Voice, 1/27/97

Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Tue, 27 Jan 1998 18:51:54 -0500 

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               1/27/98
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)

     This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service
of the Audubon Naturalist Society.  This tape was
made Tue, Jan 27, at 3 pm.

     Top birds this week are: GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE; EURASIAN WIGEON; BLACK-TAILED, GLAUCOUS and
ICELAND GULLs; SNOWY OWL; SAY'S PHOEBE; SEDGE WREN;
PINE GROSBEAK; COMMON REDPOLL; and RED and WHITE
WINGED CROSSBILL.

     Other birds of interest include: EARED GREBE,
GREAT CORMORANT, GREAT EGRET, HARLEQUIN DUCK, KING &
COMMON EIDER, BUFFLEHEAD, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL,
RED KNOT, PURPLE SANDPIPER, BALD EAGLE, PEREGRINE
FALCON, MERLIN, NORTHERN HARRIER, TREE SWALLOW, BLUE
GRAY GNATCATCHER, PINE WARBLER, EVENING GROSBEAK,
and SNOW BUNTING.

     A SNOWY OWL was seen on the beach at
Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA, on Jan 24 and 25.
To try to find this bird, search the dunes and beach
from 3/4 to 1-1/2 mi south of parking lot #3,
towards the old coast guard station at the south end
of the overwash area.

    Winter finch reports included a PINE GROSBEAK
seen and heard flying over the Dulles Greenway
Wetlands, Loudoun Co, VA, on Jan 24.  Single COMMON
REDPOLLs were reported from three locations: a weedy
area along Oatlands Mill Rd, Loudoun Co, VA, on Jan
24; a feeder in the Mt Washington area of Baltimore
City, MD, on Jan 25; and the Julie Metz Wetlands
Mitigation Bank, on Neabsco Rd, Prince William Co,
VA, on Jan 26.

     Other winter finch reports included both
species of crossbill, which are still being seen in
and near a pine stand on Pine Knob Rd, Liberty
Reservoir, Carroll Co, MD.  This area is 0.5-0.8 mi
east of Rt 32 [DeLorme Pg 57, A5].  Reports include:
two WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLs seen on Jan 20 in a
deciduous tree on the right side of the road as you
leave the pine stand to return to Rt 32; twenty RED
and two WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLs on Jan 24; and ten
RED CROSSBILLs on Jan 26.

        Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were
seen at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands, VA, on Jan 24.
Also seen at the wetlands was a male EURASIAN
WIGEON, spotted in a flock of American Wigeon, on
Jan 23. [Remember that the Greenway Wetlands is not
open to the public, although you may bird there from
along Oatlands Mill Rd.]  The male EURASIAN WIGEON
that has been frequenting the pond on the west side
of Brown's Station Rd, opposite the Brown's Station
Landfill, northwest of Upper Marlboro, Prince
Georges Co, MD [DeLorme Pg 47, D6], was seen on Jan
20 and then again on the morning of Jan 27; best
viewing is from the recycling center.

     The BLACK-TAILED GULL that has been frequenting
CBBT Is #4, Northampton Co, VA, was seen again, as
it sat on rocks on the west, or bay, side of the
island, on Jan 26. A first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL and
an adult ICELAND GULL were spotted in a flock of
about 1,000 gulls at Conowingo Dam, Harford Co, MD,
on Jan 24.

     The SAY'S PHOEBE in Newville PA was seen again
on Jan 26; call the Central PA Bird Hotline, at 717
255-1212, ext 5760, for directions.

    Two SEDGE WRENs were seen in the marshes east of
Saxis, Accomack Co, VA, on Jan 24.  An EARED GREBE
was spotted in a raft of Ruddy Ducks in Swan Cove,
Chincoteague NWR, VA, on Jan 25.

     The CBBT Islands, VA, continue to be good
places to find winter ducks and other water birds.
Island #2 hosted six KING EIDERs, two of them
immature males, and 17 COMMON EIDERs, including two
adult males, all on Jan 25.  At Island #3, there
were seven HARLEQUIN DUCKs on Jan 25 and 26, and ten
COMMON EIDERs and five PURPLE SANDPIPERs on Jan 26.
At Island #4, an adult male KING EIDER and eight
COMMON EIDERs, including three adult males, were
seen on Jan 26.  GREAT CORMORANTs were frequenting
Islands #2-4, also on Jan 26.

     Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD, was also
productive this week, with three adult male COMMON
EIDERs seen in a flock of more than 20 eiders; at
least six HARLEQUIN DUCKs; and two RED KNOTs, all on
Jan 25.

    DC hosted a variety of interesting birds this
past week.  Female BUFFLEHEADs were frequenting the
Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, with four birds
seen on Jan 20 and 21, and three on Jan 23. An adult
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL livened up the birding at
Georgetown Reservoir on Jan 25.  And raptors were in
evidence, with a PEREGRINE FALCON seen atop a
building at 16th and I Sts, NW, on Jan 24; a MERLIN
spotted at 4th and M Sts, SW, on Jan 23; and eight
BALD EAGLEs soaring over SW areas, just north of the
Wilson Bridge, on Jan 20.

     Interesting raptors were also frequenting the
suburbs: A MERLIN was spotted at Blake Lane and Lee
Hwy, near Fairfax City, VA, on Jan 25; and a
NORTHERN HARRIER was seen flying north over EastWest
Hwy, near its intersection with Beach Dr, in Chevy
Chase, Montgomery Co, MD, late on the afternoon of
Jan 20.

     Single, adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLs were
frequenting Conowingo Dam, MD, and Leesylvania St
Pk, Prince William Co, VA, on Jan 24.  Two GREAT
EGRETs and a singing PINE WARBLER were noted at the
Julie Metz Wetlands Mitigation Bank, Prince William
Co, VA, on Jan 26.

     Winter finch reports, in addition to those
mentioned above, included four EVENING GROSBEAKs on
the C & O Canal, about 1/2 - 1 mile above Riley's
Lock, Montgomery Co, MD, on Jan 22.  Other reports
included a flock of 80-100 SNOW BUNTINGs at Cape
Henlopen St Pk, DE, and 80 SNOW BUNTINGs at Hart
Miller Is, Baltimore Co, MD, all on Jan 25; and
three SNOW BUNTINGs flying along the beach, and seen
from the far northeast parking area, at Sandy Pt St
Pk, Anne Arundel Co, MD, on Jan 23.

     Twenty TREE SWALLOWs were seen flying over a
plowed field on the west side of Rt 12, just south
of Stockton, Worcester Co, MD, on Jan 23.  A BLUE
GRAY GNATCATCHER was still hanging on at Dyke Marsh,
Alexandria, VA, with the most recent report for Jan
25.

     Upcoming pelagics in our region depart VA
Beach, VA, on Feb 7 and Feb 21.  Call Brian
Patteson, at 703-765-4484, for more information, or
visit the website www.patteson.com.

     There will be a walk at Dyke Marsh, VA, on Sun
Feb 1; call the leader, Len Alfredson of Arlingon,
at 703-360-7994, to reserve your place.

     To report bird sightings you can FAX your
report to ANS at 301-951-7179, or call 301-6529188,
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.