> -----Original Message-----
> From:  [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 4:55 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 2/08/05
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist	
> Date:               2/08/05
> 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, Feb 8, at 3 p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are KELP GULL and RAZORBILL in MD, 
> THICK-BILLED MURRE, RAZORBILL, and BLACK GUILLEMOT in DE, 
> COMMON MURRE, RAZORBILL, and PAINTED BUNTING in VA, and 
> *RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD in DC.  
> 
> Other birds of interest include GREATER WHITE-FRONTED and 
> CACKLING GEESE, ducks, RED-NECKED GREBE, GREAT CORMORANT, 
> gulls, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, MERLIN, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, 
> LOGGERHEAD and NORTHERN SHRIKES, COMMON RAVEN, warblers, 
> IPSWICH SPARROW, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW
> BUNTING, and PINE SISKIN.     
> 
> Maryland's KELP GULL was again seen Feb 5 and 6, as usual 
> behind the Sea Breeze Crab House, Sandgates, St. Mary's Co.
> 
> It was an amazing week for alcids. A THICK-BILLED MURRE was 
> reported Feb 2 from Cape Henlopen, DE; it was last seen 
> opposite the hawk watch. A Feb 3 trip on the ferry from Cape 
> May, NJ, to Lewes, DE, yielded 2 or 3 THICK-BILLED MURRES and 
> a RAZORBILL. A COMMON MURRE was spotted Feb 2 off Island #2 
> of the CBB/T, Northampton Co, VA; 3 fly-by RAZORBILLS (and a 
> RED-NECKED GREBE) were reported Feb 6 at Island #1. 
> 
> The first-winter BLACK GUILLEMOT at Indian River Inlet, DE, 
> was still present as of mid-day Feb 7, on the north, bay side 
> of the marina. A RAZORBILL was seen Feb 6 at the Ocean City 
> Inlet, Worcester Co, MD.
> 
> The immature female *RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD continues at the 
> Smithsonian's Ripley Garden (between the Arts and Industries 
> building and the Hirshhorn), SW DC, as of Feb 7. With warmer 
> weather, the hummer may take up to 45 minutes between visits 
> to the feeder, so be patient. 
> 
> A male PAINTED BUNTING has been visiting a feeder in the Deep 
> Creek area of Chesapeake, VA (south of Norfolk), with the 
> most recent report from early on Feb 7. The feeder, to the 
> left of the house, can be viewed from the driveway at 2813 
> Lambert Trail, which is near the intersection of Rte 13 (S. 
> Military Highway) and Rte 17 (George Washington Highway). 
> 
> A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen Feb 6 on the frozen 
> surface of St. Jerome Creek in Dameron, St. Mary's Co. A 
> CACKLING GOOSE was spotted Feb 5 at Huntley Meadows Park, 
> Fairfax Co, VA.
> 
> On Feb 5, the Ocean City Inlet featured a small flock 
> containing both KING and COMMON EIDERS. In DE, Cape 
> Henlopen's Herring Point had a COMMON EIDER on the afternoon 
> of Feb 5, while a male and a female HARLEQUIN could be seen 
> at the mouth of Indian River Inlet. These sites also hosted 
> large rafts of SCOTERS.
> 
> A good variety of waterfowl could be seen at numerous sites 
> around the area, including, in MD, Fort McHenry, Baltimore; 
> Loch Raven reservoir, Baltimore Co; Piney Run Park, Carroll 
> Co; Centennial Lake, Howard Co; and Black Hill RP, Montgomery 
> Co. In VA, waterfowl viewing was good at Riverbend Park and 
> Burke Lake in Fairfax Co; George Washington Birthplace 
> National Monument on the Northern Neck in Westmoreland Co; 
> and Craney Island, Portsmouth.
> 
> An immature GREAT CORMORANT was seen at Fort McHenry Feb 7.
> An adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK visited a yard in Hamilton, Loudoun 
> Co, VA, on Feb 4.
