DC Area, 6/2/98
Steve Cordle (scordle@tidalwave.net)
Tue, 02 Jun 1998 17:55:57 -0400
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 6/2/98
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, Jun 2, 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: possible YELLOW-LEGGED GULL in DE;
PACIFIC LOON in DC; WESTERN GREBE, WILSON'S STORM-PETREL, and
MISSISSIPPI KITE in VA; ICELAND GULL in MD; and CURLEW SANDPIPER
in MD and DE.
Other birds of interest include: YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON,
COMMON MOORHEN, RED KNOT, STILT SANDPIPER, REEVE, LESSER BLACK-
BACKED GULL, BLACK and LEAST TERNs, WILLOW and OLIVE-SIDED
FLYCATCHERs, SWAINSON'S and GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHes, warblers,
DICKCISSEL, and RED CROSSBILL.
Birders afield this week were treated to a host of
interesting sightings.
A bird tentatively identified as a YELLOW-LEGGED GULL,
atlantis race, was spotted along Pt Mahon Rd, Little Ck Wildlife
Area, DE, on May 30; coming from Rt 9, this bird was on a mud
flat on the left side, where the road curves as it crosses a
culvert over a creek. The gull was with assorted other gulls,
including a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. Confirmation of this
bird's identification is needed.
The PACIFIC LOON discovered Memorial Day Weekend in the
Washington Channel, off East Potomac Park (Hains Pt), SW DC, was
seen again every day this week, with the most recent report for 6
am, June 2. This bird, which is in nearly full breeding plumage,
has delighted birders with its frequent swims into close range.
Directions to this spot from some DC locations are given on pp.
62-63 of Claudia Wilds' book, Finding Birds in the National
Capital Area. If you are coming down GW Pkway from the Beltway,
stay left at the signs for the airport and then get in the right
lane to exit at I-395 North. As you cross 14th St Bridge into
DC, you'll need to make another tricky exit from the right lane
as you follow the brown signs for Potomac Park. Once off I-395,
go left at the first stop sign and right at the second stop sign.
This road becomes Ohio Dr, a one-way, clockwise loop around the
point. You will see the channel on your left. Begin searching
the channel when you see the boat marina and restaurants on the
other side. There will be a red brick smokestack on the skyline.
The loon has been seen from this spot southward past Ft McNair to
the point and sometimes even shows up in the Potomac R, but it
mainly patrols the channel. Remember that if the bird is close
to the near side of the channel, it may not be visible from the
road. Also note that the loop drive is closed to vehicles from 3
pm onward on weekends.
The WESTERN GREBE first reported from Lake Thoreau, Reston,
Fairfax Co, VA [ADC No. VA Street Map Pg 6, E-F, 6-7], on May 21
was seen again on May 27 and 28, then not reported again until
the evening of May 30. We have received no reports since then.
This bird often lurks out of view, however, so it may still be
worth looking for. Directions: From the DC Beltway, take the
Dulles Toll Rd (Rt 267) to Exit 13, Wiehle Ave (Rt 828). After
exiting and passing through the toll gate, turn left (south) at
the "T" intersection. At the first stoplight, turn left (east)
on Sunrise Valley Dr. Go about five blocks and turn right on So
Lakes Dr. You'll see So Lakes Shopping Ctr on your right. Turn
right on Harbor Ct, into the shopping center, and park at the
south end. Walk to the lake. If you don't see the grebe from the
shopping center area, try driving farther south on South Lakes Dr
and turning right on Ridge Heights Rd; park along this road and
walk back north on So Lakes Dr to a dirt path that leads to a
black-top walk that will take you to a cove where there are
picnic tables. The bird was most recently seen from this spot.
Please observe "private property" signs posted around the lake.
A CURLEW SANDPIPER was spotted at the SW end of Raymond
Pool, Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on May 28; it was seen from the area
just north of the trail to the Raymond Pool observation tower.
Another CURLEW SANDPIPER, in breeding plumage, and a first-
summer ICELAND GULL were spotted at Hart-Miller Is, Baltimore Co,
MD, on May 30. Also at Hart-Miller that day were four STILT
SANDPIPERs. If you would like to visit this island, call Gene
Scarpulla, at 410-821-0575, evenings after 7 pm, to arrange to go
on one of the weekly, Sat or Sun, boat trips; be sure to call by
Thursday evening to schedule for the following weekend, and be
advised that you will be on the island all day, 7am-5pm.
A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen again at Huntley Meadows Pk,
Fairfax Co, VA, on May 31.
