(Fwd) DC Area, 9/15/98
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Tue, 15 Sep 1998 18:33:02 -0500
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 17:52:16 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jane Hill <janehill@CapAccess.org>
To: Osprey@ari.net
Subject: DC Area, 9/15/98
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 9/15/98
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 Tuesday, Sep 15, at 3:30 pm.
Top birds this week are: VIRGINIA RAIL in
DC; WOOD STORK in MD; LONG-TAILED JAEGER,
SWAINSON'S HAWK, SABINE'S GULL, and SEDGE WREN in
VA; and YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER in DC and VA.
Other birds of interest include: HARLEQUIN
DUCK; AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER; BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVER; BUFF-BREASTED, PECTORAL, WHITE-RUMPED,
and BAIRD'S SANDPIPERs; MARBLED and HUDSONIAN
GODWITs; DUNLIN; WHIMBREL; LESSER YELLOWLEGS;
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL; BLACK TERN; BROAD-
WINGED HAWK; PHILADELPHIA VIREO; warblers; ROSE-
BREASTED GROSBEAK; and LINCOLN'S SPARROW.
Two notable birds seen during the past few
weeks are still lingering in our region. First,
the VIRGINIA RAIL that has been frequenting the
Enid Haupt Garden, near the Natl Museum of
African Art, SW DC, is still being seen
regularly, with the most recent report for the
morning of Sept 14. It has been lurking among
the yews that line the sidewalk along
Independence Ave, on the south side of the
African Art Museum. Patience may be needed to
see it. The other bird is the WOOD STORK at
Point Lookout, St Mary's Co, MD, which was
reported most recently on Sept 13. It was still
frequenting the pond near the point.
Virginia hosted several interesting birds
this week. A SEDGE WREN was spotted at Wakefield
Park, Annandale, Fairfax Co, on the morning of
Sept 15. A raptor believed to be a SWAINSON'S
HAWK was seen at Snicker's Gap Hawkwatch, on the
Loudoun/Clarke Co line, Sept 13. Another
SWAINSON'S HAWK was reported from Rockfish Gap,
on the Augusta/Nelson Co line, the same day. Yet
another report of a SWAINSON'S HAWK came from
Kiptopeke St Pk, Northampton Co, on Sept 10. A
pelagic trip out of VA Beach on Sept 13 yielded
an immature SABINE'S GULL and a LONG-TAILED
JAEGER. And another notable VA sighting was a
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, seen at Lewinsville
Pk, McLean, on Sept 12.
A YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was also
spotted at Rock Creek Park, DC, on Sept 12; this
bird was in the corral area down the hill (south)
from Picnic Area #18. There were some other
interesting finds at Rock Creek Park. A male
MOURNING WARBLER was spotted in weeds just south
of the parking lot for the dog run on Sept 13. A
CONNECTICUT WARBLER was seen near parking lot
#17, at Ridge Rd, on Sept 14; and a CONNECTICUT
WARBLER was also spotted at the maintenance yard
on Sept 15. A GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was seen
near parking lot #17 on Sept 11 and 14. A
WILSON'S WARBLER was spotted at this location on
Sept 11. And a PHILADELPHIA VIREO was
frequenting the park maintenance yard on Sept 9
and 12.
Another PHILADELPHIA VIREO was observed on
Tucker Lane, east of New Hampshire Ave, Ashton,
Montgomery Co, MD, on Sept 13; and still another
was spotted in the upper meadow at Riverbend Pk,
Fairfax Co, VA, also on Sept 13.
Wakefield Park, Annandale, VA [No. Va. ADC
Map 22: A-B, 1-4], where the SEDGE WREN was
found, has proven a hotspot for warblers lately.
Among the sightings there this week were a
CONNECTICUT WARBLER on Sept 8 and 10; a
"BREWSTER'S WARBLER" on Sept 10; at least two
MOURNING WARBLERs on Sept 12; and two CONNECTICUT
WARBLERs, a MOURNING WARBLER, and a WILSON'S
WARBLER, all on Sept 13.
Another WILSON'S WARBLER was spotted south
of Clifton, Fairfax Co (near the Pr Wm Co line),
VA, on Sept 9. And still another WILSON'S
WARBLER was turned up at Layhill Pk, Montgomery
Co, MD, on Sept 13. A CONNECTICUT WARBLER was
spotted along Western Branch in Watkins Reg Park,
near Kettering, Pr George's Co, MD [DeLorme Pg
47, C6], on Sept 11. Another CONNECTICUT WARBLER
was frequenting Evans Farm, McLean, VA, on Sept
12. A MOURNING WARBLER was seen at Isaac
Crossman Pk, at Van Buren and Columbia Sts, along
Four Mile Run, E Falls Church, VA, on Sept 13.
