DC Area, 2/17/98

scordle (scordle@tidalwave.net)
Tue, 17 Feb 1998 23:00:35 -0500


> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               2/17/98
> 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 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, Feb 17, 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: BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, BLUE-GRAY
> GNATCATCHER, RED CROSSBILL, and PAINTED BUNTING in VA; EARED
> GREBE, EURASIAN WIGEON, COMMON REDPOLL, and RED and WHITE-WINGED
> CROSSBILL in MD; ROSS' GOOSE, Eurasian form of GREEN-WINGED TEAL,
> EURASIAN WIGEON, SHORT-EARED OWL, and RED and WHITE-WINGED
> CROSSBILL in DE.
>
>      Other birds of interest include: NORTHERN GANNET, LESSER
> BLACK-BACKED GULL, REDHEAD, COMMON and KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN
> DUCK, scoters, RING-NECKED DUCK, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, RED KNOT,
> PURPLE SANDPIPER, and SNOW BUNTING.
>
>      Please be aware that CapAccess, the Voice's email server,
> was experiencing technical difficulties over the last few
> days, so some of your bird reports were not received.
>
>      An immature BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was seen on CBBT Is #4,
> Northampton Co, VA, on Feb 17.
>
>      A male, Eurasian form of GREEN-WINGED TEAL was found in Bear
> Swamp, Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on Feb 11.  A male EURASIAN WIGEON
> was seen again in West Ocean City Pond, Worcester Co, MD, on Feb
> 10 and 14; the bird sometimes lurks in woody vegetation, where it
> may be difficult to see.  Another EURASIAN WIGEON was spotted
> from the observation tower over the south impoundment at Little
> Creek Wildlife Area, DE, on Feb 16.
>
>      The EARED GREBE reported last week from Pt Lookout, St
> Mary's Co, MD, was seen again on Feb 10.  It was near pilings at
> the point, on the bay side.
>
>      An adult ROSS' GOOSE was found in a flock of several
> thousand Snow Geese in a field alongside US Rt 113, about 1 mi
> south of the intersection with DE Rt 9 [DeLorme Pg 52, A2], on
> Feb 15.
>
>      A SHORT-EARED OWL was spotted along Port Mahon Rd, Little
> Creek Wildlife Area, DE, at dusk on Feb 14, and again at 2 p.m.
> on Feb 16.  An adult, light-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was spotted
> at the Howard County Landfill, MD [DeLorme Pg 57, B5], on Feb 14;
> access to the landfill is restricted, so try looking for the bird
> from Alpha Ridge Pk, which is off Rt 99, north of I-70, or try
> along nearby Marriottsville Rd.  Another ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, also
> an adult, light morph, was spotted about 1/4 mi north of the
> southern end of Sanders Ln, Garrett Co, MD [DeLorme Pg 64, A1],
> on Feb 14; search the open fields from this point northward on
> Sanders to the sharp, westward bend in the road.  Two more ROUGH-
> LEGGED HAWKs, one of them a dark morph, were found at Deal Is
> WMA, Somerset Co, MD, on Feb 16.
>
>      Crossbills continue to be seen widely across our region,
> with reports from western MD to northern VA and central MD, to
> the DE coast.  The western MD sightings included at least 30
> WHITE-WINGED and a single RED CROSSBILL feeding high in hemlock
> trees at Swallow Falls St Pk [DeLorme Pg 65, D5], and a flyby
> WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL at New Germany St Pk [DeLorme Pg 66, B2],
> both in Garrett Co, on Feb 15.
>
>      In northern VA, up to 20 RED CROSSBILLs were seen in pines
> along the entrance road to Brambleton Regional Pk, Loudoun Co, on
> Feb 11; this spot is on Rt 772 (Ryan Rd), just west of Rt 659
> (Belmont Ridge Rd) [DeLorme Pg 76, A1; ADC Maps 29-30, 11 K,A].
> Mornings before 10 a.m. seem to be the best time to look for the
> birds at Brambleton; the crunching sounds as they feed in pine
> cones may be the first clue to the crossbills' presence.
