[MDOsprey] Voice of the Naturalist, 6 Jul 99
BlkVulture@aol.com
Tue, 6 Jul 1999 18:37:37 EDT
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 7/6/99
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, July 6,
at 12:45 p.m. 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 in DE; and WHITE-FACED
IBIS and AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in VA.
Other birds of interest include: LEAST BITTERN; BLACK
SCOTER; GADWALL; KING RAIL; UPLAND SANDPIPER, WILSON'S PHALAROPE,
and other shorebirds; a variety of gulls and terns; BALD EAGLE;
MISSISSIPPI KITE; BANK SWALLOW; WARBLING VIREO; MAGNOLIA WARBLER;
GRASSHOPPER and SAVANNAH SPARROWs; and DICKCISSEL.
The adult LITTLE EGRET was seen again at Bombay Hook NWR,
DE, early in the week, but attempts to find it in recent days
were reportedly to no avail. It was seen mid-way back in
Shearness Pool at about 12:45 p.m., July 1; and in Raymond Pool
from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m., July 2. The bird tends to be close to the
dike road early in the morning, then retreats farther back in the
impoundments later in the day. Some observers have reported that
it now appears to have only one of its two breeding plumes left.
When searching for this egret among the Snowy Egrets, look for a
bird with grayish lores, somewhat larger bill, chunkier
appearance, and feet that, though dark yellow, do not contrast as
strongly with the dark legs as in the Snowies.
The WHITE-FACED IBIS reported at Chincoteague NWR, Accomack
Co, VA, last week was seen again this week. It was spotted at
about 6 p.m., June 30; between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m., July 2; and
also on July 4. As last week, it was along the Wildlife Loop,
just as you emerge from the woods.
An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was spotted on the pond at Eastern
Shore of VA NWR, Northampton Co, VA, on June 30. BROWN PELICANs
were also reported this week, off the DE coast. One bird was
seen flying south over the ocean off Rehoboth Beach, at about 5
p.m., July 1. And two birds were seen in Little Assawoman Bay,
west of Fenwick Island St Pk, on June 30; this area is between
Assawoman Bay St Wildlife Area and Points of Cedars Island
[DeLorme Pg 35, A6].
This stretch of the DE coast also yielded a NORTHERN GANNET,
seen in the ocean off Gordon's Pond Wildlife Area, just north of
Rehoboth Beach [DeLorme Pg 45, A6], on July 3, and two NORTHERN
GANNETs seen off Rehoboth Beach itself, on July 5. Also off
Rehoboth Beach were six BLACK SCOTERs on July 2 and eight the
following day. Other waterfowl reports included a male GADWALL,
seen at Hart-Miller Is, MD, on July 3.
The KELP GULL that has been frequenting the Sea Breeze
Restaurant, on the Patuxent River, Sandgates, St Mary's Co, MD
[DeLorme Pg 30, B2], is still being seen. The most recent
reports were from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m., June 30, and from 1:30 to
1:50 p.m., July 1.
An adult LEAST BITTERN was spotted flying low over the
marshes at Jackson Miles Abbott Wildlife Refuge, Ft Belvoir,
Fairfax Co, VA, at 6:30 p.m., Jun 30. The bird was seen from the
observation deck that overlooks the wetland. A LEAST BITTERN was
also seen at Dyke Marsh, Alexandria, VA, the morning of July 4.
Two MISSISSIPPI KITEs were spotted at Huntley Meadows Pk,
Fairfax Co, VA, on July 3. One MISSISSIPPI KITE was also spotted
there at 8:40 a.m., July 5, as it circled over the grove of dead
trees past the tower.
A BALD EAGLE was seen perched on the railroad bridge that
crosses DC waters of the Potomac River south of the 14th St
Bridge, the afternoon of July 2. The bird was seen from the
Metro-rail bridge. Another BALD EAGLE was seen making a kill
along the Northeast Branch of the Anacostia River, near River Rd
and Kenilworth Ave, Riverdale, Prince George's Co, MD, on the
morning of June 30.
A 2nd-summer to 3rd-winter GLAUCOUS GULL was again
frequenting Hart-Miller Is, MD, this week, along with three
immature LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLs, all on July 3.
