DC Area, 7/7/98
Steve Cordle (scordle@tidalwave.net)
Tue, 07 Jul 1998 16:39:39 -0400
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 7/7/98
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, Jul 7, 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: ROSEATE TERN, RUFF, and WILSON'S
PHALAROPE in DE; probable LITTLE BLUE HERON in DC; BLACKPOLL
WARBLER in VA; and ALDER FLYCATCHER and DICKCISSEL in MD.
Other birds of interest include: LEAST BITTERN; AMERICAN
BITTERN; CANVASBACK; RED-BREASTED MERGANSER; KING and VIRGINIA
RAILs; AMERICAN AVOCET; BLACK-NECKED STILT; RUFF; DUNLIN; both
YELLOWLEGS; SANDPIPERs, including SOLITARY, SPOTTED,
SEMIPALMATED, PECTORAL, STILT, and LEAST; SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER;
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL; LEAST TERN; CLIFF and BANK SWALLOWs;
and WILLOW FLYCATCHER.
ANS now has a brand new answering machine to take bird
reports, so you can again leave your phone messages. We thank
you for your patience during the past two weeks, while we were
experiencing problems with the old machine.
An adult ROSEATE TERN in breeding plumage was reported in a
flock of other terns at Cape Henlopen St Pk, DE, on Jul 2. The
bird was in the closed beach nesting area on the bay side of the
point. If you go to look for it, be sure to stay out of the
closed-off areas.
A bird believed to be an adult LITTLE BLUE HERON was spotted
in marshy areas near Chain Bridge, NW DC, on Jul 3; the bird was
seen from the bridge near its DC terminus.
A singing ALDER FLYCATCHER was observed at Hughes Hollow,
Montgomery Co, MD, on Jul 1. Also there that day was a singing
WILLOW FLYCATCHER.
A male BLACKPOLL WARBLER was seen and heard singing in
Arlington, VA, also on Jul 1.
DICKCISSELs are still being seen and heard near the
intersection of Oland Rd, Lily Pons Rd, and Rt 85, Frederick Co,
MD [DeLorme Pg 55, B5], with a report of two singing males along
Lily Pons Rd, within 200 yds of the intersection, Jul 5.
The DE coast provided some good shorebirding this week.
Highlights included a RUFF in black-and-white plumage that was
frequenting Shearness Pool, Bombay Hook NWR, on Jul 2; a REEVE
spotted in this same pool on Jul 4; and five WILSON'S PHALAROPEs
in Bombay Hook's Raymond Pool, on Jul 2 and 4.
Other reports from Bombay Hook included approximately ten
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERs, a single PECTORAL SANDPIPER, 30 LEAST
SANDPIPERs, two DUNLIN, 65 STILT SANDPIPERs, 35 GREATER
YELLOWLEGs, 200 LESSER YELLOWLEGs, 20 BLACK-NECKED STILTs, and
approximately 1,200 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERs, all on July 4. In
addition, more than 50 AMERICAN AVOCETs in breeding plumage were
frequenting Bombay Hook on Jul 2, and 40 AMERICAN AVOCETs were
counted there on Jul 4. Shorebird reports from farther south in
DE included several adult BLACK-NECKED STILTs still sitting on
nests, and a family group that included three young, seen along
Rt 16, Prime Hook NWR, on Jul 5. Also spotted along Rt 16 that
day was a PECTORAL SANDPIPER. And a SPOTTED SANDPIPER was seen
at Silver Lake, Rehoboth Beach, on Jul 3.
Reports of shorebirds farther from the Atlantic coast
included: a SOLITARY SANDPIPER at the Duck Pond, Patuxent
Research Refuge, North Tract, Anne Arundel Co, MD, on Jul 2; and
five adult LESSER YELLOWLEGs, two adult SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERs,
and an adult PECTORAL SANDPIPER at Hart-Miller Is, Baltimore Co,
MD, on Jul 6.
Hart-Miller was also hosting four LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLs,
Jul 6.
Other water bird reports this week included a LEAST BITTERN,
seen again at Hughes Hollow, MD, on July 3; it was frequenting
the same general spot as previously, in a willow tree at the back
of the first impoundment on the right, as you come from the
parking area. An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at Huntley Meadows
Pk, Fairfax Co, VA, on Jul 1. A KING RAIL was heard calling
there, also on Jul 1, and two KING RAILS were evident there on
Jul 5. Huntley Meadows has also been hosting a VIRGINIA RAIL,
which provided good views on Jul 5; it was in the swamp to the
right, near the beginning of the boardwalk trail, as you come
from the Visitor's Center.
Two LEAST TERNs were spotted at the Wildlife Viewing Area,
Patuxent Research Refuge, North Tract, MD, on Jul 6. And three
LEAST TERNs were at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on Jul 4.
A CANVASBACK was frequenting Gunthers Pond, on Rt 282, just
west of Cecilton, Cecil Co, MD, on Jul 2; and a male RED-BREASTED
MERGANSER was at Hart-Miller Is, MD, on Jul 6.
Land bird reports included three adult and approximately 11
immature CLIFF SWALLOWs, at the aquaduct bridge over Seneca
Creek, Riley's Lock, Montgomery Co, MD, on Jul 5. A BANK SWALLOW
was spotted along the Monocacy River near Lily Pons, Frederick
Co, MD, also on Jul 5.
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. There will be another
reservations-only trip to DE coastal areas on Sat, July 18; call
the leader, John Bjerke of Rockville, at 301-963-8525, 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.
--
Steve Cordle
Arlington, VA
scordle@tidalwave.net