(Fwd) DC Area, 1/12/99
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Wed, 13 Jan 1999 04:09:39 -0500
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From: scordle@capaccess.org
To: birdeast@listserv.arizona.edu
Subject: DC Area, 1/12/99
Date sent: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 23:46:58 GMT
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 1/12/99
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, Jan 12, at
3:30 pm. Please consider joining ANS, 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 in DC; EURASIAN
WIGEON, ICELAND and GLAUCOUS GULLs, GOLDEN EAGLE, and CLAY-
COLORED SPARROW in MD; and EARED GREBE, BLACK-TAILED GULL, LITTLE
GULL, and rufous-morph RED-TAILED HAWK in VA.
Other birds of interest include: HORNED GREBE, AMERICAN
BITTERN, GLOSSY IBIS, ROSS' GOOSE, REDHEAD, BLUE-WINGED TEAL,
HARLEQUIN DUCK, COMMON EIDER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER BLACK-
BACKED GULL, COOPER'S HAWK, PEREGRINE FALCON, MERLIN, SHORT-EARED
OWL, AMERICAN ROBIN, AMERICAN PIPIT, PINE and ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLERs, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, and LAPLAND LONGSPUR.
An immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen in DC again this week.
It was at LBJ Memorial Grove, on Columbia Island, mid-day Jan 6.
This site, which is accessible from both the north- and south-
bound lanes of the GW Pkway, is across the Boundary Channel from
the Pentagon. An immature accipiter that could have been either
the GOSHAWK or the COOPER'S HAWK that have been frequenting the
Mall, was spotted atop the Dept of Justice building on
Constitution Ave, NW, Jan 10. Another accipiter, showing many
features of an adult male NORTHERN GOSHAWK, was seen in a yard
off Massachusetts Ave, Montgomery Co, MD, not far from the DC
line, on Jan 10. A COOPER'S HAWK was seen chasing Starlings over
the buildings between Lafayette and Farragut Squares, NW DC, on
Jan 6.
A hawk believed to be a rufous-morph RED-TAILED HAWK, a
western form of the species, was spotted near Manassas, VA, on
the morning of Jan 11. This bird was seen along the new VA Rt
234 bypass, south of I-66. (Do not take the old Rt 234, now
labeled "business"). The bird was seen in trees on the east side
of the bypass, about 500 ft south of the on-ramp for I-66 East.
Overall, the bird had the coloring of an adult, but retained some
characteristics of an immature.
Other raptors of note this week included an immature GOLDEN
EAGLE, first spotted about 2 miles SSE of Choptank, Dorchester
Co, MD, and followed on backroads as it flew into Caroline Co
[DeLorme Pg 42, B3], on Jan 9.
An EARED GREBE was noted at Kiptopeke St Pk, Northampton Co,
VA, on Jan 11. It was at the end of the road to the old ferry
terminal, in the water on the right-hand side.
The Visitor's Ctr at Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel,
Prince George's Co, MD, continued to provide good gull watching
this week. Three first-winter ICELAND GULLs were seen there on
Jan 8. The following morning, a GLAUCOUS GULL and an ICELAND
GULL, both first-winter birds, made appearances, and an adult
ICELAND GULL was noted there on Jan 11. To reach this spot from
the DC Beltway, take the Balto-Wash Pkwy north to the third exit,
which is the Beltsville Agric Ctr/Powdermill Rd exit. Turn right
after exiting and watch for the entrance to the Visitor's Ctr, on
your right. The entrance road is long.
A second-winter GLAUCOUS GULL and a first-winter ICELAND
GULL were frequenting Brown Station Landfill, off Brown Station
Rd, north of Upper Marlboro, Prince George's Co, MD [DeLorme Pg
47, D6], on Jan 5.
Seen again this week was a BLACK-TAILED GULL, at Chesapeake
Bay Bridge/Tunnel Island #4, Northampton Co, VA, on Jan 10 and
11. Also reported from the Bridge/Tunnel was a LITTLE GULL, seen
between Islands #2 and #3, on Jan 11.
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLs were reported from numerous
locations.
EURASIAN WIGEONs were spotted again in the same Worcester
Co, MD, locations that they were frequenting the preceding week.
