[MDOsprey] Voice of the Naturalist, 15 Jun 99
BlkVulture@aol.com
Tue, 15 Jun 1999 18:20:46 EDT
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 6/15/99
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
(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 Tuesday, June 15,
at 1 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: LITTLE EGRET, WHITE-FACED IBIS,
and POMARINE JAEGER in DE; and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in VA.
Other birds of interest include: LEAST and AMERICAN
BITTERNs, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, HOODED MERGANSER and other
waterfowl, COMMON MOORHEN, KING RAIL, AMERICAN AVOCET,
sandpipers, LESSER BLACK-BACKED and GLAUCOUS GULLs, LEAST TERN,
MISSISSIPPI KITE, WHIP-POOR-WILL, ALDER and WILLOW FLYCATCHERs,
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH, CERULEAN WARBLER, and WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW.
Much of the excitement this week centered on the DE coastal
refuges, where one of the highlights was an adult LITTLE EGRET.
The bird was spending most of its time in Raymond Pool, but also
flew occasionally to the vicinity of the boardwalk trail. It was
reported at 10 a.m. on Jun 9; at 2 p.m. on Jun 10; from about 11
a.m. through the afternoon on Jun 12; and between 9:45 a.m. and
10:45 a.m. on Jun 13. On the 12th, the bird was seen mainly at the
southeast corner of Raymond Pool, often near the water control
structure. It also ranged well into the impoundment, and at
least twice flew south to the vicinity of the boardwalk trail,
only to return later to Raymond. On the 13th, the bird was seen
in a part of Raymond Pool that is midway along the dike road. The
bird was also seen from the boardwalk trail that morning. This
bird could well be the same egret that was seen at Little Creek
Wildlife Area for several days in late April.
Also at Raymond Pool on Jun 12 and 13 was a WHITE-FACED
IBIS. The Jun 12th sightings were between 9 a.m. and noon. The
Jun 13th sightings were between about 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. This
bird, whose white facial markings are poorly defined, was in a
flock of 100 or more Glossy Ibises.
The DE coast was also hosting a sub-adult POMARINE JAEGER,
on Jun 12. This bird was spotted in mid-afternoon from the
central tower at Little Creek Wildlife Area, as it sat on a sand
bar in an impoundment, almost straight out from the tower.
A bird believed to be an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER was spotted
west of US Rt 15, south of Leesburg, Loudoun Co, VA, at 8 a.m.
and again at 7:30 p.m., on Jun 12. It was near the intersection
of Rt 733 (Lime Kiln Rd) and Rt 763 (Steptoe Hill Rd) [DeLorme Pg
79, D7]. The evening sighting was in tall trees and on a
telephone wire on the left-hand side of Rt 763, about 50 feet
from the intersection. Directions: From the Rt 7/15 bypass
around Leesburg, take Rt 15 south for about 5 miles. Then, just
after passing Oatlands Plantation and before the turn-off to the
Dulles Wetlands, turn right on Rt 733 (Lime Kiln Rd). Continue
on 733 about 3-4 miles, until you come to Rt 763 (Steptoe Hill
Rd), on your right. Check the trees and wires near this
intersection.
Other flycatcher reports this week included an ALDER
FLYCATCHER and several WILLOW FLYCATCHERs. The ALDER FLYCATCHER
was reported on Jun 12, from the same Loudoun Co, VA, area that
hosted one last summer. This spot is along Oatlands Mill Rd (Rt
650), about 0.8 mile east of US Rt 15 [DeLorme Pg 80, D1]. Four
WILLOW FLYCATCHERs were also spotted in this general location
that day. Another WILLOW FLYCATCHER was spotted along Rt 657,
just east of US Rt 15, in the Lucketts area, Loudoun Co, VA, on
Jun 12. Still another WILLOW FLYCATCHER was singing at the
intersection of River Rd and Sycamore Landing Rd, Montgomery Co,
MD, on Jun 10. And two singing WILLOW FLYCATCHERs were noted
along the boardwalk trail at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on Jun 12.
An adult MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen again at Huntley Meadows
Pk, Fairfax Co, VA, over the weekend. On Jun 12, it was spotted
from the boardwalk tower, flying from SW to NE, low over the
trees to the NW of the main pond, at about 4:20 p.m. On Jun 13,
it was spotted between 10 and 10:30 a.m.
