DC Area, 8/18/98
Steve Cordle (scordle@tidalwave.net)
Tue, 18 Aug 1998 17:16:25 -0400
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 8/18/98
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: Steve Cordle
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, Aug 18, at
1:00 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; BLACK TERN in
DC and VA; BROWN PELICAN in VA; AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, possible
LONG-TOED STINT, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, and BEWICK'S WREN in DE;
ROSEATE TERN, CALIFORNIA GULL, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER and
DICKCISSEL in MD; and WHISKERED TERN in NJ.
Other birds of interest include: TRICOLORED HERON, LITTLE
BLUE HERON, UPLAND, PECTORAL, and STILT SANDPIPER.
The VIRGINIA RAIL that has delighted birders for the past
few weeks was still frequenting the Enid Haupt Garden near the
Smithsonian's Nat'l Museum of African Art, SW DC. It was
reported seen on Aug 12, 13, 14, and 16.
Also in DC, a number of BLACK TERNs were seen over the
Potomac from Alexandria, Va on Sun, Aug 16. One was at the mouth
of Four-Mile Run and 10 others were working the patch of hydrilla
off the end of Oronoco St. BLACK TERNs were also seen farther
afield, with 8 observed at Swan Cove, Chincoteague NWR, Va, on
Sat, Aug 15. Also at Chincoteague the same day, 2 BROWN PELICANs
were seen over the Bay.
DE produced some interesting birds this past week. AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVERs were reported in the plowed field on the far side
of Bear Swamp at Bombay Hook NWR, DE on Sun, Aug 16. One was
also reported at the same location on Mon, Aug 17.
Also at Bombay Hook, a possible LONG-TOED STINT was reported
at Bear Swamp on Tue, Aug 11 but was not seen again there.
However, a possible LONG-TOED STINT was also reported on the
beach before the bait shop on Port Mahon Rd, Kent Co, DE on Sat,
Aug 15. Anyone visiting this area should scan any flocks of
Least Sandpipers very carefully so that if this potential rarity
exists, it can be confirmed. Take photographs if at all
possible.
Another vagrant species appeared at Bombay Hook on Sun, Aug
16. A pair of well-described BEWICK'S WRENs were on the
Boardwalk trail that day.
In another DE location, two possible EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVEs
were reported at a bird feeder and yard in Selbyville, Sussex Co,
DE on Mon Aug 10. Unfortunately the call was not heard, and the
report was received too late to include in last week's Voice.
On Tue, Aug 11 the coo-coo-coo call was heard but the birds were
not seen. The birds were seen later in the week, but there has
been no conclusive report. The birds can be found about .1 mile
east of US Rt 113 on DE Rt 54, also known as Cemetary Rd. The
feeders are located in the yard of a house with a red roof and a
white fence. [DeLorme 35, A4-A5]
Closer to home, Hart-Miller Is, Baltimore Co, MD produced
two uncommon species for our area on Sat, Aug 15: an adult
CALIFORNIA GULL, and an adult ROSEATE TERN flying by.
At Pennyfield lock, Montgomery Co, MD, an OLIVE-SIDED
FLYCATCHER was reported perched at the top of a snag on Wed, Aug
12, but was not seen again. Another land bird of note was a
female or immature DICKCISSEL, seen next to the road on the NE
corner of MD Rt 85 and Lilypons Rd, Frederick Co, MD on Sat, Aug
15.
Two of the less common Heron species were seen in a number
of locations this past week. Up to 4 LITTLE BLUE HERONs were
seen at Port Mahon Rd, Kent Co, DE on Sat, Aug 15. Also that
day, an immature LITTLE BLUE HERON was at Lilypons, Frederick Co,
MD, and another immature LITTLE BLUE HERON was at Accotink Bay,
Ft Belvoir, VA. Five LITTLE BLUE HERONs were seen at Huntley
Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA on Mon, Aug 17. More were seen at
Assawoman Wildlife Area, Sussex Co, MD on Sun, Aug 16, along with
TRICOLORED HERONs.
Reports of UPLAND SANDPIPERs were widespread, coming from
Dover AFB and Bombay Hook NWR, at the intersection of the
entrance Rd with Rt 9 in DE on Sat, Aug 15, and on Oland Rd,
Frederick Co, MD the same day.
Reports of PECTORAL SANDPIPERs came from Shearness Pool and
Bear Swamp Pool, Bombay Hook NWR, MD, on Sat, Aug 15, from
Hunting Creek, Alexandria, VA on Wed, Aug 12 and Mon, Aug 17, and
from Ft Belvoir, VA on Sat and Sun, Aug 15 and 16.
STILT SANDPIPERs were observed at Swan Cove, Chincoteague
NWR, Va on Sat Aug 15, Assawoman Wildlife Area, Sussex Co, MD on
Sun, Aug 16, Bombay Hook NWR, MD on Wed, Aug 12 and Ft. Belvoir,
VA on Sat, Aug 15.
Finally, a bit outside our range, the WHISKERED TERN
reported at Cape May, NJ was seen as recently as Wed, Aug 12.
For updates, call the Cape May Bird Observatory, at 609-861-0466;
the tape will be updated on Thur, Aug 20.
The reservations-only trip to DE coastal areas the weekend
of Aug 22-23 is full. A short waiting list will be kept. Call the
leader, John Bjerke of Rockville, at 301-963-8525, if you would
like your name put on the list.
There will be a trip to Dyke Marsh, Va on Sat, Aug 29. For
more information call the leader, Len Alfredson in Arlington at
703-416-2718.
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