(Fwd) DC Area, 12/29/98
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Fri, 1 Jan 1999 08:07:35 -0500
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From: scordle@capaccess.org
To: birdeast@listserv.arizona.edu
Subject: DC Area, 12/29/98
Date sent: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 21:38:21 GMT
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/29/98
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.sitesbysteve.com/nvbc/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 29, at
1:30 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: NORTHERN GOSHAWK and ORANGE-
CROWNED WARBLER in DC; ICELAND GULL in MD; and BLACK-HEADED GULL
and GLAUCOUS GULL in DE.
Other birds of interest include: TUNDRA SWAN; HOODED
MERGANSER; AMERICAN AVOCET; BONAPARTE'S and LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULLs; FORSTER'S TERN; BALD EAGLE; COOPER'S and RED-TAILED HAWKs;
MERLIN; PEREGRINE FALCON; RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH; WINTER WREN;
AMERICAN PIPIT; PINE WARBLER; LINCOLN'S, FOX, and WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROWs; and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
Birders in DC turned up some interesting songbirds, water
birds, and raptors this week. From Dec 26 through 28, pine trees
around the Navy and Marine Memorial, at LBJ Grove, near the
Columbia Is marina, held as many as two ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERs
and six PINE WARBLERs. A single RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH was seen
there Dec 26, and a WINTER WREN was turned up Dec 27 and 28.
This spot, which is accessible from both the north- and south-
bound lanes of the GW Pkway, is across the Boundary Channel from
the Pentagon.
Raptor finds in DC this week were varied, with
representatives of the eagles, accipiters, buteos, and falcons
all making appearances. The Mall made for especially interesting
viewing. Highlights included an immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK, seen
Dec 26 and 28. At the Dec 28 sighting, the bird was first seen
flying into trees in front of the Natl Mus of Natural History.
It then flew to trees on the south side the Mall, west of the
Freer Gallery of Art. Birders are urged to examine any accipiter
found on the Mall closely, because a COOPER'S HAWK was also seen
there, Dec 26 and 29.
At the eastern end of the Mall, a PEREGRINE FALCON was seen
perched on the side of the US Capitol dome, Dec 29. A PEREGRINE
FALCON was also spotted pursuing and catching a Rock Dove over
the AFL-CIO building, near Lafayette Square, 16th and I Sts, NW,
DC, on Dec 23. The falcon then flew two blocks to the top of the
New Executive Office Building, where it ate the dove before
flying off in pursuit of a RED-TAILED HAWK.
Other falcon finds in DC included a MERLIN, seen again at
Hains Pt, Dec 28. This bird was perched in a dead tree on the
golf course. Also perched in a tree at the golf course that day
was an adult BALD EAGLE.
Among the waterbird finds in DC was a LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL, seen at Georgetown Reservoir, NW, on Dec 26.
Several other interesting gulls were seen outside DC, in MD
and DE. In MD, two ICELAND GULLs, one a first-winter and the
other an adult, were spotted on the lake at the visitor's center,
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Prince George's Co, at about 2
pm on Dec 26. Also there that day was an adult LESSER BLACK-
BACKED GULL. Farther afield, a BLACK-HEADED GULL was spotted
among thousands of BONAPARTE'S GULLs and FORSTER'S TERNs at
Indian River Inlet, DE, on Dec 23, and a first-winter GLAUCOUS
GULL was noted at Cape Henlopen St Pk, DE, the same day.
Raptor sightings near but not in DC included a PEREGRINE
FALCON, seen again on the USA Today building, Rosslyn, VA, on Dec
27. It was perched on the "Y" of the building name. Note that
searches for this bird are often unsuccessful. The building is
lit at night, so the bird probably does not use the letters as a
night roost. Instead, they may be a regular but infrequent stop
for the bird as it patrols its hunting territory. And a MERLIN
was seen again in Silver Spring, Montgomery Co, MD, on Dec 28.
One hundred four TUNDRA SWANs were seen at Mason Neck NWR,
Fairfax Co, VA, on Dec 22. Twelve TUNDRA SWANs were spotted
flying over a residence in Great Falls, also in Fairfax Co, VA,
on Dec 24.
As small ponds and lakes froze over this week, waterfowl
concentrated on the larger lakes. One of these spots was Lake
Brittle, in Fauquier Co, VA [DeLorme Pg 75, B-C7], where 174
HOODED MERGANSERs were congregating Dec 26. This lake is just
south of US Rts 15/29, NE of Warrenton.
On the DE coast, AMERICAN AVOCETs continued to hold on, with
39 birds counted at Kitts Hummock, SE of Dover AFB, on the Bombay
Hook Christmas Count, Dec 27.
Sparrow reports included a LINCOLN'S SPARROW, spotted at
Dyke Marsh, Alexandria, VA, Dec 25. A group of counters on the
Manassas/Bull Run, VA, Christmas Bird Count, Dec 27, tallied 21
FOX SPARROWs in an area that included Manassas Battlefield Natl
Pk. Record numbers of both FOX and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWs, and
AMERICAN PIPITs, were tallied on the Bombay Hook Christmas Count,
also held Dec 27.
Finally, a pair of RUSTY BLACKBIRDs was spotted at Lock 6,
C&O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD, on Dec 27.
Upcoming pelagics in our region depart VA Beach, VA, in Jan
and Feb. Spaces remain on the Jan 23 and Feb 6 and 20 trips.
Call Brian Patteson, at 703-765-4484, to reserve your spot.
It is still Christmas Bird Count season. For a list of
local counts, see p. 9 of the December Audubon Naturalist News;
or check 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 are:
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