(Fwd) Voice, 5/5/98
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Tue, 5 May 1998 17:55:24 -0500
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 17:41:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jane Hill <janehill@CapAccess.org>
To: osprey@ari.net
Subject: Voice, 5/5/98
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 5/05/98
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)
!!Now that migration is in full swing, please
limit your reports to your top ten sightings!!
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service
of the Audubon Naturalist Society. This tape was
made Tue, May 5, at 3:30 pm.
Top birds this week are: AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN,
WHITE-TAILED KITE, and SWALLOW-TAILED KITE in VA;
MISSISSIPPI KITE in MD; and UPLAND SANDPIPER and
BREWSTER'S WARBLER in DC.
Other birds of interest include: COMMON LOON,
HORNED GREBE, LITTLE BLUE HERON, RED-BREASTED
MERGANSER, SORA, RED KNOT, BLACK-NECKED STILT, LONG-
BILLED DOWITCHER, WHIMBREL, STILT SANDPIPER, other
sandpipers, LEAST TERN, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, WHIP-POOR-
WILL, CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW, flycatchers, SWAINSON'S
THRUSH, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, warblers, ROSE-BREASTED
GROSBEAK, and BOBOLINK.
The possible JACK SNIPE reported last week from
Assateague Island Natl Seashore, Worcester Co, MD,
was not reported again this week, despite diligent
searching by a number of birders. The Common Snipe
that were accompanying the bird last week also were
not relocated, suggesting that the whole group of
birds may have moved on.
Three species of kites were spotted this week.
The WHITE-TAILED KITE reported last week from
Northampton Co, VA, was seen again a little farther
south, at the Eastern Shore of VA NWR, on Apr 29. The
bird was seen flying southward at low altitude, and
was last viewed heading across Fisherman Island. At
the same time and place a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was
seen heading eastward. And a subadult MISSISSIPPI
KITE was spotted at Aquasco, southern Prince Georges
Co, MD [DeLorme Pg 38, C1], on May 2.
Two AMERICAN WHITE PELICANs were found near the
Custis Tomb, on the Chesapeake Bay just north of
Kiptopeke, Northampton Co, VA, on Apr 29.
DC was hosting a BREWSTER'S WARBLER, a hybrid
between Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers, near
picnic grove #18, Rock Creek Park, on the morning of
May 5. Another good find for DC was an UPLAND
SANDPIPER, spotted along the Anacostia River on May 2
but not relocated later in the day. The bird was in
a field on the east side of the river, just north of
the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge (South Capitol
Street Bridge). Also at the Anacostia site that day
were a LEAST SANDPIPER and three SPOTTED SANDPIPERs.
DC hosted other water birds of note this week,
with two HORNED GREBEs, in nearly full breeding
plumage, seen at Georgetown Reservoir on Apr 30 and
May 2, and a pair of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERs spotted
on the Potomac R under the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge,
just off Roosevelt Island, on May 3.
A BLACK-NECKED STILT was found near Scotland, in
the Pt Lookout area of St Mary's Co, MD, on May 4,
but efforts to relocate the bird the following
morning were unsuccessful. This may be the first
record of the species in St Mary's Co.
Other water birds of interest included a flock
of six COMMON LOONs, spotted close to shore on the
Potomac River just upstream from Riley's Lock,
Montgomery Co, MD, on May 2. A LEAST TERN and three
RED KNOTs were spotted in Swan Cove, Chincoteague
NWR, Accomack Co, VA, the same day. Also at
Chincoteague that day were two WHIMBREL, spotted
along the causeway from the mainland to the island.
A LITTLE BLUE HERON entering breeding plumage
was frequenting Lily Pons, Frederick Co, MD, on May
4. Two more LITTLE BLUE HERONs, one an adult and the
other in transitional plumage, were seen at Huntley
Meadows Pk, Fairfax Co, VA, on May 1. A SORA was
also spotted at Huntley Meadows that day.
Seventy-five LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERs were noted
at Little Creek Wildlife Area, DE, on Apr 28. And
nearby Bombay Hook NWR held 17 STILT SANDPIPERs and a
WESTERN SANDPIPER, also on Apr 28.
Among the land birds this week were two immature
NORTHERN GOSHAWKs, one in MD and the other in VA.
The VA bird was spotted flying along The Woods Rd
near its intersection with Evergreen Mills Rd,
Loudoun Co, on Apr 28. The MD bird was tallied at
the Ft Smallwood hawkwatch, Anne Arundel Co, the same
day. Ft Smallwood is located at the mouth of the
Patapsco River, about 11 miles s of Baltimore
[DeLorme Pg 58, D3].
Thirty-two species of warblers were reported
this week, with BLACKBURNIAN and BLACKPOLL WARBLERs,
both observed in several locations, ushering in the
last wave of warbler migration through our area.
Also new this week was BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, with one
bird seen in Reston, Fairfax Co, VA, on May 1.
The first reports of LEAST FLYCATCHER and
SWAINSON'S THRUSH came in, with both species observed
at Glen Carlyn Pk, Arlington, VA, on May 1 and 4.
Another arrival was WILLOW FLYCATCHER, with one bird
found at Four-Mile Run, also in Arlington, on Apr 30.
A PHILADELPHIA VIREO was observed in Glen Carlyn Pk
on May 1, and one was also reported from Four-Mile
Run, on May 4. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKs, first
reported last week, were found in several locations
this week.
Among the nightjars, a WHIP-POOR-WILL was noted
in Great Falls, Fairfax Co, VA, on Apr 28; and a
CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW was heard calling near the
lighthouse parking lot at Chincoteague NWR, Va, on
May 3.
BOBOLINKs were frequenting a field of dandelions
along New Design Rd near Greenfield Rd, Frederick Co,
MD, with at least 160 birds counted on May 2.
Another 20 BOBOLINKs were seen nearby, along Oland
Rd., the same day.
There will be a trip to Patuxent River Pk, MD,
on Thurs, May 7; call the leader, Paul DuMont of
Arlington, at 703-931-8994, to reserve your spot.
There will be a walk at the Natl Arboretum, DC, on
Fri, May 8; call the leader, Virginia McNair of
Arlington, at 703-820-6886, for information. There
will be a walk to C&O Canal, MD, areas, on Sun, May
10; call one of the leaders, Tony Futcher of
Hyattsville, at 301-422-3927, for information. There
will be a walk at Montrose Pk, DC, on Wed, May 13;
call the leader, Byron Swift of DC, at 202-333-6890,
for details. There will be a reservations-only trip
to DE Coastal Refuges on Sat, May 16; call the
leader, Paul DuMont of Arlington, at 703-931-8994, to
reserve your spot. There will be a reservations-only
walk at Little Bennett Pk, MD, on Sun, May 17; call
the leader, Bill Elliott of Gaithersburg, at 301-869-
6904, 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.
===============
Norm Saunders
Colesville, MD
osprey@ari.net