One was on Assateague Island, as seen from Eagle's Nest
Campground; the other was at a pond at Ocean Pines [DeLorme Pg
35, B5]. Both birds were seen Jan 10. Directions to Ocean Pines
pond: From US Rt 50 heading towards Ocean City, turn (left) on
MD Rt 90, and, at Ocean Pines, turn right (south) on MD Rt 589.
At the first light, turn left, at the Taylor Bank sign. (The
sign will be on your right after you turn.) Proceed straight
down the lane about 100 yds to a swimming pool. Park along the
lane and walk across the shallow drainage ditch on your right;
then go right, to observation points at the pond.
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was feeding in a thicket in the same
area where one was seen a week before, along Evans Rd, near
Berlin, Worcester Co, MD [DeLorme Pg 35, C4], on Jan 10.
Directions: From the intersection of Evans Rd and Ironshire
Station Rd (southwest of Berlin), proceed north on Evans Rd past
Cedar Lane, which turns off to the left (west). In about 1/4
mile you will come to an abandoned farm site; the bird was in a
thicket on the west side of the road.
An AMERICAN BITTERN and a GLOSSY IBIS were frequenting Deal
Island WMA, Somerset Co, MD, on Jan 9. Two LESSER YELLOWLEGS
were spotted at Irish Grove Sanctuary, off Rumbly Pt Rd, east of
Crisfield, Somerset Co, MD [DeLorme Pg 25, C6], and at least five
LESSER YELLOWLEGS were at George Island Landing, Worcester Co, MD
[DeLorme Pg 27, B4], all on Jan 10.
A ROSS' GOOSE was noted in a flock of more than 100 Canada
Geese at the municipal golf course in Saltville, Smyth Co, VA,
Jan 5-8. Other waterfowl reports included an adult male
HARLEQUIN DUCK at Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel Island #3, VA, on
Jan 10. HARLEQUIN DUCKs and COMMON EIDERs were both at their
customary winter posts at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD,
with at least five of each species seen there on Jan 10. A male
REDHEAD was frequenting Clopper Lake, Seneca Creek St Pk,
Montgomery Co, MD, on Jan 5. Another REDHEAD was mingling with
about 30 Ring-necked Ducks in the Potomac River, as seen from the
north side of Jones Pt and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Alexandria,
VA, on Jan 10. Three pairs of REDHEADs and several pairs of
BLUE-WINGED TEAL were among rafts of several hundred Ring-necked
and other ducks at Little Seneca Lake, Black Hill Reg Pk,
Montgomery Co, MD, on Jan 11.
At least 10 HORNED GREBEs were seen diving in the Potomac
River, just offshore, at Hains Pt, DC, on Jan 8. They were
observed from just below the railroad bridge.
Raptor reports in addition to Goshawk included a PEREGRINE
FALCON, seen in Rosslyn, VA, Jan 5 and 8. It was sitting under
the overhanging roof of a building at the corner of Nash St and
Key Blvd. This could be the same bird that has been seen in
recent weeks on the USA Today building.
MERLINs were reported from DC, MD, and VA this week.
A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen in the Lucketts area, Loudoun Co,
VA, on Jan 9; it was on the west side of Limestone School Rd,
between Hibler and Spinks Ferry Rds [ADC Loudoun, Map 11, E11-
13]. Deal Island WMA, MD, was hosting at least six SHORT-EARED
OWLs on Jan 9, and 150 TREE SWALLOWs the following day. Another
SHORT-EARED OWL was patrolling the marsh at Saxis Waterfowl
Management Area, Accomack Co, VA, on Jan 11.
Two PINE WARBLERs and a single ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER were
still frequenting LBJ Grove, Columbia Is, DC, on Jan 5 and 10.
At least one LAPLAND LONGSPUR was spotted in a large flock
of Horned Larks on MD Rt 85, just north of Lily Pons Rd,
Frederick Co, MD, on Jan 10.
AMERICAN TREE SPARROWs and AMERICAN PIPITs were noted in a
variety of locations this week.
Flocks of AMERICAN ROBINs were also seen in several places.
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.
There will be a reservations-only trip from Ocean City, MD,
to Cape Henlopen, DE, on Sat, Jan 23; 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. You may also
call 301-652-9188, extension 3101, for a dedicated answering
machine at all hours. Please post email reports by midnight
Monday, and be sure to leave your name and a Tuesday morning
phone number. Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
===============
Norm Saunders
Colesville, MD
osprey@ari.net