> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 7:33 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 5/31/05
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               5/31/05
> 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, May 31, at 7 pm.
> 
> Top birds this week are MISSISSIPPI KITE in VA, SANDHILL 
> CRANE in MD and VA, and CURLEW SANDPIPER in DE.
> 
> Other birds of interest include WILD TURKEY, EARED GREBE, 
> AMERICAN and LEAST BITTERNS, CATTLE EGRET, WHITE and 
> WHITE-FACED IBIS, PEREGRINE FALCON, rails, shorebirds, 
> ROSEATE and BLACK TERNS, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, nightjars, 
> RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, OLIVE-SIDED and other FLYCATCHERS, 
> PHILADELPHIA VIREO, CLIFF and BANK SWALLOWS, BICKNELL'S and 
> other thrushes, WARBLERS including SWAINSON'S and MOURNING, 
> LINCOLN'S SPARROW, DICKCISSEL, RED CROSSBILL, and PINE SISKIN.
> 
> A MISSISSIPPI KITE continues to frequent the Waynewood 
> subdivision in southeastern Fairfax Co, VA, with sightings 
> May 27, 28, and 30; it is most often seen between the hours 
> of 4 and 6 p.m.
> 
> On May 31, a MISSISSIPPI KITE flew over McDonough HS on 
> Marshall Corner Rd, Port Tobacco, Charles Co, MD. 
> 
> A SANDHILL CRANE visited the grounds of Fallston HS in 
> Harford Co, MD, on the morning of May 31.
> 
> A SANDHILL CRANE was observed May 29 flying over I-95 north 
> of Fredericksburg, VA; it was about 1/4 mile north of the 
> exit for Rte 17 in Stafford Co, and it looked as though it 
> were going to land west of the highway.
> 
> A brightly plumaged CURLEW SANDPIPER was discovered May 26 at 
> the Logan Tract of Ted Harvey Conservation Area, DE. On May 
> 27, a CURLEW SANDPIPER was found at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, 
> opposite the pullout at Shearness Pool.  
> 
> A WILD TURKEY flushed from a wetlands area at Anacostia River 
> Park, SE DC, May 28.
> 
> A breeding-plumaged EARED GREBE was still at Jefferson 
> Patterson Park, Calvert Co, MD, May 26. 
> 
> Both AMERICAN and LEAST BITTERNS were in evidence in the 
> District of Columbia. On May 27 a LEAST BITTERN was heard in 
> a wetlands area of Anacostia River Park; on May 30 an 
> AMERICAN BITTERN was flushed at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, NE DC.

> 
> Two LEAST BITTERNS were found May 30 at Neabsco Creek, Prince 
> William Co, VA. 
> 
> Some 17 CATTLE EGRETS were discovered May 28 near West Ocean 
> City, Worcester Co, MD; they were in a vacant lot along Rte 611.
> 
> A WHITE IBIS was present May 27 on Dorchester County's (MD) 
> Holland Island. 
> 
> A WHITE-FACED IBIS was discerned at Bombay Hook's Shearness 
> Pool May 27. 
> 
> A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen May 26 at Ft. C. F. Smith Park, 
> Arlington, VA. 
> 
> On May 27, at the Eastern Shore of VA NWR, Northampton Co, a 
> BLACK RAIL ran across Ramp Rd--then ran back across it.
> 
> A KING RAIL was found at the Metz Wetlands, Prince William Co, May
30.
> 
> Two VIRGINIA RAILS, with chicks, were found at Lilypons Water 
> Gardens in southern Frederick Co, MD, May 29
> 
> A dozen WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS were among 20 species of 
> shorebirds reported from the ANS trip to the Delaware Bay 
> shore on May 29. That same day, 5 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS 
> were seen on Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, as was a 
> WILSONS' PHALAROPE. A WILSON'S PHALAROPE was seen May 29 at 
> Bombay Hook, from the observation tower at Raymond Pond. 
> 
> RED KNOTS by the hundreds--but not thousands--foraged along 
> the Delaware shore, notably at Mispillion harbor, Ted Harvey, 
> and Port Mahon Rd/Little Creek Wildlife Area.
> 
> SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS were among shorebirds visiting inland 
> farm ponds, including the turf farm on River Rd south of 
> White's Ferry in far northwestern Montgomery Co, MD, and at 
> the Mason-Dixon Farm in northern Frederick Co. 
> 
> A ROSEATE TERN was a fly-by at Hart-Miller May 24. That same 
> day, a ROSEATE TERN was resting on the beach on the north 
> side of Indian River Inlet, DE. 
> 
> BLACK TERNS were observed at several locations: On May 25, 9 
> were seen over the Potomac in Montgomery Co, between 
> Violette's and Riley's Locks. On May 27, one was seen at the 
> Trout Run WWTP, south of Mountain Lake Park, Garrett Co, MD. 
> Fields in this area also held UPLAND SANDPIPERS and BOBOLINKS.  