> 
> On Feb 7, a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK perched near a path through the 
> woods at Howard Co's Centennial Lake. On Feb 7, a 
> ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen over the marshes of Deal Island 
> WMA, Somerset Co, MD.
> 
> On Feb 1, 2 MERLINS were observed on the river side of Hains 
> Point, SW DC.
> 
> On Feb 5, Cape Henlopen boasted an adult LITTLE GULL, an 
> adult BLACK-HEADED GULL, and, briefly, a first-winter GLAUCOUS
GULL. 
> 
> On Feb 5, a possible adult THAYER'S GULL was seen at the 
> Ocean City Inlet; on Feb 6 an ICELAND GULL was viewed at 
> Ocean City's 4th St flats.
> 
> The Frederick Co (MD) landfill held a first-year THAYER'S 
> GULL as well as GLAUCOUS and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS on Feb 
> 5 and on Feb 2. The Prince William Co (VA) landfill had a 
> juvenile ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED Feb 5. 
> 
> Gulls on parade at North East Town Park, Cecil Co, MD, 
> included first-winter THAYER'S Feb 3; ICELAND and LESSER 
> BLACK-BACKED on Feb 2, 3, 4, and 5; and GLAUCOUS on Feb 2 and 
> 3. GLAUCOUS and LESSER BLACK-BACKED were also seen at Cecil 
> Co's Perryville Community Park Feb 7. 
> 
> A juvenile KUMLEIN'S GULL was observed Feb 1 from the Rte 121
bridge
> at Black Hill RP.   
> 
> Six EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES are still present in Isle of 
> Wight Co, near Portsmouth, VA; on Feb 7 they were evident on 
> telephone pole and wires at the intersection of Longview Dr. 
> and Woodland Dr.
> 
> A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was found Feb 6 along Montresor Rd, north 
> of Lucketts in Loudoun Co, along with 2 COMMON RAVENS.
> 
> The NORTHERN SHRIKE was again seen off Broadkill Beach Rd 
> (Rte 16), in the vicinity of Prime Hook NWR, DE, on the 
> afternoon of Feb 5. (A
> reminder: Island Farm Rd is closed to all access.) 
> 
> There were two sightings this week of COMMON RAVENS feasting 
> on deer carcass--2 RAVENS on Feb 2 along Rte 28 in Frederick 
> Co, and 4 RAVENS on Feb 3 along Riley Rd in western Prince William
Co.
> 
> The ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER at the National Arboretum, NE DC, 
> was seen again Feb 5--as usual, in the Asian Collections area.
> 
> An AUDUBON'S WARBLER was spotted Feb 5--along with hundreds 
> of MYRTLE WARBLERS--at the Wildfowl Trust/Horsehead in 
> Grasonville, Queen Anne's Co, MD.
> 
> An IPSWICH SPARROW was found Feb 5 at the Point at Cape 
> Henlopen, on the bay side near the radar site. 
> 
> LAPLAND LONGSPURS were spied in Caroline Co, MD, Feb 1, along 
> Mason Branch Rd; in Frederick Co, Feb 2, near Oland Rd and 
> Rte 85; and in Howard Co Feb 6, along Old Frederick Rd just 
> west of Underwood Rd. 
> 
> The SNOW BUNTINGS in Queen Anne's Co were seen Feb 1, 3, and 
> 6; they favor fields in the vicinity of Rolling Bridge Rd and 
> Rte 304. 
> 
> A PINE SISKIN was back at a feeder in Talbot Co, MD, on Feb 3 and
4.
> 
> The See Life Paulagics trip on Saturday, Feb 26, from Lewes, 
> DE, is nearly full. In view of the recent inshore alcid 
> sightings, the boat will spend some time working the Lewes 
> breakwater. For more information, call 215-234-6805, or check 
> their web site at www.paulagics.com. 
> 
> 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, and GOOD BIRDING. 
> 
> * Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For more 
> information, visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
>