The Voice for 12/01/98
BlkVulture@aol.com
Wed, 2 Dec 1998 09:15:17 EST
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/01/98
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. Please consider joining
the Society, especially if you are a regular user of
the Voice.
Top birds this week are: SWAINSON'S HAWK in MD;
CINNAMON TEAL in MD and VA; KING EIDER in DE; and
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER in PA.
Other birds of interest include: AMERICAN WHITE
PELICAN, scaup, AMERICAN AVOCET, MARBLED GODWIT,
FRANKLIN'S GULL, GOLDEN EAGLE, OSPREY, NORTHERN
GOSHAWK, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, PEREGRINE FALCON, BLACK
SKIMMER, AMERICAN PIPIT, EVENING GROSBEAK, SNOW
BUNTING, and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW.
A possible, adult SWAINSON'S HAWK was spotted
along Rt 12, two miles north of Stockton, Worcester Co,
MD [DeLorme 27, B4], on Nov 25. The bird was watched
for 5-10 minutes, as it soared.
A female KING EIDER was frequenting Delaware Bay,
as seen from Port Mahon Rd, Little Creek Wildlife Area,
DE, just before 2 pm on Nov 28. The bird was between
the fishing pier and the bait shack. It preened and
bathed, then swam slowly out to sea. But it apparently
lingered in the area, affording another view on Nov 30,
near the fueling station on Port Mahon Rd.
CINNAMON TEAL were reported from both MD and VA
again this week. In VA, the only report was of a
breeding-plumaged male seen at Accotink Bay Wildlife
Refuge, Ft Belvoir, Fairfax Co, on Nov 29. The bird
was in the bay, as viewed from near the archery range,
and was associating with Green-winged Teal. It was
seen from about 1:30 to 1:45 pm, then flew off.
The pair of MD CINNAMON TEALs that have been
frequenting Eastern Neck NWR, Kent Co [DeLorme 49, A-
B6], were seen again on the morning of Nov 26, the
morning and afternoon of Nov 27, and the afternoon of
Nov 28. To look for these birds, take US Rt 50 east
from the DC Beltway, cross the Bay Bridge, and then at
the Rt 50/301 split, take Rt 301. Turn left (north)
off Rt 301 onto MD Rt 213 and proceed to Chestertown.
There, turn left (west) on MD Rt 20. Then, at Rock
Hall, turn left (south) on MD Rt 445,
and cross the wooden bridge into the refuge. Pull off
immediately, at the base of the bridge. The birds were
reported from both the east and west sides of the
bridge, including near the boathouse and pier.
From outside our normal reporting area came a
report of a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, found just
over the PA line, at Codorus St Pk, near Hanover, York
County, at 9 am on Nov 30, and then relocated at about
8 am the following day. Available directions, which
are a bit sketchy, are as follows: From Baltimore,
take I-83 N to PA Rt 216. Go southwest on Rt 216, and
turn east on Sinseim (sp.?) Rd toward the park. Turn
into the main boat launch area and park in the second
of two parking lots that are designed for unloading
horses. The bird was in a small, circular patch of
vegetation 15 ft from the parking lot, and in a
thicket near the bird-feeding station.
A number of interesting raptors were reported this
week. Three GOLDEN EAGLEs, two of them immature and
one an adult, were noted at Snicker's Gap Hawkwatch, on
the Loudoun/Clarke Co line, VA, on Nov 24. A light-
phase, adult ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen flying across
Fieldcrest Rd, near Laytonsville landfill, Montgomery
Co, MD, on Nov 29. Another light-phase ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWK was seen at Craney Is, Portsmouth, VA, on Nov 25;
it was hunting outside the dike in the northeast
corner. A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was spotted from the
McCarthy Loop Trail, Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge, VA,
on Nov 28, and a PEREGRINE FALCON was seen from the
observation platform at the end of the Great Marsh
Trail, Mason Neck NWR, Fairfax Co, VA, the following
day. Several OSPREY were seen this past week,
including a bird spotted along Mattawoman Creek, near
Indian Head, Charles Co, MD, on Nov 27, and another
bird seen from the McCarthy Loop Trail at Accotink
Bay Refuge, the following day.
A first-winter FRANKLIN'S GULL was reported from
the boat-launch-ramp area at Kiptopeke St Pk,
Northamption Co, VA, on Nov 24. Three late BLACK
SKIMMERs were spotted flying low over US Rt 50 at Kent
Narrows, Queen Anne's Co, MD, on Nov 26; they were
heading north. Twelve more BLACK SKIMMERs were seen at
the south end of Chincoteague Village, Accomack Co, VA,
on Nov 29. Thirty-one MARBLED GODWITs were spotted on
mudflats opposite Tom's Cove Park, Chincoteague NWR,
Accomack Co, VA, on Nov 27. Chincoteage also held an
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, seen at Swan Cove on Nov 26.
Other water birds reported this week included a raft of
about 800 SCAUP, mostly LESSER, on the Potomac River at
Riverside Park, south of Alexandria, VA, on Nov 29.
AMERICAN AVOCETs are lingering at Little Creek
Wildlife Area, DE, with 275 birds noted from the
central tower there, on Nov 28.
Fourteen AMERICAN PIPITs were spotted in fields at
Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on Nov 28; they were on either
side of the road just before the hard right turn to
Bear Swamp.
An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was spotted at Hughes
Hollow, Montgomery Co, MD, on Nov 29. Four EVENING
GROSBEAKs were frequenting Accotink Bay Wildlife
Refuge, VA, on Nov 28. The same day, three SNOW
BUNTINGs were seen at Sandy Point St Pk, Anne Arundel
Co, MD. These birds were adjacent to the parking
lot that is north of the rest rooms and near the beach.
Also on Nov 28, a flock of approximately 30 SNOW
BUNTINGs flew over Port Mahon Rd, DE.
Upcoming pelagics in our region include trips
departing VA Beach, VA, on Jan 16 and 23, and Feb 6 and
20. Call Brian Patteson, at 703-765-4484, to reserve
your place. There will be a reservations-only trip to
Black Hill Regional Park, Montgomery Co, MD, on Sun,
Dec 6; call the leader, Dick Cleveland of
Gaithersburg, at 301-926-7109, to reserve your spot.
To report bird sightings you can FAX your report
to ANS at 301-951-7179, or or email it to
voice@capaccess.org. You may also call 301-652-9188,
extension 3101 for a dedicated answering machine at all
hours. Please post email reports before midnight
Monday, and be sure to include your name and Tuesday
morning phone number.
Remember--posting to a birding listserve does
not constitute a report to the Voice. Thank you for
calling, and GOOD BIRDING.