Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist Date: 6/9/98 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) This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tue, Jun 9, 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: PACIFIC LOON in DC; possible YELLOW-LEGGED GULL in DE; WHITE-FACED IBIS and MISSISSIPPI KITE in VA; RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, and ICELAND GULL in MD; and CURLEW SANDPIPER and DICKCISSEL in MD, VA, and DE. Other birds of interest include: LEAST and AMERICAN BITTERNs, LITTLE BLUE HERON, KING RAIL, BLACK and LEAST TERNs, PEREGRINE FALCON, CLIFF SWALLOW, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, warblers, and SUMMER TANAGER. The PACIFIC LOON discovered Memorial Day Weekend in the Washington Channel, off East Potomac Park (Hains Pt), SW DC, was seen again every day, Jun 2-8. The loon has been reported increasingly on the Potomac R side of Hains Pt, as far upstream as the 14th St Bridge, and sometimes is close to the VA shore. The most recent report was from the mouth of Roaches Run, off Gravelly Pt, Arlington, VA. Another spot to try is near the parking lot just north of National Airport, where there is a boat ramp and people park to watch jets take off. This lot is accessible only from the northbound lanes of GW Pkwy. Heading south on the parkway, exit at the airport, stay in the right lane, go under the bridge, and take an immediate right (sign says "Washington") to get back onto the parkway northbound. Keep right again for the first exit into the lot. The possible YELLOW-LEGGED GULL, atlantis race, first spotted on May 30 along Pt Mahon Rd, Little Ck Wildlife Area, DE, was seen again on Jun 2 and observed at length on Jun 3, on the shore side of the road. The bird visited various feeding areas along the road that day. This week's observers concurred in the initial identification of the gull as a YELLOW-LEGGED, but if the bird can be relocated, birders are encouraged to take careful field notes and photographs to confirm its identity. An adult WHITE-FACED IBIS was seen--mostly in flight--over Snow Goose Pool and the Wildlife Drive, Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA, on Jun 4. It was flying into a stiff, south breeze. There were no reports this week of the WESTERN GREBE, first reported on May 21 on Lake Thoreau, Reston, Fairfax Co, VA. Three RED-NECKED PHALAROPEs, two males and a female, all in breeding plumage, were spotted at Hart-Miller Is, Baltimore Co, MD, on Jun 6. Also there that day were two male WILSON'S PHALAROPEs in breeding plumage, a first-summer ICELAND GULL, and a breeding-plumaged CURLEW SANDPIPER. If you would like to go on one of the Sat or Sun boat trips to this island, call Gene Scarpulla, at 410-821-0575, evenings after 7 pm; be sure to call by Thursday evening to schedule for the following weekend. Another CURLEW SANDPIPER, in winter plumage, was spotted in Snow Goose Pool, Chincoteague NWR, VA, on Jun 5. An adult MISSISSIPPI KITE made appearances again this week at Huntley Meadows Pk, Fairfax Co, VA, with reports for Jun 3 and 8. Another report of an adult MISSISSIPPI KITE, possibly the same bird, came from less than 10 mi away, in the Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge, Ft Belvoir, Fairfax Co, VA, on Jun 2. DICKCISSELs were reported from many of the same fields they were frequenting last week. The males are often seen singing from small shrubs or trees along the roads, and from the tops of grain or other crops in the fields. One reliable spot for these birds over the years has been the vicinity of the intersection of Lily Pons Rd, Oland Rd, and Rt 85 (Buckeystown Pk), Frederick Co, MD [DeLorme Pg 55, B5]. This week, DICKCISSELs were reported from this area on Jun 2, 4, and 6. A male DICKCISSEL was also singing persistently along Hibler Rd (Rt 659), Lucketts, Loudoun Co, VA, on Jun 6 and 7; coming east, from Limestone School Rd (Rt 661), go about 0.15 mi and check the fields on the right side of the road [DeLorme Pg 80, C-1,2]. And a DICKCISSEL was observed again in the area where the road turns toward Bear Swamp Pool, Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on Jun 6 and 7. A LEAST TERN continues at the Patuxent Research Refuge North Tract, Anne Arundel Co, MD, with a report from the Wildlife Viewing Area for Jun 4. Other tern reports included a BLACK TERN, spotted at Ted Harvey Wildlife Area, DE, on Jun 3. A LEAST BITTERN was seen flying over cattails at Dyke Marsh, Alexandria, VA, on Jun 3. An AMERICAN BITTERN was frequenting Huntley Meadows Pk, Fairfax Co, VA, on Jun 6 and 8; at least once, this bird came within 10 ft of the boardwalk. KING RAILs also continue to be seen easily from the boardwalk, and an adult LITTLE BLUE HERON was frequenting the park's marshes on Jun 8. A SUMMER TANAGER was seen and heard at Manassas Natl Battlefield Pk, Pr William Co, VA, on Jun 7; the bird was near Marker #26 of the Blue Trail. A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen working the Rock Dove flock at the VA end of the DC Beltway's Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac R, on Jun 5. CLIFF SWALLOWs are nesting under the Rt 7 bridge across the Shenandoah R, Clarke Co, VA, with a report for Jun 5. You can find them by heading west on Rt 7, turning left on Rt 606 just before the bridge, then turning right at bottom of the hill and parking under the bridge. A late BOBOLINK was seen at the Patuxent Research Refuge, MD, on Jun 4. Lingering migrant warblers included a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER near Pennyfield Lock, Montgomery Co, MD, on Jun 7; another CHESTNUT-SIDED in a yard in Silver Spring, Montgomery Co, MD, on Jun 5; and a BLACKPOLL heard at the Patuxent Research Refuge, MD, on Jun 4 and 6. WILLOW FLYCATCHERs were reported from a number of spots again this week. A single bird was seen and heard along Monocacy Bottom Rd, Frederick Co, MD, on Jun 6; two pairs were observed along Oatlands Mill Rd at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands, Loudoun Co, VA, on Jun 6; a single bird was noted at Sky Meadows St Pk, Fauquier Co, VA, on Jun 7; and another single bird was found along Yellow Schoolhouse Rd (Rt 831), approximately 1-1/2 mi off Rt 7, western Loudoun Co, VA, during the week. 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. There will be a reservations-only trip to Loudoun Co, VA, areas on Sun, Jun 14; call the leader, Bob Beard of Arlington, at 703- 534-3178, to secure your spot. There will be a reservations-only trip to Woodbridge Refuge, VA, on Sat, Jun 20; call one of the leaders, Jim Waggener of Woodbridge, at 703-497-0506, 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. -- Steve Cordle Arlington, VA scordle@tidalwave.net