> -----Original Message-----
> From:  [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 4:37 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 8/24/04
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               8/24/04
> 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 24, at 5
p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are WHITE IBIS and *CURLEW SANDPIPER in 
> MD and GLOSSY IBIS in DC.
> 
> Other birds of interest include BROWN PELICAN, LITTLE BLUE 
> HERON, MISSISSIPPI KITE, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, shorebirds 
> including BAIRD'S and BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, BLACK and 
> other TERNS, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, OLIVE-SIDED, YELLOW-BELLIED, 
> and other FLYCATCHERS, PURPLE MARTIN, SEDGE WREN, 
> GOLDEN-WINGED, MOURNING, and other warblers, and BOBOLINK.
> 
> The immature WHITE IBIS at Piney Run Park, Carroll County, MD 
> [DeLorme 57, A4] was located again Aug 18. At 5:30 pm it was 
> feeding in a back corner of the lake off White Rock Rd, 
> though two hours later it was nowhere to be found.
> 
> The GLOSSY IBIS discovered Aug 17 near the Hains Point golf 
> course, SW DC, has been seen daily through Aug 23. It favors 
> the grassy strip between the outbound road and the Washington 
> Channel. 
> 
> The *CURLEW SANDPIPER at Assateague Island SP, Worcester Co, 
> MD, has been found repeatedly--with diligent 
> searching--through Aug 21. The bird frequents bayside 
> mudflats about 2.5 km north of the parking lot. This area can 
> be reached by walking north 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. Bonus birds 
> in the area have included PIPING PLOVER, MARBLED GODWIT, and 
> BLACK TERN.
> 
> BROWN PELICANS began nesting in the middle portions of the 
> Chesapeake Bay in 1992; now, more than 2,000 pairs breed in 
> the mid-Atlantic each summer, and this year nearly 2,500 
> pelican chicks have been banded. 
> 
> An immature LITTLE BLUE HERON was reported Aug 21 at Huntley 
> Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA, along with 7 species of 
> shorebird. A LITTLE BLUE HERON was spotted Aug 19 at the Wye 
> Research Center near Queenstown, Queen Anne's Co, MD.
> 
> A MISSISSIPPI KITE was observed in the vicinity of the 
> Waynewood Elementary School, Fairfax Co, Aug 17 and 18. 
> 
> The Rockfish Gap hawk watch at Afton, Augusta Co, VA, finds 
> BROAD-WINGED HAWKS moving earlier than expected; by Aug 21 
> they'd already tallied 61. 
> 
> Shorebird migration is in full swing. In the District, on Aug 
> 20 about 20 LESSER YELLOWLEGS and 15-20 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS 
> foraged in long wet grasses at Anacostia River Park, NE DC. 
> 
> In Northern VA, some 9 shorebird species could be found at 
> Cameron Run, Alexandria, on Aug 17; birds here can be viewed 
> from the bike path along Eisenhower Ave.  
> 
> At Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA, shorebirds this week 
> included UPLAND SANDPIPER, HUDSONIAN and MARBLED GODWITS, and 
> WILSON'S PHALAROPE. There were also GULL-BILLED and LEAST TERNS.
> 
> A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was reported from the Hurlock sewage 
> ponds, Dorchester Co, MD, Aug 22. On Aug 21, Hart-Miller 
> Island in the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore Co, showcased 22 
> species of shorebird and 5 species of tern, including 31 
> BLACK TERNS. SEMIPALMATED PLOVER and LEAST and PECTORAL 
> SANDPIPERS were noted at the turf farm north of Sycamore 
> Landing Rd, east of the C&O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD, Aug 21.
> 
> A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was seen again at Bladensburg Waterfront 
> Park, Prince George's Co, MD, Aug 18, at low tide around 4:30 
> pm; as before, it was on a small mudflat beneath a footbridge 
> being constructed on the bank of the river.
