> -----Original Message-----
> From:  [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 3:05 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 5/18/04
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               5/18/04
> Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE
> Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1
> Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2
>         (email):     
>      (deadline):    midnight Mondays
> Compiler:           Lydia Schindler
> 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, May 18, at 3 p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are *AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in MD, 
> *SWALLOW-TAILED KITE in MD, VA, and DE, *PURPLE GALLINULE in 
> both MD and VA, and CURLEW SANDPIPER in DE.
> 
> Other birds of interest include LEAST BITTERN, MISSISSIPPI 
> KITE, rails, COMMON MOORHEN, shorebirds including RED KNOT 
> and RUFF, BLACK-HEADED and ICELAND GULLS, GULL-BILLED TERN, 
> COMMON NIGHTHAWK, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, OLIVE-SIDED and WILLOW 
> FLYCATCHERS, WESTERN KINGBIRD, CLIFF SWALLOW, PHILADELPHIA 
> VIREO, SEDGE WREN, thrushes, warblers, SEASIDE and LINCOLN'S 
> SPARROWS, DICKCISSEL, and BOBOLINK. 
> 
> An *AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was reported from Poplar Island (a 
> dredged material placement facility in Chesapeake Bay), 
> Talbot Co, MD, on May 13.
> 
> A SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was seen May 12 as it flew over the 
> headquarters at Prime Hook NWR, DE. On May 15, a 
> SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was observed at the Eastern Shore of VA 
> NWR, Northampton Co, VA (and the following day, 4 MISSISSIPPI 
> KITES were seen there). On May 17, a *SWALLOW-TAILED KITE 
> appeared over Rte 50 near the turnoff for Oxford, Talbot Co.
> 
> The PURPLE GALLINULE near Williamsburg, VA, was viewed 
> repeatedly through the week, with the most recent report from 
> May 17. It is being seen along the Colonial Parkway between 
> Williamsburg and Jamestown, at the west end of a pasture of 
> the only farm between College Creek and Jamestown. The bird 
> favors a small strip of water near a broken-down wooden 
> fence, at the end of a white vinyl fence. Park at a parking 
> lot at the east end of the farm and walk back about half a mile.
> 
> A *PURPLE GALLINULE was found again at Hughes Hollow, 
> Montgomery Co, MD, May 17. It was seen several times that day 
> and again the next morning. The Gallinule was in the large 
> impoundment on the left, about 4/5 of the way down the dike 
> toward the woods. [From I-495, take exit 39/River Rd toward 
> Potomac, and drive NW 15.9 miles (passing Potomac Village and 
> at 11.5 miles turning left at a T-junction) to a left turn 
> onto Hughes Rd; curve around to the parking area. This is a 
> WMA where the fields and woods beyond the impoundments are 
> actively hunted.]
> 
> On May 14, a CURLEW SANDPIPER as well as 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN 
> PL0VER were found among the many shorebirds in the 
> impoundments along Broadkill Beach Rd, DE. A CURLEW SANDPIPER 
> in nearly full breeding plumage was spotted May 17 along Port 
> Mahon Rd, Little Creek, DE, just west of the fishing pier.
> 
> A LEAST BITTERN, perched and flying, was the highlight of a 
> May 13 ANS drift boat trip to Patuxent River Park, Prince 
> George's Co, MD.
> 
> On May 11, a MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen over Ft Hunt Park, 
> Fairfax Co, VA. Two adult MISSISSIPPI KITES flew over the Ft 
> Smallwood hawk watch, Anne Arundel Co, MD, May 12. On May 14, 
> a subadult MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen from the exit road at 
> Jefferson Patterson Park, Calvert Co, MD. A MISSISSIPPI KITE 
> appeared over the Riverview subdivision, near the upper 
> Occoquan River in Prince William Co, VA, on May 15 and again 
> May 16. On the morning of May16, a MISSISSIPPI KITE circled 
> over Hughes Hollow.
> 
> A SORA was heard at Kinder Farm Park, Anne Arundel Co, on May 
> 12 and again May 13; it was at a pond along the trail that 
> heads to East-West Highway. 
> 
> A COMMON MOORHEN was seen from the boardwalk at Huntley 
> Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, on May 15, 16 and 17.
> 
> More than 3,000 RED KNOTS were present May 16 at Mispillion 
> Light, on Delaware Bay NW of Milford [DeLorme 53 C4]. The 
> area also held large numbers of DUNLIN and RUDDY TURNSTONES, 
> SANDERLINGS, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, scores of WILLETS, and 
> at least 6 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS.
