DC Area, 8/4/98
Steve Cordle (scordle@tidalwave.net)
Tue, 04 Aug 1998 14:57:40 -0400
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 8/4/98
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)
!!Please remember to include your Tues morning phone no when
reporting your sightings. Several reports were not included this
week because of missing phone numbers!!
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the
Audubon Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tue, Aug 4, at
1 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: VIRGINIA RAIL in DC; LITTLE BLUE
HERON in DC and VA; WILSON'S PHALAROPE, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, WHITE-
RUMPED SANDPIPER, and LARK SPARROW in DE; ALDER FLYCATCHER in VA;
DICKCISSEL in MD and VA; UPLAND SANDPIPER in MD and DE; and
MARBLED GODWIT in DE and VA.
Other birds of interest include: GREAT EGRET, AMERICAN
AVOCET, sandpipers, terns, OSPREY, and WILLOW FLYCATCHER.
The VIRGINIA RAIL reported last week from the Enid Haupt
gardens, near the Smithsonian's Natl Museum of African Art, SW
DC, was seen again throughout the week, with the most recent
report for the morning of Aug 4. Check the shrubbery,
particularly near the northwest corner of the museum. The bird
has also been seen feeding in grass and in mulch under trees, and
bathing in the garden's fountains.
Another unusual find for DC was an immature LITTLE BLUE
HERON, seen at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, NE DC, the morning of
Aug 1. Two more immature LITTLE BLUE HERONs were spotted a bit
south of DC, on the mud flats in the upper reaches of Accotink
Bay, Ft Belvoir, Fairfax Co, VA, over the weekend. Also of
interest to DC birders was an OSPREY seen fishing in the Tidal
Basin, in the small pool on the north side, between the roadways,
the evening of Jul 28.
A LARK SPARROW was reported from near the Visitor Ctr,
Bombay Hook NWR, DE, the morning of Jul 28; confirmation of the
sighting would be welcome. The bird was seen flying west about
200 m, to the shrubbery next to the refuge entrance gate, but
then was not relocated.
The ALDER FLYCATCHER reported last week from Oatlands Mill
Rd (Rt 650) at the Dulles Wetlands, Loudoun Co, VA [DeLorme Pg
80, D1], continued to be seen and heard this week, with reports
for Jul 29, Jul 31, and Aug 1, but was not found during a
diligent search the morning of Aug 3. To look for the bird: From
US Rt 15, seven miles south of Leesburg, turn left (east) on
Oatlands Mill Rd. After about 1/4 mi you will reach the first,
or west, gate to the wetlands, on your right. Continue on
Oatlands Mill about 100 yds past this gate and park along the
side of the road, but do not enter the property; the wetlands is
a restricted area. Look across the field to the tops of the
young trees on the far side, about 150 yds from the road. Early
morning has been best for hearing this bird, and a scope is
essential for a good look. Farther up the road, a WILLOW
FLYCATCHER was heard on Jul 29.
Birders at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, turned up a HUDSONIAN GODWIT
in Raymond Pool, and an adult WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER in Bear
Swamp, on Aug 1. A total of three more WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERs
were noted along Port Mahon Rd and at Pickering Beach, Little
Creek Wildlife Area, DE, also on Aug 1. The high count of
WILSON'S PHALAROPEs reported from Bombay Hook's Raymond Pool this
week was 10 birds, again on Aug 1.
Other shorebird highlights included a MARBLED GODWIT,
reported from the SW corner of Swan Cove, Chincoteague NWR,
Accomack Co, VA, on Aug 1 and 2. Two more MARBLED GODWITs were
spotted from the central tower at Little Creek Wildlife Area, DE,
and another was at Pickering Beach, also in Little Creek Wildlife
Area, on Aug 1.
The central tower at Little Creek also yielded good viewing
of large concentrations of shorebirds, including about 600
AMERICAN AVOCETs on Aug 3. Eight STILT SANDPIPERs were
frequenting Bombay Hook on Aug 1, and a total of more than 50 RED
KNOTs were noted along Port Mahon Rd and at Pickering Beach,
Little Creek Wildlife Area, DE, the same day.
Up to eight UPLAND SANDPIPERs were seen in the field across
DE Rt 9 from the southern end of Dover AFB, on Aug 1. Two more
UPLAND SANDPIPERs were spotted in a field of short grass on the
north side of Oland Rd, just west of Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD,
on Aug 2. Also in Frederick Co this week was a male DICKCISSEL,
seen flying over a wildflower meadow on the right side of Horsey
Distillery Rd (Rt 17), about 100 yds north of Exit 2 off US Rt
340 [DeLorme Pg 54, B3], on Aug 1. Another DICKCISSEL was seen
flying by the second, or east, gate, of the Dulles Wetlands, VA,
on Jul 31; coming from US Rt 15, you'll find this gate farther
down Oatlands Mill Rd from the west gate.
Eight LEAST TERNs were spotted at Pickering Beach, DE, on
Aug 1, and one was at Shearness Pool, Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on Aug
3. Other tern reports included 39 FORSTER'S TERNs and two
CASPIAN TERNs on the mud flats at Accotink Bay, VA, over the
weekend.
New shorebird species arriving at Hart-Miller Is, Baltimore
Co, MD, this week were: a SOLITARY SANDPIPER, a RUDDY TURNSTONE,
and two SANDERLINGs.
GREAT EGRETs were reported from several spots, with 28 birds
observed on the mud flats in the upper reaches of Accotink Bay,
VA, over the weekend; five birds seen at Kenilworth Aquatic
Gardens, DC, on Aug 1; and 12 birds noted at the Dulles Wetlands,
VA, on Aug 3.
Upcoming pelagics in our region include two trips on Sun,
Sept 13. One of the trips will depart from VA Beach, VA; call
Brian Patteson, at 703-765-4484, for more information. The other
trip will leave from Lewes, DE; call 302-529-1876, for details.
There will be a reservations-only trip to DE coastal areas
on Sat, Aug 8; call the leader, Henry Bielstein of Fort
Washington, at 301-292-9592, 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
http://www.tidalwave.net/~scordle