> -----Original Message-----
> From:  [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 7:09 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 12/21/04
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               12/21/04
> 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, Dec 21, at 5 p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are *AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in MD; 
> *CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD in MD, *SELASPHORUS HUMMINGBIRD in DC, 
> and BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD in VA; NORTHERN SHRIKE in DE; 
> and LECONTE'S SPARROW in VA.
> 
> Other birds of interest include EARED GREBE, RAZORBILL, 
> geese, raptors, gulls, SHORT-EARED OWL, WESTERN KINGBIRD, 
> HORNED LARK, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, WINTER WREN, BLUE-GRAY 
> GNATCATCHER, GRAY CATBIRD, AMERICAN PIPIT, warblers, SNOW 
> BUNTING, DICKCISSEL, and
> COMMON REDPOLL.    
> 
> On Dec 17, an *AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN landed in Jug Bay, 
> where it was visible from a yard in Croom, Prince George's 
> Co, MD. On Dec 18, the PELICAN was spotted downriver from 
> Selby's Landing.
> 
> A female RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD has been frequenting the 
> Smithsonian's Ripley Garden (between the Arts and Industries 
> building and the Hirschhorn), SW DC--and the feeders and heat 
> lamp that have been placed there--since Dec 16. The most 
> recent report is from midday Dec 21.
> 
> A female *RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD continued at a yard in Baltimore 
> Co, just north of the city line, through the frigid morning 
> of Dec 20. (To check on this bird, contact )
> 
> The *CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD near Bowie in Prince George's Co,  
> likewise has not been seen since early Dec 20. (The contact 
> for this bird is
> ) 
> 
> Another likely CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD paid a 1-day visit Dec 17 
> to a yard in Suffolk, VA.
> 
> After an absence of 5 days, the BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD 
> returned to Cape Charles, Northampton Co, VA, on Dec 19. 
> (Feeders can be observed from the porch at 9 Randolph Ave; 
> from Rte 13, turn at the stoplight onto Rte 184 and proceed 
> to the last block.)
> 
> A NORTHERN SHRIKE was once again in view at Prime Hook NWR, 
> DE. On Dec 17, it perched on wires and poles along Broadkill 
> Beach Rd, near the gate to Island Farm Rd.
> 
> A LECONTE'S SPARROW was found Dec 18, and seen again and 
> photographed Dec 19, on VA's Northern Neck. It was at the 
> Wilna unit of Rappahannock River Valley NWR, near Warsaw, Richmond
Co.
> 
> The EARED GREBE on Little Seneca Lake, Black Hill RP, 
> Montgomery Co, MD, was spotted close to sunset on Dec 16, 
> when it swam out from the third cove back from Rte 121, south 
> of the bridge.  
> 
> A RAZORBILL was observed flying past Indian River Inlet, DE, 
> on Dec 18. 
> 
> A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was back at the pond on 
> Harrison Rd, Fauquier Co, VA, as of Dec 19.
> 
> A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE plus a RICHARDSON'S CACKLING 
> GOOSE were found on the Jug Bay CBC (Prince George's Co) Dec 
> 19; they were in a large flock of geese 1 mile north of 
> Harrington on Rte 261. Six CACKLING GEESE were found Dec 17 
> in eastern Montgomery Co, along Zion Rd just south of Gregg 
> Rd. On Dec 19, 1 CACKLING GOOSE was found along Zion Rd 
> across from Rachel Carson Conservation Park.  
> 
> A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and a CACKLING GOOSE were found 
> Dec 15 on VA's Northern Neck, in a large flock along Rte 3 in 
> King George Co. On Dec 18, a ROSS'S GOOSE and 3 CACKLING 
> GEESE were found along Rte 3 just east of the Stafford/King 
> George line. 
> 
> A probable GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was observed Dec 15 
> along Broadkill Beach Rd.
> 
> On Dec 18, Hains Point, in East Potomac Park, SW DC, hosted a 
> perched BALD EAGLE and a MERLIN, while a PEREGRINE FALCON 
> rested on the railroad bridge over the Potomac. On Dec 19, 
> there were 3 MERLINS and a COOPER'S HAWK at Hains Point. 
>  
> An immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK has been hunting the marshes at 
> Prime Hook; on Dec 14 it was observed as it sat on the ground 
> at the end of the road that runs north from Prime Hook Rd; it 
> was later seen along Fowler Beach Rd. On Dec 17, it was 
> observed on Broadkill Beach Rd, in a tree across the water 
> from the second pull-off. 
