> -----Original Message-----
> From:  [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2004 8:29 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 11/02/04
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               11/02/04
> 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, Nov 2, at 7 p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are BRANT and *KELP GULL in MD.
> 
> Other birds of interest include GEESE, including GREATER 
> WHITE-FRONTED, SNOW, ROSS'S and CACKLING, raptors including 
> NORTHERN GOSHAWK and GOLDEN EAGLE, VIRGINIA RAIL, shorebirds 
> including plovers and godwits, BONAPARTE'S GULL, SHORT-EARED 
> OWL, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, nuthatches, SEDGE and other WRENS, 
> AMERICAN PIPIT, ORANGE-CROWNED and other WARBLERS, SPARROWS 
> including CLAY-COLORED, VESPER, GRASSHOPPER, and FOX, LAPLAND 
> LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, DICKCISSEL, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, 
> BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE, PURPLE FINCH, and PINE SISKIN.
> 
> A BRANT made a highly unusual appearance in Montgomery Co, 
> MD. Discovered on Oct 29, it has been observed daily, most 
> recently this morning, Nov 2. It is being seen in the Potomac 
> just upstream from Violette's Lock on the C&O Canal. It is 
> sometimes close to the Maryland shore, sometimes obscured 
> among rocks and fallen logs closer to Virginia. 
> 
> Seven BRANT were found at Rocky Gap SP, Allegany Co, Oct 29. 
> On Oct 31, a BRANT was spied at the Hurlock WWTP, Dorchester 
> Co, MD (through the fence, as all the gates are now closed 
> for a major maintenance
> project.)   
> 
> Maryland's *KELP GULL was again found behind the Sea Breeze 
> Crab House, Sandgates, St. Mary's Co, on the morning of Oct 22. 
> 
> A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was discovered Oct 30 at the 
> Harrison Rd pond in Fauquier Co, VA.
> 
> Great Oak Pond, near Melitota in Kent Co, MD, continued to 
> host ROSS'S GOOSE and CACKLING GOOSE, plus 2 HUDSONIAN 
> GODWITS, with the most recent reports from Nov 1. Fields to 
> the left of the pond held AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and 
> BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. [Great Oak Pond can be reached by 
> taking Rte 20 west from Chestertown and Rte 514 (Flatland Rd) 
> northwest to the Melitota. Here the road becomes Handy Point 
> Rd, which goes west 2-3 miles to a left turnoff with a sign 
> indicating the Great Oak yacht club. The pond is a short 
> distance on the left.]
> 
> Two CACKLING GEESE were reported from Bombay Hook's Bear 
> Swamp Nov 1. On Nov 1, the SNOW GEESE at Bombay Hook were 
> estimated at 80,000. 
> 
> BUFFLEHEAD arrived on the scene this week, with reports from 
> Queen Anne's Co, MD, at the pond on Rte 309 near Rte 213, and 
> also at Horsehead Wetlands  Center near Grasonville; as well 
> as from at private ponds in Fauquier Co. RUDDY DUCKS were 
> also noted at several locations. A handsome HARLEQUIN DUCK 
> was found Oct 29 at the CBB/T, Northampton Co, VA. 
> 
> On Nov 1, a BALD EAGLE soared high over the Smithsonian 
> Castle, SW DC, and a little later one was seen over the 
> Lincoln Memorial. On Oct 31, a BALD EAGLE was one of 7 
> species of raptor observed from the National Arboretum, NE 
> DC; the others included NORTHERN HARRIER and AMERICAN 
> KESTREL. Four BALD EAGLES were seen during the Sunday morning 
> walk at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA, Oct 31.
> 
> The Snicker's Gap hawk watch (on the Loudoun/Clarke Co VA 
> line) tallied GOLDEN EAGLES on Oct 26, 28, and 31, plus 
> NORTHERN GOSHAWK on the 28 and 31. On Nov 1 a juvenile GOLDEN 
> EAGLE flew over a hawk watch at Cromwell Valley park in 
> Baltimore Co. A GOLDEN EAGLE was reported from Bombay Hook 
> NWR, DE, on Oct 31, and that same morning one was spotted 
> near Oak Grove, west of Seaford, DE.  
> 
> On Oct 31, the hawk watch at Rockfish Gap* in the Blue Ridge 
> Mountains, enjoyed a day of non-stop birds, led by 542 
> RED-TAILED HAWKS. That same day Snicker's Gap tallied 148
RED-TAILS. 