>
>      In central MD, Pine Knob Rd, Liberty Reservoir, Carroll Co
> [DeLorme Pg 57, A5] continues to be a reliable crossbill spot,
> with sightings from Feb 12 through 15.  Many of the reports were
> of flyover flocks of undetermined species composition, but
> sightings of identified birds included up to 30 RED CROSSBILLs on
> Feb 12, and a single, female RED CROSSBILL Feb 13. Twelve RED
> CROSSBILLs and 12 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL were observed there on
> Feb 14.  Again, mornings seem to be a good time to search.
>
>      Also in central MD, 18 RED CROSSBILLs were noted at Broad
> Creek Memorial Boy Scout Reservation, Harford Co [DeLorme Pg 76,
> A3], the morning of Feb 15.  And 13 RED CROSSBILLs were found on
> Gunpowder Rd, 0.5 mi north of Beckleysville Rd, in Prettyboy
> Reservoir, NW Baltimore Co [DeLorme Pg. 74, B3], the same day.
>
>      On the DE coast, an adult female WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was
> seen at Cape Henlopen St Pk, Feb 15; it was found beyond the gate
> at the parking lot that is across the road from the parking area
> for the Great Dune Trail.   Also at Cape Henlopen were
> approximately 20 RED CROSSBILLs, near the campgrounds on Feb 14,
> and seven were at this spot the following day.
>
>      A flyby flock of about 15 COMMON REDPOLLs was noted at New
> Germany St Pk, MD, on Feb 15.
>
>      A PAINTED BUNTING was still frequenting a feeder at the
> Holiday Travel Park, south of Virginia Beach, VA [DeLorme Pg 35,
> B6-7], on Feb 17.  Call the VA Birdline, at 757-238-9145, for
> details and directions.
>
>      A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER continues to hang on at Dyke Marsh,
> Alexandria, VA, with the most recent report for Feb 15.
>
>      A single REDHEAD was seen at West Ocean City Pond, Worcester
> Co, MD, on Feb 10; two REDHEADs were found in Prospect Bay, at
> the eastern end of the Horsehead Wetlands Ctr, Graysonville,
> Queen Annes Co, MD, on Feb 10; and a single REDHEAD was spotted
> at Silver Lake, Rehoboth Beach, DE, on Feb 15.  At least 200
> RING-NECKED DUCKs were noted at Prime Hook NWR, DE, on Feb 11.
>
>      Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD, continues to provide
> excellent viewing of eiders and HARLEQUIN DUCKs, with reports for
> Feb 10 and 11, and 14 through 16.  Reports of COMMON EIDER ranged
> from 7 to 18 birds; KING EIDER, 1 to 8 birds; and HARLEQUIN DUCK,
> 8 to 12 birds, including a number of adult males.  Also noted at
> the inlet during the week were at least two RED KNOTs, some
> PURPLE SANDPIPERs, all three scoter species, and a flyby NORTHERN
> GANNET.
>
>      The CBBT islands also continue to be good birding spots,
> with the following sightings for Feb 17: seven HARLEQUINs, eight
> COMMON EIDERs, and a single KING EIDER on Is #2; 14 HARLEQUINs,
> nine COMMON EIDERs, and two KING EIDERS on Is #3; and seven
> HARLEQUINs, 13 COMMON EIDERs, and three KING EIDERs on Is #4.
>
>      Georgetown Reservoir, NW DC, was hosting two adult,
> 77winter-plumaged LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLs on the afternoon of
> Feb 16.
>
>      A flock of at least 40 SNOW BUNTINGs was seen at Cape
> Henlopen St Pk, DE, on Feb 14 and 15.
>
>      A pelagic trip will depart VA Beach, VA, on Feb 21.  Call
> Brian Patteson, at 703-765-4484, for more information, or visit
> the website www.patteson.com.
>
>      There will be a reservations-only trip to Woodbridge Refuge
> and Leesylvania St Pk, VA, on Sat, Feb 21; call a leader, Jim
> Waggener of Woodbridge, at 703-497-0506, or Charlie Creighton of
> Lorton, at 703-339-6671, 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
> email reports to: voice@capaccess.org.  Thank you for calling and
> GOOD BIRDING.
>