> 
> A possible NORTHERN GOSHAWK was reported from a yard in 
> District Heights, Prince George's Co, MD, Dec 20.
> 
> On Dec 18, at least 11 SHORT-EARED OWLS were cruising the 
> marshes along Port Mahon Rd, Little Creek Wildlife Area, DE. 
> 
> A LITTLE GULL was spotted at the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester 
> Co, MD, Dec 14 --as was a COMMON EIDER. 
> 
> An adult BLACK-HEADED GULL and an immature GLAUCOUS GULL were 
> discovered Dec 18 on Schoolhouse Pond, Upper Marlboro, Prince 
> George's Co.  A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen Dec 18 at Indian 
> River Inlet, DE. Also on Dec 18, an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL 
> was found at the Back River WWTP, Baltimore.
> 
> A first-winter THAYER'S GULL was discovered Dec 19 at the 
> Fauquier Co landfill. A first-year THAYER'S GULL was seen in 
> Benedict in eastern Charles Co, MD, Dec 16 and again Dec 18. 
> 
> A first-year GLAUCOUS GULL was again seen at the Beulah 
> landfill in Dorchester Co, MD, Dec 14. On Dec 17, a GLAUCOUS 
> GULL was found on Lake Anna, near the North Anna power plant, 
> Louisa Co, VA. 
> 
> Four EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen Dec 18 in the 
> Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach.
> 
> A WESTERN KINGBIRD was discovered on the St. Michael's CBC, 
> Talbot Co, MD, Dec 20. It was found along a long white fence 
> bordering Rte 33, between the McDaniel store and Lowe's Wharf 
> Rd, north of Tilghman Island.
> 
> A BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE was reported Dec 19 from the Elkton 
> CBC, in Earlville, Cecil Co; a SNOW BUNTING was also seen in 
> this area. 
> 
> WINTER WRENS were observed at several VA locations, including 
> in town Alexandria (along Edsall Rd near South Van Dorn). 
> 
> BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS and GRAY CATBIRDS were found on several
CBCs.
> 
> A flock of 140 AMERICAN PIPITS picked along the fields of the polo
> club on Hughes Rd in northwestern Montgomery Co on Dec 19.   
> 
> ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS showed up in several locations. On 
> Dec 15, one was found at the Rappahanock River Valley NWR in 
> Leedstown, King George Co. On Dec 18, during the DC CBC, one 
> was seen in the Asian Collections at the National Arboretum, 
> NE DC. And one was found at Riverside Park, Loudoun Co, VA, Dec
19.
> 
> On Dec 18, a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER was working bushes 
> around the buildings at the entrance to Sugarloaf Mountain, 
> Frederick Co, MD. PINE WARBLER was an exceptional find on The 
> Plains (VA) CBC Dec 19. That same day, a PINE WARBLER visited 
> a suet feeder in Ellicott City, Howard Co, MD. The Baltimore 
> Harbor CBC on Dec 20 turned up PRAIRIE and western PALM 
> WARBLER. On Dec 16, the YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT again visited a 
> small garden just northeast of downtown Baltimore. 
> 
> By Dec 18, the number of SNOW BUNTINGS at Hart-Miller Island, 
> Baltimore Co, had swollen to 93.
> 
> Another CBC find was a DICKCISSEL at Jones Point near the new 
> Wilson Bridge construction in Alexandria on Dec 18; it was 
> close to the fenced-in tree save area at the NW end of the 
> soccer field.
> 
> COMMON REDPOLL visited a feeder in Cecil Co Dec 20. The 
> Denton CBC (Caroline Co, MD) on Dec 19 located a COMMON 
> REDPOLL as well as a SNOW BUNTING along Horseshoe Rd.  
> 
> Christmas Counts will be in full swing through Jan 2, in your 
> neighborhood and throughout the area. To find out where and 
> how you can participate, check AudubonNaturalist.org or the 
> ANS Naturalist News.  
> 
> Those of you lucky enough to host a winter hummingbird are 
> asked to contact hummingbird bander Mary Gustafson at 
>  Mary is working to document winter 
> hummingbirds in the east.
> 
> 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, happy holidays, and GOOD BIRDING. 
> 
> * Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For more 
> information, visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
>