> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 5:37 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 4/19/05
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               4/19/05
> 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, April 19, at 3:30
pm.
> 
> Birds of interest this week include NORTHERN GANNET, AMERICAN 
> BITTERN, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, GLOSSY IBIS, raptors, 
> rails, shorebirds including RUFF, LITTLE and ICELAND GULLS, 
> CASPIAN and ROYAL TERNS, SHORT-EARED OWL, WHIP-POOR-WILL, 
> YELLOW-THROATED and other VIREOS, CLIFF SWALLOW, thrushes, 
> BROWN THRASHER, warblers, SCARLET TANAGER, VESPER and other 
> sparrows, and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK.
> 
> NORTHERN GANNETS were plunging and diving into the Choptank 
> off Rte 50 near Cambridge, Talbot Co, MD, on April 14.  
> 
> AMERICAN BITTERN was seen April 16 at Bombay Hook NWR, DE; it 
> was in a wet area between Bear Swamp and the corn crib.
> 
> Three YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were found close to the 
> eastern end of Hunting Quarter Rd, Montgomery Co, MD, April 14. 
> 
> A GLOSSY IBIS was seen at Tanyard Marsh, off Rte 331, near 
> Easton, Talbot Co, April 16.
> 
> A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was reported April 17 from Manassas, 
> Prince William Co, VA, north of Rte 29 and west of Bull Run.
> 
> Two dozen BROAD-WINGED HAWKS kettled over Sycamore Landing, 
> at the entrance to the towpath, Montgomery Co, April 18. In 
> VA, 1 BROADWING was seen near Nokesville, Prince William Co, 
> April 16; another in Fauquier Co April 15; and another over 
> the W&OD Trail in Vienna, Fairfax Co, April 15. On April 18, 
> 3 were observed at Fort C.F. Smith Park, Arlington.
> 
> A MERLIN was observed at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, April 16.
> 
> Rails were again in the spotlight. The SORA at Hughes Hollow, 
> Montgomery Co, was seen daily--though intermittently--through 
> April 18; it frequents the area close to the bulletin board, 
> in the second impoundment on the right. Since April 15, 
> Hughes Hollow has also been hosting a brightly colored 
> VIRGINIA RAIL; this bird favors the marsh along the cross 
> dike, about 70 yards out from the main dike.
> 
> KING RAIL was seen at Occoquan NWR, Prince William Co, April 
> 16, and at Julie Metz wetlands, also in Prince William, April 
> 17. The Dulles Greenway wetlands in Loudoun Co, VA, birded 
> with permission, featured at least 2 VIRGINIA RAILS and a 
> SORA on April 16. 
> 
> Near Bombay Hook, a large rain pool held 8 species of 
> shorebird, including 1 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, on April 16; 
> this is at the northeast corner of the intersection of Rte 9 
> with the road that leads to the back end of Finis Pool. 
> 
> The number of RUFFS in the flooded field on Finis Pool Rd, 
> inside the refuge, had dwindled to 1 by April 12. 
> 
> Two adult LITTLE GULLS were present April 16 on Hart-Miller 
> Island, Baltimore Co.
> 
> A first-summer ICELAND GULL was spotted at the Prince William 
> Co Sanitary Landfill April 16, and a different ICELAND GULL 
> was seen later that day at Dyke Marsh.
> 
> As many as 7 CASPIAN TERNS and 2 ROYAL TERNS were noted at 
> Leesylvania SP, Prince William Co, April 13 and 15. 
> 
> A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen in Queen Anne's Co, MD, April 17; 
> it was flying across a field on Rte 481 just off Rte 309.
> 
> Two WHIP-POOR-WILLS were calling in Prince William Forest 
> Park April 17.
> 
> A YELLOW-THROATED VIREO was found at Mason Neck SP, Fairfax 
> Co, April 15, and a RED-EYED VIREO at Hughes Hollow April 17. 
> BLUE-HEADED VIREOS were widely reported.
> 
> CLIFF SWALLOWS are back at the bridge spanning the Shenandoah 
> River on Rte 7 in Clarke Co, VA.
> 
> VEERY was found April 18 in Alexandria, VA, and in the 
> vicinity of Manassas in Prince William Co. A WOOD THRUSH was 
> seen at Mason Neck SP April 15, and a WOOD THRUSH was heard 
> the morning of April 19 in California, St. Mary's Co, MD.
> 
> BROWN THRASHERS are singing and flashing along throughout the
area.
> 
> An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER visited Mt. Pleasant Park, Howard 
> Co, MD, April 16. Assorted warblers, including OVENBIRDS, 
> were found at several sites in Prince William Co, including 
> Leesylvania SP, Julie Metz Wetlands, Occoquan NWR, and the 
> Cockpit Point Rd area near Dumfries. A little further north, 
> YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS were noted in Frederick Co, MD, 
> along the towpath just north of the Monocacy aqueduct, and at 
> Liberty Lake, Carroll Co, MD. 
> 
> A male SCARLET TANAGER was sighted April 16 in a tree next to 
> the Jones Point Lighthouse, Alexandria. 
> 
> A VESPER SPARROW was found April 16 in the Lucketts area of 
> Loudoun Co; it was along Limestone School Rd near Spink's 
> Ferry Rd. A VESPER SPARROW was found at Ft. C. F. Smith Park 
> April 18. A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was sighted two days in a 
> row, at lunchtime April 13 and 14, at the Jefferson Memorial, SW
DC.
> 
> A female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK appeared April 18 at a feeder 
> in Burke, Fairfax Co.
> 
> 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.
>