> -----Original Message-----
> From:  [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 4:54 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 8/17/04
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               8/17/04
> 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, August 17, at 4
p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are ANHINGA in VA; WHITE IBIS, BAIRD'S 
> SANDPIPER, and *CURLEW SANDPIPER in MD; and GLOSSY IBIS in DC.
> 
> Other birds of interest include seabirds, waders, MISSISSIPPI 
> KITE, BALD EAGLE, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, VIRGINIA RAIL, SANDHILL 
> CRANE, shorebirds, GULL-BILLED, BRIDLED, and BLACK TERNS, 
> BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, COMMON RAVEN, SEDGE WREN, and BOBOLINK.
> 
> ANHINGAS are again visiting the Stumpy Lake golf course in 
> the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach [DeLorme 30, B2]. One 
> female Anhinga was found on Aug 13; two females were in view 
> Aug 14. [For directions, see Claudia Wilds.**]
> 
> An immature WHITE IBIS was discovered Aug 12 in Queen Anne's 
> Co, MD. It was in a small pond along Rte 309, just west of 
> Ruthsburg Rd (Rte
> 481) [DeLorme 50, C3].
> 
> An immature WHITE IBIS showed up Aug 17 at Piney Run Park, 
> Carroll County, MD [DeLorme 57, A4]. It was standing on a 
> small brush pile at the upper end of the lake off White Rock 
> Rd. Access to this part of the park is restricted, but it may 
> be possible to see this bird from the side of White Rock Rd 
> through the dense vegetation. 
> 
> A GLOSSY IBIS was found Aug 17 at Hains Point, SW DC; it was 
> on the 7th fairway of the golf course, close to the cross 
> road that links to the road leading out to the point.
> 
> A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was discovered among a small group of 
> shorebirds at Bladensburg Waterfront Park, Prince George's 
> Co, MD, Aug 15; it was seen again early on the morning of Aug 
> 16 and again around 5 pm, both times at low tide. The BAIRD'S 
> and another half dozen species of shorebird were on a small 
> mudflat beneath a footbridge being constructed on the bank of 
> the river.
> 
> The *CURLEW SANDPIPER discovered Aug 8 at Assateague Island 
> SP, Worcester Co, MD, was relocated by numerous intrepid 
> birders through the week, with the most recent report from 
> Aug 16. The bird frequents bayside flats about 2.5 km north 
> of the parking lot. One large mudflat can be reached by 
> walking up the beach until a white-topped post marked 8.0 
> comes into view, then heading diagonally toward the post 
> through a narrow fringe of marsh. On Aug 14 and 15, the 
> Curlew Sandpiper was found south of this area, around the 
> first group of trees to a small flat by the bay.
> 
> A deepwater pelagic out of Rudee Inlet, Virginia Beach, Aug 
> 15, produced CORY'S, GREATER, SOOTY, and AUDUBON'S 
> SHEARWATERS, WILSON'S and LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS, RED 
> PHALAROPE, and BRIDLED TERN.
> 
> An adult SNOWY EGRET, along with 4 immature LITTLE BLUE 
> HERONS, were reported Aug 12 at Patuxent Wildlife Research 
> Refuge/North Tract, Anne Arundel Co, MD. On Aug 11, a LITTLE 
> BLUE HERON was noted at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, NE DC. 
> Two LITTLE BLUE HERONS were seen at Huntley Meadows Park, 
> Fairfax Co, VA, on Aug 12. And on Aug 11, a LITTLE BLUE HERON 
> was spotted as it flew over West Ox Rd and the Fairfax Co Parkway.

> 
> Fairfax Co again enjoyed several sightings of MISSISSIPPI 
> KITE. A MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen in the vicinity of the 
> Waynewood Elementary School on Aug 12, 15, and 16. Two adults 
> were spotted over the Carl Sandburg MS, west of Waynewood, on 
> Aug 10; and one was seen west of Fort Hunt Aug 13.
> 
> The hawk watch at Snicker's Gap, on the Clarke/Loudoun Co 
> line, registered a dozen BROAD-WINGED HAWKS--and 3 BALD 
> EAGLES--on Aug 15. That same day, the Rockfish Gap hawk watch 
> at Afton, Augusta Co, VA, had 41 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS and its 
> first BALD EAGLE of the season. 
