DC Area, 6/30/98

Steve Cordle (scordle@tidalwave.net)
Tue, 30 Jun 1998 17:13:52 -0400 

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               6/30/98
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 30, at
1:30 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: AUDUBON'S SHEARWATER and SANDWICH
TERN in MD; and DICKCISSEL in MD and VA.

     Other birds of interest include: LEAST BITTERN, SNOW GOOSE,
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, RUDDY DUCK, KING RAIL,
BLACK-NECKED STILT, COMMON SNIPE, LEAST SANDPIPER, WILLOW
FLYCATCHER, and VEERY.  Exotic of the week is GUINEA FOWL.

     We are still experiencing problems with the tape recorder
that takes incoming bird reports, so please report your sightings
by fax or email this coming week.

     Two AUDUBON'S SHEARWATERs were seen from a fishing boat in
MD waters, about 8 miles off Ocean City, on Jun 26.

     A SANDWICH TERN was spotted on Skimmer Is (4th St flats),
Ocean City, MD, on Jun 28.  It was in a densely packed group of
nesting Royal Terns at the south end of the island.  Viewing is
best from the Rt 50 bridge into Ocean City.

     DICKCISSELs are still being seen and heard along Oland Rd
near its intersection with Rt 85, Frederick Co, MD [DeLorme Pg
55, B5], with a report of two birds each day, Jun 23, 27, and 28.
DICKCISSELs were also still frequenting a field along Rt 656
(Hibler Rd), about 0.1 mi east of Rt 661, Lucketts, Loudoun Co,
VA, on Jun 24, but the field had been mowed as of Jun 27 and a
search for the birds that day was not productive.

     Some shorebirds have already begun their southward migratory
treks, with 53 LEAST SANDPIPERs counted at Hart-Miller Is,
Baltimore Co, MD, on Jun 28.

     Waterfowl reports this week included a pair of NORTHERN
SHOVELERs frequenting marshes along Rt 16, less than a mi from
Broadkill Beach, Prime Hook NWR, DE, on Jun 28; a male RUDDY DUCK
in breeding plumage at Hart-Miller Is, MD, on Jun 28; and
breeding BLUE-WINGED TEAL, with adult and four juvenile birds
spotted along Oatlands Mill Rd, at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands,
on Jun 27.  SNOW GEESE were also in evidence, with one bird
spotted winging along the Tred Avon River, between Oxford and
Bellevue, Talbot Co, MD, on Jun 24; and three more SNOW GEESE
along Rt 16, Prime Hook NWR, DE, on Jun 28;

     Also at Prime Hook on Jun 28 were eight nesting BLACK-NECKED
STILTs, all on the north side of Rt 16, less than a mile from
Broadkill Beach.

     Other water bird reports included a COMMON SNIPE at the
Dulles Greenway Wetlands, VA, Jun 28.  A LEAST BITTERN was seen
again at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co, MD, on Jun 27.  And KING
RAILs are still being seen at Huntley Meadows Pk, Fairfax Co, VA,
with a report for Jun 27.

     Land bird reports included WILLOW FLYCATCHER, with one bird
noted at Lily Pons, Frederick Co, MD, on Jun 27; another one at
Hughes Hollow, MD, also on Jun 27; and yet another along Oatlands
Mill Rd at the Greenway Wetlands, VA, on Jun 29.

     VEERYs were heard singing again in Glover Archbold Park, DC,
on Jun 25.

     An all-white GUINEA FOWL was spotted on Yuma St, in the
Woodley Pk area of NW DC, on Jun 23.

     A pelagic trip will depart VA Beach, VA, on Sun, Sept 13; to
reserve your spot, call Brian Patteson, at 703-765-4484, as soon
as possible.

     There will be a reservations-only trip to DE coastal areas
on Sat, Jul 11; call the leader, Bob Augustine of Rockville, at
301-933-5970, to reserve your spot.

     To report bird sightings for the coming week, please
remember not to leave a phone message.  Either fax your report to
301-951-7179, or email it to:  voice@capaccess.org.  Thank you
for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.

--
Steve Cordle
Arlington, VA
scordle@tidalwave.net