Two WILSON'S STORM-PETRELs were found at Chincoteague NWR,
Accomack Co, VA, over the weekend. One of the birds was spotted
in Tom's Cove on May 30, the other from a boat in Chincoteague
Channel on May 31.
South Bowers Beach, on the DE Bayshore, held hundreds of RED
KNOTs on May 28. The following day, 60 RED KNOTs were observed
at Pickering Beach, Little Creek Wildlife Area. DE shorebird
highlights also included a female RUFF (REEVE), noted along Pt
Mahon Rd, just before the curve where the creek goes into DE Bay,
Little Ck Wildlife Area, on May 27.
Other water bird reports included a BLACK TERN, spotted at
the Patuxent Research Refuge Central Tract, Prince Georges Co,
MD, on May 27, and a LEAST TERN at the refuge's North Tract, Anne
Arundel Co, on May 29. A COMMON MOORHEN was frequenting Bethel
WMA, Cecil Co, MD, on May 30, and another was at Lake Artemisia,
Prince Georges Co, MD, the same day. A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-
HERON was spotted at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co, MD, on May 27;
the bird was perched atop a tree just past the first impoundment
on the right as you come from the parking lot.
DICKCISSELs are proclaiming traditional territories in
fields around our area. One bird was seen and heard, and another
heard only, in a field at the intersection of Buckeystown Pike
(Rt 85) and Lilypons Rd, southern Frederick Co, MD, on May 28.
Two DICKCISSELs were also observed in this general area on May
30, and one was noted there on May 31. Look and listen
especially in the field at the NE corner of the intersection, and
also on the north side of Lily Pons Rd, up to 3/4 mi east of the
intersection. Farther upcounty, two singing male DICKCISSELs
were observed in a weedy field less than a mile north of Mud
College Rd, west of Frederick Rd [DeLorme Pg 72, B3], on May 29.
A male and a female DICKCISSEL were also observed in a field
about 2.3 mi SE of Lucketts, Loudoun Co, VA, on May 31; this spot
is along the south side of Rt 656 (Hibler Rd), 0.15 mi east of Rt
661 (Limestone School Rd) [DeLorme Pg 80, C-1,2]. And a
DICKCISSEL was seen singing again this week from atop the sign to
Bear Swamp Pool and in adjacent areas, Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on
May 26 and May 28-30. A second DICKCISSEL was seen in this same
general area on May 28.
Flycatchers also caught birders' attention this week. An
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was seen perched high atop a tree at the
entrance to the turning basin, off the C&O Canal towpath, just
north of Riley's Lock, Montgomery Co, MD, on May 27. WILLOW
FLYCATCHERs were noted at several locations. Reports closest to
DC included a single bird heard singing at the Patuxent Research
Refuge North Tract, MD, on May 27; another bird observed at
Hughes Hollow, MD, on May 30; still another heard along Oatlands
Mill Rd at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands, Loudoun Co, VA, on Jun
1; and a pair of birds seen along Tail Race Rd, about 0.2 mi west
of US Rt 15, Loudoun Co, VA [ADC Loudoun Map Pg 28, J7], also on
Jun 1.
Warbler migration is winding down. Highlights this week
included a female MOURNING WARBLER, found at Wakefield Park,
Fairfax Co, VA, on May 26; and a BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, seen just
upstream from the tavern at Gt Falls Park, Mongtomery Co, MD, on
May 31. In western MD, where many of the warbler species that DC
area birders see only on migration go to breed, was a "BREWSTER'S
WARBLER", a hybrid between Blue-winged and Golden-winged
Warblers; it was seen at Herrington Manor St Pk, Garrett Co, on
May 30.
SWAINSON'S THRUSHes were reported from several locations.
The most unexpected site was a yard on Capitol Hill, SE DC, on
May 27 and 28. Four GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHes were noted at
Wakefield Pk, VA, on May 26.
A flock of RED CROSSBILLs was heard flying over a spot off
Rt 612 near Fulks Run, Rockingham Co, VA [DeLorme Pg 73, C4], on
May 29.
An upcoming pelagic trip in our region will depart VA Beach,
VA, on Jun 7; call Brian Patteson at 703-765-4484, for
information.
There will be a reservations-only trip to Shenandoah Natl
Pk, VA, on Sat, Jun 6; call the leader, Kerrie Kirkpatrick of
Falls Church, at 703-560-4950, to secure your spot. There will
be a reservations-only trip to Patuxent River Pk, MD, on Sat, Jun
13; Greg Kearns will lead; call co-leader, Paul DuMont of
Arlington, at 703-931-8994, 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.