DC Area, 5/12/98
scordle (scordle@tidalwave.net)
Tue, 12 May 1998 18:18:16 -0400
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 5/12/98
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, May 12, 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,the address is 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815,
and the website is http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org.
Top birds this week are: LARK SPARROW, WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPER, and BICKNELL'S THRUSH in VA; "BREWSTER'S WARBLER" in
DC and VA; MOURNING WARBLER in VA and MD; and SEDGE WREN in DE.
Other birds of interest include: Loons, YELLOW-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERON, LITTLE BLUE HERON, ducks, COMMON MOORHEN, KING RAIL,
RED KNOT, DUNLIN, RUDDY TURNSTONE, cuckoos, flycatchers,
PHILADELPHIA VIREO, warblers, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, VESPER
SPARROW, and BOBOLINK.
A LARK SPARROW was found along Oatlands Mill Rd at the
Dulles Greenway Wetlands, Loudoun Co, VA, on May 9. It was first
spotted at 8 a.m. and then relocated by another observer at 11
a.m., as it sat on the road and on a fence, about 3/4 mi east of
US Rt 15.
Also at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands on May 9 was a WHITE-
RUMPED SANDPIPER.
A SEDGE WREN was seen and heard at Shearness Pool, Bombay
Hook NWR, DE, on May 11; it was frequenting vegetation along the
road.
A BICKNELL'S THRUSH was spotted along a macadam trail in
Glen Carlyn Pk, east of the park entrance at 3rd and Harrison
Sts., Arlington, VA, on May 9.
Warblers were reported widely, with a total species count of
34, the highest weekly total so far this spring. Highlights
included a MOURNING WARBLER, spotted along Four-Mile Run, east of
the W & OD Trail, Arlington, VA, on May 11. Another MOURNING
WARBLER was reported from Conowingo Dam, Harford Co, MD, on May
9.
Other warbler highlights included "BREWSTER'S WARBLER", a
hybrid between Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers, with one
bird seen again near picnic area #18 in Rock Creek Pk, DC, on May
6; another bird seen at Four-Mile Run, Arlington, VA, on May 5;
and still another bird, seen together with GOLDEN-WINGED and
other warblers, in a residential area of Reston, Fairfax Co, VA,
on May 9. A GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was also reported from the
Horsehead Wetlands Center, Graysonville, Queen Anne's Co, MD, on
May 5; and another was at Huntley Meadows Pk, Fairfax Co, VA, on
May 9.
Heron reports included YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, with one
bird seen in fields behind the impoundments at Hughes Hollow,
Montgomery Co, MD, on May 10; and another bird observed along
Sligo Ck Pkwy, just south of the intersection with Piney Branch
Rd, Takoma Park, Montgomery Co, MD, on May 8.
Other heron reports included an adult LITTLE BLUE HERON in
breeding plumage, seen in dead trees in the reservoir at Black
Hill Regional Pk, Montgomery Co, MD, on May 8 and 9; the bird was
in the area near Spinning Wheel Dr and Waters Landing Dr.
Another LITTLE BLUE HERON was seen at Huntley Meadows Pk, VA, on
May 9.
Other water bird reports included a COMMON MOORHEN, which
was frequenting the large impoundment at Hughes Hollow,
Montgomery Co, MD, on May 9. And at least 60 RED KNOTs were
spotted at Little Ck Wildlife Area, DE, on May 6, as shorebird
numbers continue to build on the DE coast.
Breeding birds were much in evidence at Huntley Meadows Pk
this week, with adult KING RAILs and three young reported on May
6 and 10; and an adult HOODED MERGANSER with six young there the
same day.
Also in evidence this week were lingering winter water
birds, with a HARLEQUIN DUCK spotted on Chesapeake Bay Bridge-
Tunnel Is #3 on May 7; a sub-adult COMMON EIDER off Cape
Henlopen, DE, on May 8; an immature male KING EIDER at the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on May 9; and three RED-BREASTED
MERGANSERs near Sycamore Landing, Montgomery Co, MD, on May 9. A
winter-plumaged RED-THROATED LOON was spotted at Fenwick Island,
DE, on May 10. Six COMMON LOONs and five RUDDY DUCKs were
observed at Black Hill Reg Pk, Montgomery Co, MD, on May 9. And
five COMMON LOONs were flying over Patuxent Research Refuge, Anne
Arundel Co, MD, also on May 9.
A DUNLIN was seen among the Lesser Yellowlegs at Haines Pt
(East Potomac Pk), DC, on May 10. Also in DC that day was a
RUDDY TURNSTONE, spotted at Georgetown Reservoir.
Interesting land-bird sightings included a VESPER SPARROW,
spotted along Lily Pons Rd, Frederick Co, MD, on May 5.
PHILADELPHIA VIREOs were seen at several VA locations, including
Long Branch Pk, Four-Mile Run, and Glen Carlyn Pk, all in
Arlington; and Huntley Meadows Pk, Fairfax Co.
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER were also reported from several sites
in VA. A single bird was observed at Columbia Pike and Four-Mile
Run, Arlington, on May 10; another one was near the picnic tables
at the end of the parking lot at Upton Hill Pk, Arlington, on May
9 and 11; and two were found at Huntley Meadows Pk on May 9.
Other flycatchers of note were a single WILLOW and two LEAST
FLYCATCHERs, both observed at Huntley Meadows Pk, VA, on May 9.
Large numbers of BOBOLINKs were reported again this week
from fields west of Lily Pons, Frederick Co, MD. The birds were
seen along New Design Rd at its intersections with Greenfield Rd
and Oland Rd, and also at the intersection of Oland Rd and Rt 85.
BOBOLINKs were also frequenting fields along Prices Distillery
Rd, near Little Bennett Reg Pk, over the weekend. In VA, small
numbers of BOBOLINKs were reported from fields in the Lucketts
area, Loudoun Co, on May 9 and 10.
A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was heard calling at Hughes Hollow,
MD, on May 10; another was heard at Huntley Meadows Pk, VA, on
May 9; and still another was at Glen Carlyn Pk, Arlington, VA, on
May 5. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOs were reported widely, as were ROSE-
BREASTED GROSBEAKs, which were seen at many area feeders and
other spots.
An upcoming pelagic in our region will depart VA Beach, VA,
on Jun 7; call Brian Patteson at 703-765-4484, for information.
There will be a walk at Montrose Pk, DC, on Wed, May 13;
substituting for the listed leader will be Michael Parr of DC;
call him at 202-483-3492, for information. 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. There will
be a walk at Great Falls Pk, VA, on Tues, May 19; call the
leader, Kerrie Kirkpatrick of Falls Church, at 703-560-4950, for
information. There will be a reservations-only walk at
Woodbridge Refuge, VA, on Sat, May 23; make reservations with one
of the leaders, Jim Waggener of Woodbridge, at 703-497-0506.
There will be a reservations-only trip to Nolan's Ferry-Lilypons,
MD, on Sun, May 24; call the leader, Mike Welch of Frederick, at
1-301-874-5828, to reserve 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.