[MDOsprey] (Fwd) DC Area, 12/7/99
Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Tue, 7 Dec 1999 17:42:22 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: scordle@capaccess.org
To: birdeast@listserv.arizona.edu
Subject: DC Area, 12/7/99
Date sent: Tue, 07 Dec 1999 17:10:12 -0500
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/7/99
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: Lydia Schindler
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, Dec 7,
at 2 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 301-652-
9188 ext. 12, the address is 8940 Jones Mill Road, Chevy Chase,
MD 20815, and the website is http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org.
Top birds this week are KELP GULL,* LE CONTE'S SPARROW,*
HARRIS' SPARROW,* and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL in MD; NORTHERN
SHRIKE and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER in VA; and SNOWY OWL in DE.
Other birds of interest include: RED-THROATED LOON, NORTHERN
GANNET, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, waterfowl, PURPLE SANDPIPERS,
gulls including FRANKLIN'S and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS,
raptors, SHORT-EARED OWL, PINK-SIDED JUNCO, and SNOW BUNTING.
Maryland's KELP GULL* was most recently reported Dec 2--as
usual, behind the Sea Breeze Restaurant, Sandgates, St. Mary's Co
(DeLorme 30, B2). The bird is being seen sporadically, not daily,
and its hours are unpredictable.
Reports of a SNOWY OWL come from Port Mahon Rd, Little Creek
Wildlife Area, DE. The bird was seen Dec 5, perched on a pole
near the old bait shop, and Dec 7 behind the bait shop, on a pile
of rubble.
A NORTHERN SHRIKE was reported from western Fairfax Co, VA,
on Dec 5 and 6, though it was not seen early on Dec 7. The bird
was in a field 2.8 miles north of the intersection of Rte 29 and
Bull Run Post Office Rd; a gravel road/driveway on the right
leaves room to pull off and park, but please respect the fact
that this is private property and don't block the gate or enter
the field.
An adult male ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was discovered Dec 5 in
Arlington, VA. It was spotted around 11 am, from the boardwalk
that begins about 150 yards south of the Roosevelt Island parking
lot. It was with other, more common passerines in bushes between
the boardwalk and the river.
A beautiful LE CONTE'S SPARROW* was seen and photographed in
Worcester Co, MD, around 7:15 a.m. on Dec 4, but it was not
relocated Dec 5. The bird was on Rumbly Point Road (DeLorme 25,
C6), 0.4 mile from where the road opens into an enormous expanse
of saltmarsh. The sparrow was sitting in a small patch of shrubs
on the left, about 20 feet off the road; an orange life preserver
was placed in a bush directly opposite this point, on the right.
Do not pull onto the shoulders of the road, which are dangerously
soft.
A HARRIS' SPARROW* has been visiting a yard in Sykesville,
Carroll Co, MD, since Nov 18; it was reported as recently as Dec
3.
A WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was seen over Glen Echo, Montgomery
Co, MD, Dec 6. The bird was flying south and giving its nasal
House-Finch-like call.
From Dewey Beach, DE, birders observed at least 9 RED-
THROATED LOONS on Dec 3, while at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co,
MD, there were NORTHERN GANNET, BRANT, and BLACK and SURF
SCOTERS, as well as PURPLE SANDPIPERS. Three GREAT CORMORANTS
were seen at the CBBT, Northampton Co, VA, on Dec 5, as were two
female HARLEQUIN DUCKS.
On Dec 3, waterfowl at the West Ocean City pond, off Golf
Course Rd north of Rte 50, Worcester Co, (DeLorme 35, B6),
included about 50 TUNDRA SWANS, NORTHERN SHOVELER, GADWALL,
AMERICAN WIGEON, and HOODED MERGANSER. There were also 2 immature
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS. A check of waterbirds at Four Mile
Run, Arlington Co, VA, Dec 6, revealed 1 REDHEAD and 1 RED-
BREASTED MERGANSER along with AMERICAN BLACK and RING-NECKED
DUCKS, CANVASBACK, LESSER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, and RUDDY DUCKS.
Two adult BALD EAGLES have been hanging out near Four Mile
Run for the past few weeks--perhaps as a prelude to nesting. An
OSPREY was seen fishing off Gravelly Point, Arlington Co, on Dec
1. MERLINS were spotted at several area locations this week. One
MERLIN was atop the AFL-CIO building on the corner of 16th and I
Sts, NW DC, Dec 4; one, which has been hunting around the
Environmental Protection Agency, SW DC, for several weeks, was
seen again Dec 3; and on Dec 1, one was harrying pigeons and
gulls in the parking lot at Gravelly Point.
On Dec 6, a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was spotted from
Riverbend County Park, Fairfax Co, on a rock in the river about
300 yards downstream from the Visitor Center. A GREAT BLACK-
BACKED GULL standing next to it made for a good comparison.
A third-hand report of a FRANKLIN'S GULL* comes from the
vicinity of Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD, Dec 4. The bird
was in a flock of RING-BILLED GULLS at the intersection of
Greenbriar and Bucktown Roads (DeLorme 33, A2).
SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen several times this week from Bull
Run Post Office Rd, near where the Northern Shrike was found.
Several SHORT-EARED OWLS as well as NORTHERN HARRIERS were
working the marsh at Deal Island, Somerset Co, MD, Dec 5, as was
a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. That same day a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was
reported from Assateague Island, Worcester Co.
A flock of about 50 SNOW BUNTINGS was observed at Patuxent
River Naval Air Station, St. Mary's Co, MD, Nov 29; approximately
60 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen over Assateague Island Dec 4.
A male PINK-SIDED JUNCO, along with two females, continues
to feed daily near the hawkwatch platform at Kiptopeke State
Park, Northampton CO, VA.
No bird trips are scheduled for the rest of December, so
that everyone can take part in area Christmas Counts. To hear
about upcoming Christmas Counts, call 301-652-1088 and select
menu option 3.
To report bird sightings, you can e-mail 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 e-mail reports before 10 am Tuesday, and be sure to
include your name and a Tuesday morning phone number. Thank you
for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.
* Species of special interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For
more information, visit
http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcreview.html
------- End of forwarded message -------
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Norm Saunders
Colesville, MD
osprey@ari.net