Also from Huntley Meadows this week came a second-hand
report of a COMMON MOORHEN in the central wetland, on the morning
of Jun 10. Other birds noted at Huntley included a female HOODED
MERGANSER with five young, and five adult KING RAILs, all on Jun
12.
A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was spotted again at its usual
spot along the first stream you come to as you drive down
Sycamore Landing Rd from River Rd, Montgomery Co, MD, at 7 a.m.
on Jun 10. Also in the early-morning of that day, downstream
from Sycamore Landing, a GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH was seen in woods at
the east end of McKee-Beshers WMA, MD.
A CERULEAN WARBLER was singing about 1/3 mile west of
milepost 23, upstream from Seneca (Riley's Lock), C&O Canal,
Montgomery Co, MD, on Jun 10. As you head upstream from Seneca,
this spot is roughly where the canal becomes dry.
Shorebird reports included WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, with five
birds spotted at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, and two birds at Hart-
Miller Is, Baltimore Co, MD, all on Jun 12. Also at Hart-Miller
that day were a RED KNOT, a SANDERLING, four LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULLs, and a GLAUCOUS GULL.
A flock of LEAST TERNs was spotted above the gravelly roof
of a building at the NE corner of the intersection of Rts 213 and
291, Chestertown, Kent Co, MD, on Jun 12.
Two LEAST BITTERNs were noted at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery
Co, MD, on Jun 13. Both birds were in impoundments on the right-
hand side as you enter. One of the birds was in the large
impoundment, the other in the smaller one.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen flying at the Patuxent Research
Refuge North Tract, Anne Arundel Co, MD, at 5 p.m., Jun 10. It
was at the first opening past the entrance (roughly across from
the hunting control station). Also noted at Patuxent North Tract
were 24 WHIP-POOR-WILLs, counted in a one-hour pre-dawn survey on
Jun 9.
A number of lingering winter birds and migrants were noted
on Jun 12, including a crisply marked WHITE-THROATED SPARROW,
seen at the far south end of the parking lots at Belle Haven,
south of Alexandria, VA. Also in the Belle Haven area that day,
and again two days later, was a molting, female RED-BREASTED
MERGANSER, spotted in a flock of Mallards on the Potomac River,
off the picnic area. The DE coast had its share of lingerers
that day, too, including AMERICAN AVOCET, with 45 birds spotted
at Little Creek Wildlife Area, and three at Bombay Hook NWR.
Bombay Hook also held five SNOW GEESE in Raymond and Shearness
Pools; and, in Raymond, a NORTHERN PINTAIL, a pair of BLUE-WINGED
TEAL, and a pair of GREEN-WINGED TEAL that day.
There will be a reservations-only trip to Patuxent River
Park, MD, on Sat, June 19; call the leader, John Bjerke of
Rockville, at 301-963-8525, to reserve your spot.
Also on Sat, June 19, there will be a beginners' birdwalk at
ANS' Webb Sanctuary, Clifton, VA; call Cliff Fairweather, at 703-
803-8400 (w), by Fri, Jun 18, to sign up.
The pelagic trip that will depart Lewes, DE, on Sat, Jun 19,
is full. Another trip is scheduled to depart from this location
on Sept 5. For information and reservations, call 1-800-362-0869.
There will be a reservations-only walk at
Woodbridge/Occoquan Bay NWR, VA, on Sat, Jun 16; call one of the
leaders, Ken Hollinga of Springfield, at 703-569-9677, to secure
your spot.
There will be a reservations-only walk at Huntley Meadows
Park, VA, on Sun, Jun 27; call the leader, Ed Eder of Alexandria,
at 703-360-7994, to reserve your place.
To report bird sightings, you can email your report to
voice@capaccess.org, or fax it to ANS at 301-951-7179. You may
also report by calling 301-652-1088 and selecting menu option 2.
Please post email reports before midnight Monday, and be sure to
include your name and a Tuesday morning phone number. Thank you
for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
Steve Cordle
scordle@ex-pressnet.com
http://www.sitesbysteve.com