(Fwd) DC Area, 12/22/98
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Tue, 22 Dec 1998 18:30:37 -0500
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From: scordle@capaccess.org
To: birdeast@listserv.arizona.edu
Subject: DC Area, 12/22/98
Date sent: Tue, 22 Dec 1998 22:03:42 GMT
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/22/98
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 Tues, Dec 22, at
2:30 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: ICELAND GULL and BLACK-HEADED GULL.
Other birds of interest include: TUNDRA SWAN, CINNAMON TEAL
and other ducks, gulls, FORSTER'S TERN, COOPER'S and ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWKs, MERLIN, PEREGRINE FALCON, EASTERN PHOEBE, BLUE-HEADED
VIREO, warblers, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, SNOW BUNTING, and COMMON
REDPOLL.
Birders on area Christmas Bird Counts turned up some unusual
gulls at area landfills and waterways over the weekend. On the
DC Count, held Dec 19, an adult, winter-plumaged BLACK-HEADED
GULL was spotted in a flock of LAUGHING GULLs that was streaming
out of the Anacostia River and heading down the Potomac River.
More than 2,100 LAUGHING GULLs were tallied at that spot between
3:30 and 5:00 pm that day. On the Elkton, MD, Count, held the
same day, counters found three, first-winter ICELAND GULLs at the
Cecil Co landfill, in the town of North East. Another first-
winter gull seen there that day was identified as either an
ICELAND or a THAYER'S GULL.
Other gulls spotted at the Cecil landfill during the count
included six LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLs (5 of them in adult,
winter plumage and the sixth in third-winter plumage). Another
adult, winter-plumaged LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen in the
Washington Channel, Hains Pt, on the DC Count; and still another
LESSER BLACK-BACKED was observed feeding with other gulls at the
Stafford Co landfill, northeast of Fredericksburg, VA, during the
Brooke Count, Dec 18. The Brooke count also yielded 16 FORSTER'S
TERNs, seen near the mouth of Potomac Creek, on the Potomac
River.
A COMMON REDPOLL was frequenting a feeder in suburban Glen
Burnie, Anne Arundel Co, MD, during the week, with the most
recent report for Dec 19.
The pair of CINNAMON TEAL at Eastern Neck NWR, Kent Co, MD,
was seen again Dec 15. As usual, the birds were near the wooden
bridge into the refuge. On the Potomac River downstream of DC,
counters on the Brooke, VA, Count tallied 1,600 CANVASBACKs, more
than 3,000 RUDDY DUCKs, and 20 OLDSQUAW.
Other waterfowl reports included at least 40 TUNDRA SWANs
seen at Mason Neck NWR, Fairfax Co, VA, on Dec 16. And nine
HOODED MERGANSERs, including six displaying males, were
frequenting Roaches Run, Arlington, VA, on Dec 19.
A number of raptors made appearances in built-up areas in or
near DC this week. In the heart of DC, a PEREGRINE FALCON was
seen above the State Department building, near 22nd and D Sts,
NW, on Dec 16 and 18. Another PEREGRINE FALCON was seen perched
on the USA Today building, Rosslyn, VA, the afternoon of Dec 20;
the bird was first noticed sitting on the "U", then on the "Y",
of the building's sign, before flying off towards Georgetown.
MERLINs were seen again at by-now customary sites in DC and
environs. The most urban of them was the MERLIN that has been
frequenting Capitol Hill, seen again at 9 am on Dec 17. A MERLIN
that has been frequenting a business district in Silver Spring,
Montgomery Co, MD, was spotted there again on Dec 21. And the
MERLIN at Huntley Meadows Pk, Fairfax Co, VA, was seen again on
Dec 16. Other MERLIN reports included a bird seen at Hains Pt,
during the DC Count, Dec 19; and still another seen the same day
behind Magruder High School, Muncaster Mill Rd, Rockville,
Montgomery Co, MD, during the Triadelphia Count.
A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was spotted just northeast of
Fredericksburg, VA, on the Brooke Count.
Perhaps the most startlng hawk report to come from a human
enclave this week was a COOPER'S HAWK that was observed plucking
feathers from its prey atop a delivery truck in a parking lot at
the edge of the business district of Bethesda, Montgomery Co, MD,
on Dec 18; this bird, which seemed oblivious to human approach,
eventually flew off to a residential area.
Counters on the Salisbury, MD, Count, held Dec 20, turned up
a BLUE-HEADED VIREO along Muddy Hole Rd, near the entrance to
Ellis Bay Wildlife Management Area, near Whitehaven, Wicomico Co,
MD [DeLorme Pg 33, C4-5]. Warblers spotted this week included
ten PINE WARBLERs found on the Salisbury, MD, Count, Dec 20;
another six PINE WARBLERs noted on the Brooke, VA, Count, Dec
19,; and six PALM WARBLERs spotted along a powerline cut in the
Zion area of Cecil Co, MD, on Dec 21.
EASTERN PHOEBEs were relatively abundant on area counts.
AMERICAN TREE SPARROWs were noted at several locations. Ten
birds were tallied at Layhill Park, Montgomery Co, MD, during the
Triadelphia Count, Dec 19. At least ten more birds were spotted
at Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD, on Dec 20. And six birds were
tallied on the Brooke, VA, Count, Dec 18.
A medium-sized flock of SNOW BUNTINGs was seen daily at
Sandy Pt St Pk, Anne Arundel Co, MD, Dec 19-21. The high count
reported was 19 birds on Dec 19. Check grassy fields near the
beach, especially near the boat launch area.
Upcoming pelagics in our region depart VA Beach, VA, in Jan
and Feb. The Jan 16 trip is now full, but spaces remain on the
Jan 23 and Feb 6 and 20 trips. Call Brian Patteson, at 703-765-
4484, to reserve your place.
Upcoming Christmas Bird Counts in our region are listed on
p. 9 of the December Audubon Naturalist News. They are also
posted on the ANS web site, at www.AudubonNaturalist.org (click
on "What's New"). Birders of all skill levels are welcome on all
counts, so don't hesitate to call a compiler and experience the
fun and rewards of monitoring our winter birds.
Some of the upcoming counts in the DC area are:
SUN, Dec 27:
BOWIE, MD; call compiler, Fred Fallon (Bowie) at 301-
249-1518.
CENTRAL LOUDOUN CO, VA; call compiler Joe Coleman
(Round Hill) at 540-554-2542.
MANASSAS/BULL RUN, VA; compiler, Stan Gray; contact
Fairfax Audubon Society (Annandale) at 703-256-6895.
TUES, Dec 29:
OCEAN CITY, MD; and
WED, Dec 30:
SOUTH DORCHESTER CO (BLACKWATER) MD; compiler
for both these counts is Chan Robbins (Laurel); call him at
301-725-1176 h), or 301-497-5641 (w).
SAT, Jan 2:
CALMES NECK, VA; call compiler Frances Endicott
(Boyce), at 540-837-1471.
SUN, Jan 3:
SUGARLOAF MTN, MD, compilers, Gary Nelson (DC) and Rob
Gibbs (Gaithersburg); call Gary at 202-686-7062 (h) or 703-
558-4700 (w); or Rob at 301-253-6903.
FT BELVOIR (VA), call compiler David Abbott (Ashburn)
at 703-729-7036.
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, 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. Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
===============
Norm Saunders
Colesville, MD
osprey@ari.net