DC Area, 9/1/98
Steve Cordle (scordle@tidalwave.net)
Tue, 01 Sep 1998 15:59:42 -0400
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 9/1/98
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)
!!When emailing reports, please remember to include your name and
a Tuesday morning telephone number!!
This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the
Audubon Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tuesday, Sep 1,
at 1:30 pm. ANS is still having problems with its phone message-
taking system, so for now it would be better to report birds by
fax or email. 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; WOOD STORK and
LARK SPARROW in MD; CORY'S SHEARWATER; BLACK-CAPPED PETREL; BAND-
RUMPED STORM-PETREL; WILSON'S STORM-PETREL; WILSON'S, RED, and
RED-NECKED PHALAROPEs; BRIDLED TERN; and SOOTY TERN in VA; COMMON
NIGHTHAWK in DC, VA, and MD; and BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER in NY.
Other birds of interest include: ducks; AMERICAN GOLDEN-
PLOVER; UPLAND, BUFF-BREASTED, BAIRD'S, WHITE-RUMPED, and
PECTORAL SANDPIPERs; SANDWICH and BLACK TERNs; warblers; and
LINCOLN'S SPARROW.
The VIRGINIA RAIL that has been frequenting the Enid Haupt
Garden near the Smithsonian's Natl Museum of African Art, SW DC,
was still being seen this week, with the most recent report for
the morning of Aug 31. The bird is still frequenting the hostas
near the fountain and the yews that line the sidewalk along
Independence Ave.
Other DC birding highlights included COMMON NIGHTHAWKs,
which put on a dazzling display at the US Capitol building on Aug
29 and 30; hundreds of birds, attracted by the Capitol lights,
dived and cavorted over the dome. Nighthawks were also much in
evidence elsewhere, with 103 birds spotted over Upton Hill Reg
Pk, Arlington, VA, on Aug 30; and more than 100 birds over Rock
Creek Park, Rockville, Montgomery Co, MD, on Aug 27.
An immature WOOD STORK has been frequenting Pt Lookout
State Park, St Mary's Co, MD, with reports for Aug 27-30. The
bird was at the pond near the point, past the picnic area.
Also at Pt Lookout St Pk was a LARK SPARROW, first spotted
on Aug 29 and relocated Aug 30. It was frequenting the south
side of the pond that held the Wood Stork. Check the fenced-off
area and near the parking spaces south of the pond.
Out of our normal reporting range but probably of interest
to many local birders is a BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER at Jamaica Bay
Wildlife Refuge, NY; call the NYC Area Rare Bird Alert, at 212-
979-3070, for details and updates.
Tropical Storm Bonnie brought a number of pelagic birds
close to land on the south coast of VA this week. Sightings at
the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Northampton Co, VA, included at
least one CORY'S SHEARWATER, a BLACK-CAPPED PETREL, a BAND-RUMPED
STORM-PETREL, and three BRIDLED TERNs, all on Aug 28. Sightings
of SOOTY TERN at the bridge-tunnel included at least three birds
on Aug 27, and 14 birds on Aug 28. Somewhat to the north of the
bridge-tunnel, a WILSON'S STORM-PETREL was struggling to fly up
the beach at Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA, on Aug 28. And
to the south, PHALAROPEs were much in evidence at Craney Is,
Portsmouth, VA, with approximately 20 RED-NECKED, a single RED,
and up to four WILSON'S PHALAROPEs spotted on Aug 29, and two
WILSON'S PHALAROPEs there on Aug 31. A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was
also spotted at Hart-Miller Is, Baltimore Co, MD, on Aug 29.
A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER and 25 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERs were
noted at Craney Is, VA, on Aug 28. Two more BAIRD'S SANDPIPERs,
one a juvenile and the other an adult, were seen in the north
cell at Ridgely Sewage Treatment Plant, Caroline Co, MD [DeLorme
Pg 51, C4], on Aug 27, and an UPLAND SANDPIPER was also there
that day. To get to the sewage plant from US Rt 50, east of the
Bay Bridge, take MD Rt 404 east, cross Tuckahoe Creek, and at the
first stoplight go left onto MD Rt 480 (Hillsboro-Ridgely Rd).
Continue on Rt 480 several miles, to Crouse Mill Rd, and turn
left. Continue for about a mile, and just after crossing a
railroad track, make a sharp right turn onto the first pavement
you come to. Go about a mile and look for the sewage plant, on
your left. Be aware that this plant is open only on weekdays,
9-5.
Three more UPLAND SANDPIPERs were seen at Ocean City
Airport, Worcester Co, MD, also on Aug 27.
A SANDWICH TERN and up to eight BLACK TERNs were
frequenting Craney Is, VA, on Aug 29. Eight more BLACK TERNs
were spotted at Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge, Ft Belvoir, Fairfax
Co, VA, on Aug 26. Three PECTORAL SANDPIPERs were noted at
Accotink Bay on Aug 26, and winter ducks seen there on Aug 28
included 84 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 10 NORTHERN SHOVELERs, and four
NORTHERN PINTAIL.
A juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was frequenting the
John Brown Road Turf Farm, Queen Annes Co, MD [DeLorme Pg 50,
B1,2], on Aug 27 and 30, and eight AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERs were
there on Aug 27. To reach this farm, from the US Rt 50/301 split,
east of the Bay Bridge, head north on Rt 301, then turn right
(east) on John Brown Rd. After about 1-1.5 mi, you'll come to
the main viewing area along the road. The birds were on the sod
area north of the road, opposite the entrance to the office.
Another BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was spotted at Hart-Miller
Is, Baltimore Co, MD, on Aug 29.
Landbirds of note this week included a LINCOLN'S SPARROW,
seen and heard in a backyard in Bethesda, Montgomery Co, MD, on
Aug 30.
A total of 31 warbler species were reported. Species not
reported last week were: BAY-BREASTED, BLACKPOLL, BLACK-THROATED
GREEN, BLUE-WINGED, CAPE MAY, CERULEAN, CONNECTICUT, GOLDEN-
WINGED, HOODED, LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, NASHVILLE, OVENBIRD, PALM,
PINE, TENNESSEE, WILSON'S, YELLOW, and YELLOW-THROATED.
There will be a walk at Dyke Marsh, VA, on Thurs, Sept 3;
call the leader, Paul DuMont of Arlington, at 703-931-8994, for
details. There will be a walk at Sycamore Landing/Hughes Hollow,
MD, on Sun, Sept 6; leaders are Tony Futcher of Hyattsville and
Floyd Murdoch of Beltsville; call Tony at 301-422-3927, or Floyd
at 301-937-2362, for more information. There will be a walk at
Rock Creek Park, DC, on Tues, Sept 8; call the leader, Bill
Dobbins of DC, at 202-338-1321, for details. There will be a
reservations-only walk at Woodbridge/Occoquan Bay Refuge, VA, on
Sat, Sept 12; call one of the leaders, Jim Waggener of
Woodbridge, at 703-497-0506, to reserve your spot. There will be
a reservations-only trip to DE coastal areas on Sun, Sept 13;
call the leader, Paul DuMont of Arlington, at 703-931-8994, to
secure your place.
To report bird sightings, you can fax your report to ANS
at 301-951-7179, or email it to: voice@capaccess.org. Remember,
it would be better not to report by phone this week. Thank you
for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
--
Steve Cordle
Arlington, VA
scordle@tidalwave.net
http://www.tidalwave.net/~scordle