> -----Original Message-----
> From: [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 4:31 PM
> To:
> Subject: DC Area, 2/22/05
>
>
> Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
> Date: 2/22/05
> 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 22, at 3 p.m.
>
> Top birds this week are GYRFALCON in DE and *NORTHERN LAPWING in
MD.
>
> Other birds of interest include waterfowl, raptors, AMERICAN
> AVOCET, MARBLED GODWIT, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, gulls, RAZORBILL,
> EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, SHORT-EARED OWL, NORTHERN SHRIKE,
> WESTERN TANAGER,
> PAINTED BUNTING, and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD.
>
> A gray-morph GYRFALCON was discovered and photographed Feb 15
> at the east end of Port Mahon Rd, DE; it was perched on a
> piling beyond the bait shop.
>
> Birders have poured into the area, leading to several
> subsequent observations. On Feb 16, the bird was found mid-
> to late morning just east of Rte 9, between Whitehall Neck Rd
> (the entrance road to Bombay Hook NWR) and the Leipsic River.
> On Feb 17, it was seen mid-afternoon, flying over the Port
> Mahon impoundment from a road east of the tower at Little Creek
WMA.
>
> The GYRFALCON was not seen Feb 18 or 19, several reports came
> in on Feb 20. In addition to one sighting of the bird flying
> west over Rte 9 just north of the Leipsic River at 6:50 am,
> it was reported several times from the Little Creek/Ted
> Harvey area, from mid-morning through afternoon. Gyrfalcons
> are notoriously wide-ranging, and for the most part this bird
> hasn't hung around any one spot long enough for anyone to
> chase it; it's been described as a "hit and run" bird.
>
> Not only is the Gyr being hard to find, identification is
> complicated by presence of up to three PEREGRINE FALCONS in
> the Little Creek area, especially around the old hacking
> tower east of the central observation tower. (Plus, on at
> least one occasion, there was a MERLIN
> harassing the PEREGRINES.)
>
> The *NORTHERN LAPWING discovered Feb 12 in Frederick Co, MD
> (west of Creagerstown, DeLorme 72, C3), has also been the
> object of extensive searching. The Lapwing was last seen late
> in the afternoon of Feb 16 on the north side of Blacks Mill
> Rd, west of an older farm house.
>
> WOOD DUCKS, a sign of spring, were found at Occoquan Bay,
> Prince William Co, VA, Feb 19, and at Hughes Hollow,
> Montgomery Co, Feb 20.
>
> A TUFTED DUCK X SCAUP hybrid was observed along Port Mahon Rd
> several times between Feb 17 and 21.
>
> The week saw several reports of EURASIAN WIGEON. On Feb 18, 2
> were found at the Little Creek impoundment (opposite the tank
> farm on Port Mahon Rd), while another was at the north pond
> of Ted Harvey WMA.
>
> A EURASIAN WIGEON was noted at Eagles Landing Golf Course
> south of Ocean City, Worcester Co, MD, on Feb 17, 19, 20. In
> VA, 1 EURASIAN WIGEON was found Feb 19 at Ridgeway Park in
> Hampton, while another was seen at the Eastern Shore of VA
> NWR, Northampton Co, Feb 19 and 21.
>
> Over the weekend, the CBB/T (Northampton Co) hosted up to 5
> HARLEQUIN DUCKS and 2 RED-NECKED GREBES. On Feb 20, the Ocean
> City Inlet showcased 15 COMMON EIDERS and a female HARLEQUIN.
>
> Locally, waterfowl watchers have enjoyed a good assortment of
> birds at Black Hill RP, Montgomery Co, and at Piney Run Park,
> Carroll Co, MD; and, in Fairfax Co, VA, at Burke Lake, Great
> Falls NP, and Belmont Bay.
>
> RAZORBILLS popped up at several locations: at the Ocean City
> Inlet Feb 17, 19, and 20; at Back Bay NWR, southeastern
> Virginia Beach, Feb 17; and at Kiptopeke SP, Northampton Co, Feb
20.
>
> An immature GOLDEN EAGLE soared over Pickering Creek Audubon
> Center, Talbot Co, MD, Feb 21.
>
> On Feb 18, a PEREGRINE FALCON was seen in downtown Rockville,
> Montgomery Co, in the vicinity of the Executive Office
> Building and Monroe Park.
>
> Two AMERICAN AVOCETS were discovered at Blackwater NWR,
> Dorchester Co, MD, Feb 21; this appears to be a first
> February record for the state. Half a dozen AVOCETS were
> found at Ted Harvey Feb 18.
>
> Willis Wharf, Northampton Co, continues to host MARBLED
> GODWITS, with 140 seen there Feb 18.
>
> A wayward AMERICAN WOODCOCK was discovered in downtown DC Feb
> 16; it was in the vicinity of 13th and E Sts, NW.
>
> On Feb 17 and 18, North East Town Park, Cecil Co, MD, held a
> nice assortment of GULLS: as many as 3 ICELAND, 1 GLAUCOUS, 1
> THAYER and 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKEDS. Late afternoon seems a
> good time to look for them there.
>
> An ICELAND GULL was found at the Ocean City Inlet Feb 19 and
> 21; on the 21, an adult GLAUCOUS GULL was also present. On
> Feb 17, a first-winter ICELAND GULL was bathing at the West
> Ocean City pond. A GLAUCOUS GULL was discovered at the
> landfill in Salisbury, Wicomoco Co, MD, Feb 19.
>
> An immature ICELAND GULL was viewed at Rudee Inlet, Virginia
> Beach, Feb 20. On Feb 17, Back Bay in Virginia Beach held
> some 45 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS.
>
> A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was reported Feb 20 in Frederick Co,
> on a wire at 14608 Roddy Rd. Despite diligent searching, this
> bird has not been relocated.
>
> Two SHORT-EARED OWLS were found on the west side of Deal
> Island Rd, Somerset Co, Feb 20.
>
> A NORTHERN SHRIKE was identified at Pickering Creek Feb 21. A
> distant SHRIKE was seen Feb 21 on the north side of Broadkill
> Beach Rd about .25 mile west of the shore--not far from the
> area around Prime Hook NWR where a NORTHERN SHRIKE has been
> reported several times this winter.
>
> A WESTERN TANAGER continues in Virginia Beach. The homeowner
> can be contacted at
>
> A male PAINTED BUNTING continues to visit a feeder, off and
> on, in the Deep Creek area of Chesapeake, VA (south of
> Norfolk). 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).
>
> Male and female BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS were again seen Feb 18 in
> the Nokesville area of Prince William Co, VA; as before, they
> were in a mixed flock in a cow pasture near the Asbury
> Church, off Fleetwood Dr.
>
> A single male BREWER'S BLACKBIRD was spotted Feb 19 in
> Frederick Co, along Graceham Rd a short distance beyond the
> so-called Lapwing pond.
>
> See Life Paulagics is running two trips this weekend. On
> Saturday, Feb 26, one will leave from Lewes, DE, to explore
> MD and DE waters. On Sunday, Feb 27, an 8-hour onshore
> pelagic will work inlets and jetties from Lewes to Ocean
> City, MD. 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.
> |