An adult, breeding-plumaged BLACK TERN was noted at
Assawoman Bay St Wildlife Area, Sussex Co, DE [DeLorme Pg 35,
A6], on July 2; it was first spotted over Mulberry Pond, from the
observation tower, and later relocated over 65-Acre Pond, which
is on the east side of the road to Strawberry Landing. Also over
65-Acre Pond that day were three adult GULL-BILLED TERNs. A
single GULL-BILLED TERN and a BLACK TERN were still frequenting
this pond at 9:45 a.m., July 5.
Another GULL-BILLED TERN was noted at Craney Island,
Portsmouth, VA, on Jun 30. Other tern reports this week included
two LEAST TERNs on June 30 and one LEAST TERN on July 2, at
Hunting Creek, south of Alexandria, VA. Also at Hunting Creek
during the week were two CASPIAN TERNs and a high count of 130
FORSTER'S TERNs. A variety of GULLs, including LAUGHING, RING-
BILLED, HERRING, and GREAT BLACK-BACKED, were also noted there
during the week.
A STILT SANDPIPER and a female WILSON'S PHALAROPE, both in
full breeding plumage, were spotted at Craney Island, Portsmouth,
VA, on June 30. Other shorebird reports this week included two
UPLAND SANDPIPERs, seen in the grassy field across DE Rt 9 from
Dover AFB, DE, at 12:30 p.m., July 5. Shorebird numbers are
building along the coast. At Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on July 1 were
at least 15 LEAST SANDPIPERs, at least 300 SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHERs, 50 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and at least 120 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS. Also there that day were 18 AMERICAN AVOCETs, in
Shearness Pool, and at least 35 BLACK-NECKED STILTs, mostly in
Raymond Pool.
Returning shorebirds were also noted in VA and MD. In VA,
LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, and LEAST
SANDPIPER, with no more than four individuals reported of any one
species, were spotted during the week at Hunting Creek, south of
Alexandria. Small numbers of LEAST SANDPIPER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS,
and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER were seen at both Chincoteague NWR,
Accomack Co, and at Craney Island, Portsmouth, on June 30. In MD,
these same three species, most notably 60 LEAST SANDPIPERs, were
frequenting Hart-Miller Is, on July 3. Also at Hart-Miller that
day were six PECTORAL SANDPIPERs, a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, and
an AMERICAN AVOCET.
Twenty-eight ROYAL TERNs were spotted over the Potomac
River, as seen from the end of Morgantown Rd, Morgantown, Charles
Co, MD [DeLorme Pg 29, B4], also on July 3.
Three adult KING RAILs were frequenting Huntley Meadows Pk,
Fairfax Co, VA, on July 5.
Land bird reports this week included an adult, singing, male
MAGNOLIA WARBLER, seen in a backyard in Bowie, Prince George's
Co, MD, at 8 a.m., July 3, and still present at 5 p.m. that day.
Two WARBLING VIREOs were noted at Roaches Run, Arlington, VA, on
June 30. About 40 BANK SWALLOWs were roosting in dead trees east
of the road at Bombay Hook's Shearness and Bear Swamp pools, on
July 1. BANK SWALLOWs were also seen flying with Tree and Barn
Swallows over Raymond and Shearness pools that day.
DICKCISSELs were again noted along the south side of Oland
Rd, about 1/4 mile west of MD Rt 85 (Buckeystown Rd), this week.
A male DICKCISSEL was singing from a fence there between 6:30 and
7:45 p.m., July 2. A female DICKCISSEL was also thought to be
there that day, along with a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. Between 6:15
and 7:15 p.m., July 5, both a male and a female DICKCISSEL were
noted in this area, along with two or more GRASSHOPPER SPARROWs
and a SAVANNAH SPARROW.
There will be a reservations-only trip to DE coastal areas
on Sat, July 10; call the leader, Harvey Mudd of Bethesda, at
301-530-7322, to secure your place.
There will be another reservations-only trip to DE coastal
areas on Sat, July 17; call the leader, John Bjerke of Rockville,
at 301-963-8525, to reserve your spot.
A pelagic trip will depart Lewes, DE, on Sun, Sept 5; for
information and reservations, call FONT, at 1-800-362-0869.
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.