> [*The Rockfish Gap hawk watch is located on the grounds of 
> the Inn at Afton, VA, just above where I-64 (exit 99) 
> intersects with the southern end of the Skyline Drive, just 
> east of Waynesboro and approximately 22 miles west of 
> Charlottesville.]  
> 
> A VIRGINIA RAIL or two were again found at Lilypons Water 
> Gardens, Frederick Co, MD, Oct 26, in the large impoundment 
> near the pink house. 
> 
> At the Blue Mash Nature Trail, Montgomery Co, MD, from time 
> to time a passing raptor puts up more than 100 KILLDEER.  
> 
> An unusual brown and white plover was observed at Shearness 
> Pool, Bombay Hook NWR, DE, Oct 30. However, it was not 
> relocated thereafter.
> 
> On Nov 1, 2 MARBLED and 1 HUDSONIAN GODWIT were seen at the 
> far end of Shearness Pool.
> 
> Four BONAPARTE'S GULLS appeared at Beaverdam Reservoir, 
> Loudoun Co, VA, Oct 31. That same day a BONAPARTE'S GULL was 
> seen at Loch Raven Reservoir, Baltimore Co, MD.
> 
> A report of a SHORT-EARED OWL, and a NORTHERN HARRIER, came 
> from Hughes Hollow Oct 31. 
> 
> A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was discovered Oct 30 along Broadkill 
> Beach Rd (Rte 16), DE. The shrike was sitting on phone wires 
> along the dirt road that begins where the main road turns 
> left, before the impoundments.
> 
> RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES showed up in yards in Charles, Cecil, 
> Montgomery, and Prince Georges counties in MD, and in Fairfax Co,
VA. 
> 
> A SEDGE WREN at E A Vaughn WMA, north section, was one of 5 
> species of wren found Oct 30 on the lower Eastern Shore of 
> MD. MARSH WRENS were also reported from Lilypons and Hughes
Hollow.
> 
> AMERICAN PIPITS were found in Kent Co, MD, at the Chestertown 
> filtration plant on John Hanson Rd; at sod farm fields in 
> Remington, SW Fauquier Co; at the privately owned North Fork 
> wetlands in Prince William Co; and at the Patton Turf Farm, 
> just south of White's Ferry in far western Montgomery Co. 
> 
> On Oct 28, an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was picking along the 
> ground near the big pond at the new National Museum of the 
> American Indian, on the Mall in SW DC. An OVENBIRD was 
> reported from the deck of a home in Silver Spring, Montgomery 
> Co, on Oct 27. A female CONNECTICUT WARBLER was reported from 
> Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park, Montgomery Co, on Oct 26.
> 
> A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was one of 10 species of sparrow 
> reported at Blue Mash Oct 30. On Oct 31, 7 sparrow species, 
> including LINCOLN'S, were found at Kenilworth Aquatic 
> Gardens, NE DC. Nine species of sparrow found Oct 30 at 
> Vessey's Orchard in Somerset Co, MD, included VESPER and 
> LINCOLN'S. Three VESPER and a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW were on 
> view at Milltown Landing, Prince George's Co, Oct 30. 
> GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was also seen along Grassdale Rd near 
> Remington, Fauquier Co, Oct 30. 
> 
> FOX SPARROW was spotted at Lilypons Oct 26 and 28, a 
> Baltimore Co yard Oct 27, Blue Mash Oct 28, and Huntley 
> Meadows Oct 30.
> 
> A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was seen at Craney Island, Portsmouth, VA, 
> on Oct 30.
> 
> A SNOW BUNTING was reported at Blackwater NWR Oct 30, and 
> another at the Easton STP, Talbot Co, MD, Nov 1. 
>  
> RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were noted at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 
> Hughes Hollow, and Sky Meadows.
> 
> Some 38 BOAT-TAILED GRACKLES were observed on the dikes at 
> Bombay Hook's Shearness Pool Nov 2.
> 
> PURPLE FINCHES appeared at feeders and parks throughout the 
> area. And there was something of an explosion of PINE 
> SISKINS, especially at niger feeders; the high count was 
> likely the 29 or more seen at Zion Crossroads, Louisa Co, VA. 
> 
> A pelagic trip is scheduled for Dec 11 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, 
> 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.
>