> -----Original Message-----
> From:  [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 4:32 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 9/14/04
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               9/14/04
> 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, Sept 14, at 5 p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are *AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN and *KELP 
> GULL in MD and *SOOTY TERN in both MD and VA.
> 
> Other birds of interest include LEAST BITTERN, WHITE IBIS, 
> BROAD-WINGED HAWK, SORA, shorebirds including RED and 
> RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, and WHIMBREL, 
> BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, CHIMNEY SWIFT, 
> RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, BANK SWALLOW, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, 
> RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, CONNECTICUT WARBLER, WHITE-THROATED 
> SPARROW, and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK.
> 
> An *AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen at Poplar Island, Talbot 
> Co, MD, on Sept 10 and 11, along with 7 HUDSONIAN GODWITS and 
> 3 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES.
> 
> The *KELP GULL was observed Sept 11, as usual behind the Sea 
> Breeze Crab House in Sandgates, St. Mary's Co, MD. 
> 
> MDOsprey relayed a Sept 9 report of a subadult *SOOTY TERN on 
> Assateague Island, Worcester Co, MD.
> 
> A SOOTY TERN was seen in far southwestern VA Sept 9 and again 
> Sept 11. The bird was flying over South Holston Lake in 
> Washington Co on the VA/TN line. [For directions, consult
VA-BIRD.] 
> 
> The ANS drift boat trip at Patuxent River Park, Prince 
> George's Co, MD, Sept 11 turned up LEAST BITTERN and 7 SORAS.
> 
> An immature WHITE IBIS was discovered at Blue Mash Nature 
> Trail, northeastern Montgomery Co, MD, Sept 12, and seen 
> again Sept 13. Along with a GREAT EGRET, it was in one or 
> another of two ponds accessed from the gravel path leading 
> from the parking lot on Zion Rd (north of Rte 108 in Olney).
> 
> BROAD-WINGED HAWKS made a good push through the area. The 
> Snickers Gap hawk watch on the Clarke/Loudoun Co (VA) line 
> registered 113 BROAD-WINGS on Sept 11 and 111 on Sept 13. 
> 
> Sod farm fields in Culpeper Co, VA, near Remington, held 
> AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE, UPLAND and 
> BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, and WILSON'S PHALAROPE on various 
> occasions this week. This area is best viewed from Rte 673 
> about a mile north/east of Rte 674, but take caution parking 
> along this narrow, winding roadway. Northwest of Remington, 
> in Fauquier Co, on Sept 13, BUFF-BREASTEDS could be seen 
> close up along a road on the west side of Rte 658, a 
> half-mile north of Rte 651.
> 
> On the evening of Sept 11, the Kettle Wind Sod Farm, Prince 
> William Co, VA, featured 10 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS and a 
> flock of 7 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS. The birds can be scoped 
> from Split Oak Lane; be sure not to enter the farm property.
> 
> In Frederick Co, MD, the east pond at the Mason-Dixon Farm 
> near Emmitsburg held 2 STILT SANDPIPERS Sept 10. In Carroll 
> Co, MD, there were 4 STILT SANDPIPERS at a pond behind the 
> New Windsor Middle School Sept 11.
> 
> A BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, along with 15 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS 
> and peeps, were seen Sept 9 at the Patton Turf Farm, south of 
> White's Ferry in western Montgomery Co. 
> 
> A Sept 8 ANS trip to Patuxent River NAS, St. Mary's Co, 
> enjoyed AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, 2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, 
> and 16 UPLAND SANDPIPERS. 
> 
> On MD's Eastern Shore, in Caroline Co, a field on Dean Rd 
> hosted AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER 
> Sept 9. These same two species were also in evidence Sept 10 
> on Stevenson Rd, between Sparks and Ninetown Rds. On Sept 13, 
> 4 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were at the Ridgely WWTP.
> 
> A little further east, in DE, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and 
> BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER enlivened potato fields along Rte 9 
> south of the entrance to Bombay Hook NWR, and along Rte 8 
> near Little Creek Wildlife Area.
> 
> AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was also seen at the Aldino Sod Farm 
> in Harford Co. 
> 
> On Sept 9, a group of about 15 PHALAROPES--most RED-NECKED 
> but some appearing to be RED PHALAROPES--plunged from the sky 
> near the Potomac River at Little Falls, Montgomery Co, and 
> raced downriver. On Sept 11, a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was 
> reported above the rapids at Violette's Lock.
> 
> A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was spotted at Jug Bay Wetlands 
> Sanctuary, Anne Arundel Co, MD, Sept 9. That same day 6 
> RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were swimming in the south impoundment 
> at Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA. 
> 
> On Sept 13, Craney Island held 22 species of shorebird, 
> including HUDSONIAN GODWIT.  
> 
> On Sept 10, 11, and 12, the DE shore featured at least 26 
> species of shorebird, including HUDSONIAN GODWIT and WILSON'S 
> PHALAROPE at Bombay Hook's Raymond Pool--as well as some 
> 1,180 AMERICAN AVOCETS. RED KNOTS and a WHIMBREL were found 
> at the beach at Ted Harvey Conservation Area, and SANDERLING 
> and RUDDY TURNSTONE at Port Mahon Rd.  
> 
> COMMON NIGHTHAWK migration appears to be winding down. Small 
> numbers were sighted at various locations. 
> 
> CHIMNEY SWIFTS, though, are gathering momentum. About 500 are 
> roosting in a chimney above the Metro bus garage in NW DC. 
> The garage is just inside the District line in the block 
> formed by Wisconsin Ave, Jenifer St, 44th St, and Harrison St.  
> 
> In Baltimore City, the Hampden chimneys host one the largest 
> roosts in the nation. [For directions, check the Sept 19 
> listing at www.baltimorebirdclub.org/schedule.html.] 
> 
> In Fairfax Co, VA, CHIMNEY SWIFTS are roosting at the Oakton 
> Elementary School. Yet another roost is located at the Luther 
> Jackson Middle School, near the intersection of Arlington 
> Blvd (Rte 50) and Gallows Rd.
> 
> Reports of OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS came from Manassas 
> National Battlefield Park, Prince William Co, Sept 11 and 12; 
> the Visitor Center area at Seneca Creek SP, Montgomery Co, 
> Sept 12; and the entrance to Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore 
> City, Sept 12.  
> 
> On Sept 12, the Harvey's Knob hawk watch on the Blue Ridge 
> Parkway near Roanoke, VA, tallied 23 flyover RED-HEADED
WOODPECKERS.
> 
> A BANK SWALLOW was reported at the Magnolia Collection of the 
> National Arboretum, NE DC, Sept 11. 
> 
> One sign of fall was the arrival of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS. 
> Another was the arrival of WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, noted 
> Sept 11 and 14 at Fort CF Smith Park, Arlington, VA. 
> 
> Migrant warblers continue to flit through Rock Creek Park in 
> DC and in MD; Riverbend Bark, Fairfax Co; Turkey Point SP, 
> Cecil Co; and Terrapin Point Park on Kent Island, Anne Arundel Co.
> 
> A CONNECTICUT WARBLER showed up in Ashburn, Loudoun Co, on 
> the morning of Sept 12.
> 
> A flock of at least 6 first-winter ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS 
> flew conspicuously around Rock Creek Park's maintenance yard 
> Sept 11 and 12. 
> 
> 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, 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.
>