> -----Original Message-----
> From:  [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2004 1:20 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 4/20/04
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               4/20/04
> Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE
> Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1
> Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2
>         (email):     
>      (deadline):    midnight Mondays
> Compiler:           Joe Coleman
> Sponsor:            Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central
>                       Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
> Transcriber:        Steve Cordle ()
> 
> Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular 
> user of the Voice (Individual $30; Family $40; Nature Steward 
> $60; Audubon Advocate $100). The membership number is 
> 301-652-9188 option 12, the address is 8940 Jones Mill Road, 
> Chevy Chase, MD 20815, and the web site is 
> http://www.AudubonNaturalist.org. 
> 
> This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon 
> Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tuesday, April 20, at 4:30
p.m.
> 
> The top birds this week are AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS in MD.
> 
> Two AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen flying north from the 
> Tydings Marina, Havre de Grace, Harford Co, MD April 17.
> 
> Other birds of interest include COMMON LOON, RED-NECKED 
> GREBE, AMERICAN BITTERN, waterfowl, raptors, BLACK and other 
> RAILS, gulls, woodpeckers, CLIFF SWALLOWS, HERMIT and WOOD 
> THRUSHES, warblers, VESPER and other sparrows, RUSTY 
> BLACKBIRD, PURPLE FINCH, and PINE SISKIN.
> 
> Sightings of COMMON LOONS on inland bodies of water continued 
> throughout the week. 
> 
> Two RED-NECKED GREBES were again seen at Sandy Point SP, Anne 
> Arundel Co, MD on April 15 and 19. 
> 
> AMERICAN BITTERNS were reported from several different 
> locations including one on April 16 in a flooded field on 
> Sycamore Landing Road near Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co, MD 
> as well as at Huntley Meadows Pk, Fairfax Co, VA on April 15, 
> 17 and 19.  Another was observed at Loch Raven Reservoir, 
> Baltimore Co, MD on April 16.
> 
> A EURASIAN WIDGEON continues to be seen in Ridgeway Park, 
> Hampton, VA with sightings on April 14 and 15.  Eight SURF 
> SCOTERS were seen on the lake at Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, 
> MD April 17 and 18.
> 
> A BLACK RAIL was seen at Huntley Meadows on April 17 and 18 along
with
> a VIRGINIA RAIL and a SORA.   While the VIRGINIA RAIL and the SORA
> were relocated on April 19 and 20 the BLACK RAIL was not.  
> The KING RAIL which had been previously seen at the Julie 
> Metz Wetlands Bank, Pr William Co, was relocated on Apr 17.  
> 
> On April 18, two LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen on the 
> Susquehanna River below the Conowingo Dam, on the Harford/Cecil Co
> line, MD.   
> 
> On April 14 and 15, a first winter LITTLE GULL was seen 
> feeding with several hundred BONAPARTE'S GULLS in fields 
> adjacent to Mt. Victoria Estates on Mt. Victoria Road, 
> Charles Co, MD.  Two BLACK-HEADED GULLS were seen in 
> Worcester Co, MD along Rt. 12 just before Cherrix Rd on April 17.
> 
> RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were reported from the Fort Bunker 
> Hill Pk in the Brookland neighborhood of NE Washington DC on 
> April 17 and on April 18. Three RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were 
> reported from Hughes Hollow, April 17 while four were seen 
> that same day at the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Anne Arundel Co,
MD. 
> 
> The resident CLIFF SWALLOWS have returned to their colony 
> under the Rt. 7 bridge that crosses over the Shenandoah River 
> in Clarke Co, VA
> on April 16.   They were observed repairing their mud nests.
> 
> While a few HERMIT THRUSHES continue to linger in the area 
> the beautiful song of the WOOD THRUSH began to be heard 
> throughout the area.
> 
> During the past week 20 different species of warblers were sighted
in
> the area.   An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen on April 16 and 17
in
> the vicinity of Picnic Area 18, Rock Creek Park, Washington, 
> DC. SWAINSON'S WARBLERS were reported from the Great Dismal 
> Swamp NWR, Suffolk, VA on April 14, 17 and 20.
> 
> VESPER SPARROWS were spotted in several different locations 
> last week including one at Great Falls National Park, Fairfax 
> Co, VA on April 14; another at Aquasco Farms, Prince Georges 
> Co, MD on April 16.  On April 17 one was seen at the Mason 
> Neck NWR, Fairfax Co, VA and two were seen at Sky Meadows SP, 
> Fauquier Co, VA. 
> 
> A single, singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was reported from 
> Fauquier Co, VA on April 17.
> 
> RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were noted at several locations, including 
> the Julie Metz Wetlands and Possum Point, Prince William Co, 
> VA on April 17 and on April 18 at Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD. 
> 
> PURPLE FINCHES continued to be abundant at feeders throughout 
> the area during the last week while single PINE SISKINS were 
> observed at a feeder in Columbia, MD on April 16 and another 
> in Cecil Co, MD on April 17.
> 
> Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the 
> MDOSPREY and VA-Bird list servers.
>  
> Claudia Wilds' book, "Finding Birds in the National Capital 
> Area," is an excellent source of directions to many birding sites.
> 
> To report bird sightings, you can e-mail your report to 
>  You may also report by calling 
> 301-652-1088 and selecting menu option 2. Please post e-mail 
> reports before midnight Monday, and be sure to include your 
> name and a Tuesday morning phone number. 
> 
> Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING. 
> 

=======================================================================
To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to 
with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey
=======================================================================