And two MOURNING WARBLERs were noted at Layhill
Pk, MD, on Sept 12.
Warblers seen in quantity included: 15 CAPE
MAY WARBLERs at Turkey Pt, Cecil Co, MD, on Sept
8; 15 PALM WARBLERs at Hart-Miller Is, MD, on
Sept 12; and 13 MAGNOLIA WARBLERs and eight
NASHVILLE WARBLERs at Riverbend Park, VA, on Sept
13.
In DC waters of the Potomac River, at the
mouth of Four Mile Run, 99 LESSER YELLOWLEGS were
counted on Sept 11. This spot also held a DUNLIN
the same day. Two days later, on Sept 13, this
area hosted two AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERs, three
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERs, and four PECTORAL
SANDPIPERs.
Other shorebird highlights this week
included two BAIRD'S SANDPIPERs, at least six
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERs, and two BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPERs, all seen on the washflats at
Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA, on Sept 12. A
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was also frequenting the
John Brown Rd Turf Farm, Queen Annes Co, MD, on
Sept 12 and 13. Two BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERs,
seven AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERs, and a WHIMBREL
were seen at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD,
on Sept 12; these birds were frequenting the
muddy tidal flats opposite Pools 3A, 3B, and 3C.
Six AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERs were at Bombay Hook
NWR, DE, on Sept 13; five of these were at
Raymond Pool and the sixth was at Shearness. The
high count of AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERs reported
this week was 21 birds at Hart-Miller Is,
Baltimore Co, MD, on Sept 12. Also seen at Hart-
Miller that day were two BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERs
and an adult, summer LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL.
Another BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER and an AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER were seen on mud flats and grass
mats at the marina at Havre de Grace, Harford Co,
MD, on Sept 11. Also at this spot that day were
two WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERs.
Approximately 40 MARBLED GODWITs were
spotted at Oyster, Northampton Co, VA, on Sept
12. One MARBLED GODWIT was seen on the washflats
at Chincoteague NWR, VA, and several more were
spotted from a boat in Chincoteague Channel, all
on Sept 12. Three immature HUDSONIAN GODWITs
were frequenting Raymond Pool, Bombay Hook NWR,
DE, on Sept 13, and at least two HUDSONIAN
GODWITs were at Oyster, VA, on Sept 12.
A male HARLEQUIN DUCK was noted at
Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel Is #4, Northampton
Co, VA, on Sept 12.
BLACK TERNs are still being seen inland,
with one bird spotted at Riley's Lock, C&O Canal,
Montgomery Co, MD, on Sept 11; and another on the
upper reaches of Accotink Bay, Accotink Wildlife
Refuge, Ft Belvoir, Fairfax Co, VA, on Sept 13.
Hawk flights at Snicker's Gap, on the
Loudoun-Clarke Co line, VA, were still being
dominated by BROAD-WINGED HAWKs, with the numbers
building during the week; high counts were 116
BROAD-WINGEDs on Sept 11 and 179 on Sept 13.
Other BROAD-WINGED reports included 190 birds
seen over Arlington, VA, on Sept 9.
A ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was spotted at
Nanjemoy, Charles Co, MD, on Sept 10. And a
LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen at Layhill Pk, MD, on
Sept 13.
There will be a walk at Pennyfield and
Violettes Locks, MD, on Wed, Sep 16; call the
leader, Mike Bowen of Bethesda, at 301-530-5764,
for information. There will be a reservations-
only walk at Patuxent River Pk, MD, on Sat, Sep
19; call the leader, Paul Baicich of Fort
Washington, at 301-839-9736, to reserve your
spot. There will be a reservations-only trip to
Snicker's Gap, VA, on Sun, Sep 20; call the
leader, Larry Cartwright of Arlington, at 703-379-
2689, to secure your place. There will be a walk
at Dyke Marsh, VA, on Thurs, Sept 24; call the
leader, Paul DuMont of Arlington, at 703-931-
8994, for information.
To report bird sightings, you can fax your
report to ANS at 301-951-7179, or email it to:
voice@capaccess.org. You may also call 301-652-
9188, ext. 3101, for a dedicated answering
machine at all hours. Thank you for calling, and
GOOD BIRDING.
===============
Norm Saunders
Colesville, MD
osprey@ari.net