> 
> A VIRGINIA RAIL was found Aug 15 at Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier 
> Co, VA; it was in cattails at the pond on the west side of US 17.

> 
> Three SANDHILL CRANES are still being seen near Mt. Solon in 
> Augusta Co, VA. On Aug 15 the birds were on the west side of 
> Mossy Creek Rd/Rte 757, between box #581 and box #398. 
> Traffic is dangerous; park your vehicle in front of a vacant 
> store and carefully walk back. A scope is helpful.
> 
> In the District, PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were among half a dozen 
> species of shorebird seen at Anacostia River Park and 
> Kenilworth Park, NE DC, Aug 15.
> 
> In Northern VA, Hunting Creek featured 7 shorebird species 
> Aug 14. On Aug 16, a PECTORAL SANDPIPER joined assorted 
> waders and shorebirds along Cameron Run, Alexandria; birds 
> here can be seen from the bike path along Eisenhower Ave.  
> 
> On Aug 10, "clouds of shorebirds" enlivened Lake Roland in 
> Baltimore Co.
>  
> On Aug 12, the waterbird/shorebird spectacle at Bombay Hook 
> was described as "breathtaking." "In Raymond  Pool, hundreds 
> of AMERICAN AVOCETS mingle with dozens and dozens of SNOWY  
> EGRETS, GREAT EGRETS, GLOSSY IBIS, and BLACK-NECKED STILTS. A 
>  TRICOLORED HERON, GREAT BLUE HERON, CATTLE EGRETS, and 
> LITTLE BLUE HERON are also present. Numerous STILT SANDPIPERS 
> are mixed in with the hundreds of DOWITCHERS and peeps..Also 
> present are both YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 
> DUNLIN and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. Other birds seen at the 
> refuge included BALD EAGLES, BLACK-CROWNED AND YELLOW-CROWNED 
> NIGHT-HERONS, LEAST BITTERN, CASPIAN TERNS." 
> 
> A field trip to Bombay Hook on Aug 14 met with perfect water 
> levels and tides and reprised most of these birds, adding 
> WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and HUDSONIAN GODWIT. 
> 
> At Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA, the shorebird mix included 
> WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS and RED KNOT Aug 12 and AMERICAN 
> GOLDEN-PLOVER, UPLAND SANDPIPER, and WILSON'S PHALAROPE Aug 
> 13. Shorebirds were still numerous on Aug 17, but rains left 
> water levels high and made the roads treacherous; check with 
> office about driving
> conditions. A BLACK TERN visited Craney Island Aug 12.   
> 
> Four GULL-BILLED TERNS skimmed the Hurlock sewage ponds, 
> Dorchester Co, MD, Aug 15. A SANDWICH TERN was seen at 
> Skimmer Island, Ocean City, Worcester Co, MD, Aug 11.
> 
> A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was observed near the lockhouse at 
> Violette's Lock on the C&O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD, Aug 12.
> 
> Two COMMON RAVENS were noted, along with several raptors, 
> from the Sky Meadows bridle path Aug 15.
> 
> Two of the SEDGE WRENS of Augusta Co were heard again Aug 12; 
> they sing from a field along Rte 876 near its intersection 
> with Rte 602. 
> 
> SEDGE WRENS discovered Aug 8 at the Eastern VA Rivers NWR, 
> near Tappahannock, Essex Co, were seen again Aug 12. (This is 
> a limited-access area; for permission to enter, call
804-333-1470.)
> 
> At Allen's Fresh in Charles Co, MD, two SEDGE WRENS were 
> still singing on territory Aug 16; these birds are on a 
> private farm.  
> 
> Two dozen BOBOLINKS fluttered along the road edge at the 
> North Fork wetlands, Prince William Co, Aug 14. A dozen 
> BOBOLINKS were seen in fields at Allen's Fresh Aug 16. 
> 
> Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOSPREY, 
> VA-Bird, and Delaware Birds list servers.
> 
>  **Claudia Wilds's book, Finding Birds in the National 
> Capital Area, is an excellent source of directions to many 
> birding sites. And the ANS Bookstore is an excellent source 
> for this and many other nature-related titles: 301-652-3606.
> 
> 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, identify the county and 
> state, and 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.
>