> 
> At other DE locations--Fowler's Beach, Port Mahon, Slaughter 
> Beach--RED KNOTS were few. On May 11, 3 or 4 RED KNOTS fed on 
> the mud flats at Eagle's Nest campgrounds, south of Ocean 
> City, Worcester Co, MD.
> 
> On May 15, Bombay Hook NWR, DE, held BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, 
> DUNLIN, and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER. A bird identified as an 
> immature RUFF or a REEVE was seen at Bombay Hook's Raymond 
> Pool, directly across from the observation tower; 
> BLACK-NECKED STILTS and AVOCETS were also present.
> 
> A first-summer BLACK-HEADED GULL put on an aerial display May 
> 15 at the north pond at Ted Harvey Conservation Area, DE. A 
> first-summer ICELAND GULL was seen May 16 at Mispillion 
> Light; it perched on the jetty about half-way out the inlet. 
> 
> A GULL-BILLED TERN was found May 15 across from Bombay Hook's 
> Bear Swamp. 
> 
> COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were spotted May 11 in Potomac, Montgomery 
> Co; Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, MD; and Woodbridge, Prince 
> William Co. On May 14, a COMMON NIGHTHAWK was seen in 
> Georgetown, NW DC.
> 
> A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was heard May 17 in the vicinity of 
> Mears Farm in Patapsco Valley SP, near Catonsville, Baltimore Co. 
> 
> An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER perched briefly on a distant snag 
> at the back of the west impoundment at Hughes Hollow May 15. 
> 
> WILLOW FLYCATCHERS were in evidence at Banshee Reeks Nature 
> Preserve, Loudoun Co, VA, on May 16 (as were at least 9 
> YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS). That same day at least 3 WILLOW 
> FLYCATCHERS were singing at the Blue Mash Nature Trail, 
> Montgomery Co. 
> 
> A WESTERN KINGBIRD has returned to Fort McHenry, Baltimore, 
> with reports from May 12 and 13. Another highlight of the 
> weekly evening bird walk at Fort McHenry on May 12 was a 
> PHILADELPHIA VIREO. 
> 
> CLIFF SWALLOWS were reported at both Kenilworth Aquatic 
> Gardens and Kingman Park, NE DC, on May 16.
> 
> A SEDGE WREN was singing at Truitt's Landing Rd, Worcester 
> Co, May 16. The area also held VIRGINIA and KING RAILS and 
> SEASIDE SPARROW. 
> 
> A nice array of thrushes--VEERY, GRAY-CHEEKED, SWAINSON'S, 
> and WOOD--are being seen and heard at a variety of locations, 
> including Rock Creek Park, NW DC, and a yard in Charles Co, MD.
> 
> Warbler sightings have been disappointingly sparse. One happy 
> exception was a mini-fallout at Point Lookout SP, St. Mary's 
> Co, MD, mid-morning on May 16, when close to a dozen 
> species--including BLACK-THROATED BLUE, BLACKBURNIAN, 
> BAY-BREASTED, BLACKPOLL, and CERULEAN--materialized over a 
> period of 20 minutes. A MOURNING WARBLER was found May 15 at 
> the Julie Metz Wetlands, Prince William Co.
> 
> A LINCOLN'S SPARROW appeared not far from the Lincoln 
> Memorial on May 12; it was foraging at Constitution Gardens, 
> between the Reflecting Pool and the CG pond. First seen in 
> the morning, it was still there that evening. A LINCOLN'S 
> SPARROW was discovered May 17 along the Bridle Trail at Sky 
> Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA. 
> 
> A DICKCISSEL was singing near the intersection of Hunting 
> Quarter Rd and Deep Grass Lane west of Milford, DE [DeLorme 
> 52, C2], May 15. On May 18, a DICKCISSEL was discovered near 
> Point Lookout; it perched along Longneck Rd, on wires near 
> the telephone pole bearing Bluebird Box #15. 
> 
> Three BOBOLINKS were seen May 12 at Sky Meadows, on Leeds 
> Manor Rd at the intersection with Rte 17. A single BOBOLINK 
> was found May 13 at Sandy Point SP, in the grassy area 
> between the last parking lots on the left and the bath 
> houses. On May 17, some 15 BOBOLINKS could be seen at Mears Farm.
> 
> A pelagic trip is scheduled for June 6 out of Lewes, DE. For 
> more information, contact See Life Paulagics at 215-234-6805 
> or check their web site at www.paulagics.com.
> 
> 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. 
> 
> * Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For more 
> information, visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
>