Rt 26 about 1-1/2 mi,
and turn right on Pine Knob Rd; go about 0.8 mi, park along the
side of the road, and search the pines. Be alert to traffic on
this road. To get from this site to the Deer Park Rd location,
return to Rt 32 and head north to St Rt 91 (Gamber Rd), and turn
right. Go about 1-1/2 mi on
Rt 91 and turn right on Deer Park Rd. Go to the second powerline
crossing, and search the pines along both the road and the
powerline.
In DE, three RED CROSSBILLs were seen from the parking lot
near the observation tower in the Great Dunes area, Cape Henlopen
St Pk, on Jan 2. Small numbers of both crossbill species were
also found at Leesylvania St Pk, Pr William Co, VA, on the Ft
Belvoir CBC, Jan 4.
An adult male ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD has been frequenting a
feeder in Bristol, VA, with the most recent report spanning the
period Dec 30-Jan 3. For more information and directions, call
the VA Birdline, at 757-238-2713.
A male EURASIAN WIGEON was spotted in a small lake at the
northeast corner of the intersection of US Rt 17 and Rt 709, just
south of I-66, Fauquier Co, VA (DeLorme Pg 75, B6), on Jan 4; it
was with a small flock of American Wigeon.
Birders on the Sugarloaf CBC found an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
in the Lucketts area of Loudoun Co, VA (DeLorme Pg 80, C2), Jan
4. To look for it, from US Rt 15 going north from Leesburg, turn
right on Rt 662. Where Rt 662 dead ends at Rt 657, turn right
(sw) on Rt 657. You'll be heading down a hill. The bird was
seen in a flock of birds near the bottom of the hill.
Also found on the Sugarloaf Count was a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE,
seen along Rt 28, 0.2 mi east of the intersection with New Design
Rd, Montgomery Co, MD; and four RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs, at Black
Hill Regional Park, also in Montgomery Co. An immature PRAIRIE
WARBLER was found along the bluffs above the Potomac R at Ft
Belvoir, Fairfax Co, VA, on the Ft Belvoir CBC, Jan 4.
The CBBT islands hosted large numbers of eiders this week,
with a total of 34 COMMON and six KING EIDERs seen on Dec 31. A
total of six HARLEQUIN DUCKs were also seen on the islands that
day. Farther north, three HARLEQUIN DUCKs and six COMMON EIDERs
were seen at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD, on Jan 2; and
single female KING and COMMON EIDERs were at Indian R Inlet, DE,
on Jan 3. An OSPREY and a female REDHEAD were seen at Roaches
Run, Arlington, Va, on Jan 2.
Upcoming pelagics in our region depart VA Beach, VA, on Jan
17, Feb 7, and Feb 21. Call Brian Patteson, at 703-765-4484, for
more information.
There will be a reservations-only walk at the National
Arboretum, DC, on Sun, Jan 11; call the leader, Ottavio Janni of
Washington, at 202-244-6009, 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
email reports to: voice@capaccess.org. Thank you for calling and
GOOD BIRDING.