> 
> On Aug 17, half a dozen shorebird species--including 2 
> BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS--were at the Youghiougheny Reservoir, 
> Garrett Co, MD. A juvenile BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was seen Aug 18 
> at the Aldino Sod Farms in Harford Co, MD.  
> 
> The DE shore continues to draw large numbers of waders and 
> shorebirds. On Aug 22, a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was found on 
> one of the grassy islands at Bombay Hook NWR's Shearness 
> Pool, while a HUDSONIAN GODWIT arrived at Raymond Pool at 
> high tide. Two BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were found that day 
> in a potato field on Rte 9, opposite the entrance road to the 
> refuge. Thousands of shorebirds were reported from Slaughter 
> Beach, DE, on Aug 20. 
> 
> On the lower Delmarva peninsula, a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER 
> was spotted as it ducked between furrows of a wet field on 
> the east side of Rte 600 between Oyster and Willis Wharf, 
> Northampton Co, VA.  
> 
> FORSTER'S TERNS were on view at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 
> NE DC, Aug 18. Three BLACK TERNS and 2 FORSTER'S TERNS fed 
> over the Potomac at Violette's Lock on the C&O Canal, 
> Montgomery Co, Aug 20. Eleven BLACK TERNS--along with many 
> CASPIAN and FORSTER'S TERNS--were found at the Eastern Neck 
> narrows, Kent Co, MD, Aug 22. 
> 
> COMMON NIGHTHAWK numbers are on the upswing. In Montgomery 
> Co, Nighthawks have been spotted in Ashton and at the Blue 
> Mash Nature Trail; by Aug 23, 100 or more nighthawks plied 
> the fields around the intersection of Rte 108 and Zion Rd. On 
> Aug 21 in Fairfax Co, 7 nighthawks showed up at Van Dyck 
> Park, while 21 swooped over the Hyatt at the Town Center in
Reston.  
> 
> An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was sighted at Rock Creek Park's 
> Picnic area #18 Aug 22.
> 
> YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER made several appearances. One was 
> reported from Brighton Dam, Montgomery Co, Aug 19, and one 
> from Blue Mash Aug 22. One was seen Aug 22 along the entrance 
> road to Little Creek Wildlife Area, DE. And one was found Aug 
> 23--along with LEAST and TRAILL'S FLYCATCHERS--at the 
> Military Rd Field in Rock Creek Park.
> 
> On Aug 17, a huge gathering of PURPLE MARTINS--at least 
> 3,500, possibly 4,500--lined the power lines at the entrance 
> to Mariners Point Park in southern Harford Co, MD. Most of 
> these birds were females or juveniles.
> 
> On Aug 21, at least 3 SEDGE WRENS were singing in Augusta Co, 
> VA, from a field along Rte 876 near its intersection with Rte 
> 602. Subsequent sounds suggested begging and feeding activities.  
> 
> Warbler migration is well under way. Highlights include 
> GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, seen Aug 23 both in NW DC, near the 
> horse corrals in Rock Creek Park, and in Prince William Co, 
> behind the Visitor Center at Leesylvania SP. A MOURNING 
> WARBLER was found Aug 22 at Banshee Reeks
> Nature Preserve, Loudoun Co, VA.   
> 
> Other warbler reports in VA come from Long Branch Nature 
> Center and Potomac Overlook Park, Arlington Co; Thompson WMA, 
> Fauquier Co; and the New York Monuments area of Manassas 
> National Battlefield Park, Prince William Co. 
> 
> In MD, assorted warblers have been seen at Layhill Park and 
> Blue Mash in Montgomery Co. A dozen warbler species were 
> found at Black Walnut Point on Tilghman Island, Talbot Co, 
> Aug 22. In Baltimore City, a warbler flock on Weatheredsville 
> Rd (between Windsor Mill and
> Franklintown) held an early YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.	
> 
> Two BOBOLINKS were found Aug 20 at Southwest Area Park, 
> Baltimore Co--as were 2 immature LITTLE BLUE HERONS. 
> 
> 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.
>