(Fwd) DC Area, 10/27/98
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Wed, 28 Oct 1998 05:16:05 -0500
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 10/27/98
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 Tuesday, Oct 27,
at 1 p.m. 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: CINNAMON TEAL in VA; VIRGINIA RAIL
in DC; and BLACK-HEADED GULL in DE.
Other birds of interest include: COMMON LOON, ducks, SNOW
GOOSE, KING RAIL, COMMON MOORHEN, AMERICAN AVOCET, BLACK-
BELLIED
PLOVER, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, other shorebirds, LESSER BLACK-
BACKED
GULL, PEREGRINE FALCON, warblers, sparrows, DARK-EYED JUNCO,
and
PURPLE FINCH. Exotic of the week is BLACK SWAN.
The male, breeding-plumaged CINNAMON TEAL that has been
frequenting Accotink Bay, Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge, Ft
Belvoir, Fairfax Co, VA [ADC No. VA Map Pgs. 28-29; & 32(B1)] was
reported again on Oct 20 and 21, and the morning of Oct 25. To
reach this site, from Rt 1 south of the DC Beltway, turn south on
Pohick Rd (Tulley Gate). Go a little more than a mile and turn
right on Gunston Rd and after about 3/4 mi, turn right again, on
Warren Rd. Follow Warren to the shoreline and around to the
archery range.
A BLACK-HEADED GULL in nonbreeding plumage was spotted at
Little Creek Wildlife Area, DE, on Oct 21.
A VIRGINIA RAIL continues to be seen in the Smithsonian
Institution's Enid Haupt Garden, near the Natl Mus African Art,
SW DC, with reports for Oct 21, 22, 24, and 26. An OVENBIRD was
spotted just outside the garden, in the yews that line
Indpendence Ave, on Oct 26.
Other birds of interest in DC this week included an AMERICAN
WOODCOCK, spotted at Connecticut Ave and L St, NW, on Oct 26.
A PEREGRINE FALCON was putting up ducks at Accotink Wildlife
Refuge, VA, on Oct 20. Another PEREGRINE, an immature, was
spotted at Hunting Creek, south of Alexandria, VA, on Oct 25.
The same day, Hunting Creek hosted several species of shorebird,
including KILLDEER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and
PECTORAL
SANDPIPER.
Other shorebird reports included 419 AMERICAN AVOCETs seen
from the Central Tower at Little Creek Wildlife Area, DE, on Oct
24. The same day, Bombay Hook NWR, DE, hosted 65 PECTORAL
SANDPIPERs and about 10,000 DUNLIN. Also at Bombay Hook that day
were a total of five WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERs, in Shearness Pool
and Bear Swamp. A single WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was at Little
Creek the same day.
A winter-plumaged LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was frequenting a
mudflat off the south end of Belle Haven picnic area, just north
of the Belle Haven marina boat ramp, on Oct 25. A COMMON
MOORHEN, in a flock of American Coot, was spotted again this week
in DC waters at the mouth of Four Mile Run, VA, on Oct 24.
Winter waterfowl reports included three female LESSER SCAUP
seen just up the bay from the archery range at Accotink Bay, VA,
on Oct 24; 15 BLACK SCOTERs and three BUFFLEHEADs spotted at
Hart-Miller Is, Baltimore Co, MD, also on Oct 24; 300 SURF
SCOTERs at Cape Henlopen St Pk, DE, on Oct 25; and large rafts of
NORTHERN SHOVELERs and GREEN-WINGED TEAL at spots along the
Potomac River during the week. About 10,000 SNOW GEESE were
frequenting Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on Oct 24.
Other waterbird reports included eight COMMON LOONs at Hart-
Miller Is, MD, on Oct 24; a calling BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER flying
over a house in Waldorf, Charles Co, MD, on Oct 20; and two KING
RAILs at Huntley Meadows Pk, Fairfax Co, VA, on Oct 24.
Sparrows were seen widely and in considerable variety this
week. A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was spotted at Accotink Wildlife
Refuge, VA, on Oct 25, and another one was noted at the Julie
Metz Wetland Mitigation Site, Neabsco Rd, Pr Wm Co, VA, on Oct
26. Also at Julie Metz that day were two immature WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROWs. Two more immature WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWs were
reported
from Fort Smith Park, Arlington, VA, on Oct 23; and another
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was frequenting a yard in Woodbridge, Pr
Wm
Co, VA, Oct 22-24. Two FOX SPARROWs were noted at Fort Smith
Park, VA, on Oct 23. DARK-EYED JUNCOs were reported from several
locations this week.
A PURPLE FINCH was spotted at Hart-Miller Is, MD, on Oct 25.
Late-migrating warblers included a WORM-EATING WARBLER on
Oct 25, and a BAY-BREASTED WARBLER the following day, both seen
at Shenandoah Natl Park, VA.
Reports of BLACK SWAN, an Australian species presumed to be
escaped birds when found here, came from two locations. A single
bird was noted at Piscataway Creek, Accokeek, Pr George's Co, MD,
on Oct 21 and 24; and three birds were observed in the south
impoundment at Little Creek Wildlife Area, DE, on Oct 25.
Upcoming pelagics in our region include a trip out of Cape
May, NJ, into DE waters on Sun, Nov 22; space is limited, so call
the leader, Paul Guris of PA, at 610-650-8600, ext. 8345,
weekdays, as soon as possible if interested. There will be a
reservations-only trip to Waggoner's Gap, PA, on Sat, Oct 31;
call the leader, Kerrie Kirkpatrick of Falls Church, at 703-560-
4950, to secure your place. There will be a reservations-only
trip to Eastern Neck NWR, MD, and nearby areas on Sun, Nov 8;
call the leader, Paul DuMont of Arlington, at 703-931-8994, to
reserve your spot.
To report bird sightings, you can fax your report to ANS at
301-951-7179, or email it to voice@capaccess.org. Please post
email reports before midnight Monday, and be sure to include your
name and Tuesday morning phone number. You may also report by
calling 301-652-9188, ext. 3101, for a dedicated answering
machine at all hours. Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.