DC Area, 4/7/98

scordle (scordle@tidalwave.net)
Tue, 07 Apr 1998 16:36:27 -0400


Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               4/7/98
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, Apr 7, 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,the
address is 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, and the
website is http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org.

     Top birds this week are: LITTLE GULL and LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL in MD; ROSS' GOOSE and BLACK-HEADED GULL in DE; NORTHERN
GOSHAWK in VA; and SAY'S PHOEBE in PA.

     Other birds of interest include: COMMON LOON, NORTHERN
GANNET, egrets, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, SNOW GOOSE, RED-
BREASTED MERGANSER, KING RAIL, AMERICAN AVOCET, BONAPARTE'S GULL,
EASTERN KINGBIRD, VEERY, BLUE-HEADED VIREO, warblers, EVENING
GROSBEAK, and PURPLE FINCH

     This week, flocks of Bonaparte's Gulls yielded several
interesting finds.  An adult, winter-plumaged, LITTLE GULL was
mingling with about 1,500 BONAPARTE'S GULLs that were frequenting
Back River Waste Water Treatment Plant and adjacent Back River,
Baltimore Co, MD, on Apr 5.  Also at the treatment plant was an
adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, seen Apr 2.

     Another flock of Bonaparte's Gulls held the adult BLACK-
HEADED GULL that has been frequenting Little Ck Wildlife Area,
DE; this bird was seen Apr 4, from the central tower, off the
main entrance road into the wildlife area.

     A ROSS' GOOSE was spotted in a flock of SNOW GEESE on the
north side of the entrance road to Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on Apr 2.
The total number of SNOW GEESE along the road and on the refuge
that day was estimated at 10,000 birds.

     Both an adult and an immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK were seen at
Beaverdam Reservoir, Loudoun Co, VA [DeLorme Pg 80, D1], on Apr
5.

     The SAY'S PHOEBE that has been frequenting a farm near
Newville, PA, was reported again on Apr 2; for details and
directions, call the Central PA Birdline, at 717-255-1212, ext.
5761.

     About 155 AMERICAN AVOCETs were seen from the central tower
at Little Creek Wildlife Area, DE, on Apr 4.

     Heavy rains did not deter good numbers of GREAT and SNOWY
EGRETs from arriving at Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA, on Apr
4.  Closer to DC, five GREAT EGRETs were seen at Huntley Meadows
Pk, Fairfax Co, VA, also on Apr 4.  Huntley Meadows also hosted a
KING RAIL, near the boardwalk, on Apr 5, and a BLUE-HEADED VIREO
on Apr 1.  (Note that Blue-headed Vireo is the new species name
for the eastern birds belonging to the Solitary Vireo complex.)

     A total of six warbler species were reported this week.  New
arrivals included PROTHONOTARY WARBLER and NORTHERN PARULA, both
seen at Riley's Lock, Montgomery Co, MD, on Apr 2 and 3.

     Other arrivals included VEERY, with one bird seen at the
North Tract of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Ctr, Anne Arundel
Co, MD, on Apr 3.  Another first for the season were two EASTERN
KINGBIRDs, spotted at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on Apr 2.

     NORTHERN GANNETs continue to be seen along the Atlantic
coast and in waters of the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays.

     An adult YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was spotted among the
birds in the noncaptive colony of Black-crowned Night-Herons at
the National Zoo, DC, on Apr 5.  RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs and
COMMON LOONs were reported on inland and coastal waters around
our region.  Of particular interest were two RED-BREASTED
MERGANSERs on the Potomac R just south of Memorial Bridge, DC, on
Apr 3; and three RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs and a COMMON LOON at
Georgetown Reservoir, NW, DC, on Apr 7.

     Three EVENING GROSBEAKs were spotted in Jeffersonton,
Culpeper Co, VA, on Apr 2.  PURPLE FINCHes are migrating through
our region, with reports from numerous locations.

     There will be a reservations-only trip to Oxon Hill
Children's Farm, MD, on Sat, April 11; call the leader, Paul
Baicich of Oxon Hill, at 301-859-9736, to reserve your spot.
There will be a walk at Gt Falls Pk, VA, on Wed, Apr 15; call the
leader, Ed Smith of Arlington, at 703-528-0425, for information.
There will be a reservations-only trip to DE Coastal Refuges on
Sat, Apr 18; call the leader, Paul DuMont of Arlington, at 703-
931-8994, to secure your place.  There will be a reservations-
only walk in the Mason Neck, VA, area on Sun, Apr 19; call the
leader, Larry Cartwright of Arlington, at 703-379-2689, 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.