> 
> BLACK-NECKED STILTS were seen at Deal Island, Somerset Co, MD, May
30.
> 
> A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was reported from Monticello Park, 
> Alexandria, VA, May 29. Six or seven BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS 
> were tallied over the weekend in Garrett Co, near Grantsville. 
> 
> On the evening of May 27, eight COMMON NIGHTHAWKS graced the 
> air over Carter Barron Amphitheater in DC's Rock Creek Park. 
> On May 26, a daytime NIGHTHAWK was found at Riverbend Park, 
> Fairfax Co, and on the 27th, on was found perched at the park 
> area at the end of Riverside Parkway, Loudoun Co, VA. One 
> visited a yard in Croom, Prince George's Co, MD, May 29. 
> 
> Several CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOWS and WHIP-POOR-WILLS were found 
> May 26 in Dorchester Co, MD. At least 5 were in full song at 
> West Ocean City May 29. One was calling in a yard in Bristol, 
> Anne Arundel Co, May 28, and one in a yard in Warrenton, 
> Loudoun Co, May 26. Both CHUCKS and WHIPS were found May 28 
> at Liming Rd in Prince William Forest Park.
> 
> A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was noted at Eleanor Lawrence Park in 
> Centreville, Prince William Co, May 25. Five RED-HEADED 
> WOODPECKERS were found May 28 in Frederick Co--2 on Tom's 
> Creek Church Rd and 3 on Bridgeport Rd. 
> 
> WILLOW FLYCATCHERS are abundant at the Anacostia Park wetlands.
> 
> It was a good week for OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS, with 
> sightings at Riverbend May 26; near the paddocks at Rock 
> Creek Park, NW DC, May 27; in the Mears Farm area of Patapsco 
> Valley SP, Baltimore Co, May 28; and in snags in the vicinity 
> of Centennial HS, Howard Co, MD, May 29 and 30. 
> 
> ALDER FLYCATCHERS were also noted at numerous locations, 
> including Kinder Farm Park, Anne Arundel Co, MD, May 26, and 
> Halethorpe Ponds, Baltimore Co, May 29.
> 
> YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was reported from Monticello May 
> 26, and Leesylvania SP, Prince William Co--across from the 
> Powell's Creek Trail parking lot--May 27. 
> 
> The WESTERN KINGBIRD continues at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, 
> with a report from May 30.
> 
> A PHILADELPHIA VIREO showed up at Monticello May 27.
> 
> Some 20 CLIFF SWALLOWS visited Montgomery Co's Blue Mash 
> Nature Trail May 28. Three BANK SWALLOWS were noted at Belle 
> Haven Marina, Fairfax Co, May 29.
> 
> Monticello Park continued to host a BICKNELL'S THRUSH as of 
> May 29. A BICKNELL'S THRUSH (perhaps as many as 3) was found 
> May 24, and refound May 25, singing along with a 
> GRAY-CHEEKED, at the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, 
> Howard Co. GRAY-CHEEKED and SWAINSON'S THRUSHES were found at 
> White Oaks Park, Fairfax Co, May 30.  
> 
> Though warbler migration has slowed, Point Lookout, St. 
> Mary's Co, MD, still proffered 17 species on May 27. Some 8 
> CERULEAN WARBLERS were singing at upper Thompson WMA, 
> Fauquier Co, VA, and CERULEANS are also singing along the C&O 
> towpath downstream from Sycamore Landing, Montgomery Co. 
> 
> A SWAINSON'S WARBLER was tracked down in southern VA, in the 
> Emporia area; the bird along the Meherrin River, on Low 
> Ground Rd near the Southampton/Greensville Co line.  
> 
> MOURNING WARBLERS were noted at Wakefield Park, Fairfax Co; 
> Rock Creek Park; Monticello; White Oaks Park. 
>  
> YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS are doing amazingly well in the 
> District, where Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and Kenilworth 
> Park featured 6 to 9 singing males on May 30. 
> 
> A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen at Oxon Hill Park, Prince 
> George's Co, MD, May 25.  
> 
> DICKCISSELS--including a nest-building pair--were found near 
> Emmitsbug, Frederick Co, May 29, in fields along Shoemaker Rd 
> opposite the Taneytown Rod and Gun Cub.
> 
> RED CROSSBILLS are visiting a yard in Oakland, Garrett Co, MD.  
> 
> A PINE SISKIN was visiting a feeder in Arlington May 9.  
> 
> See Life Paulagics is running a trip on Saturday, June 4, out 
> of Lewes, DE. For more information, call them at 
> 215-896-6405, or check their web site at paulagics.com. 
> 
> Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the 
> MDOSPREY and VA-Bird list servers. 
> 
> Finding Birds in the National Capital Area by Claudia Wilds 
> is an excellent source of directions to many birding sites.  
> The ANS Bookstore (301-652-3606 or
> www.audubonnaturalist.org/cgi-bin/mesh/store) is an excellent 
> source for this and many other nature-related titles.
> 
> 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 as well 
> as 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.
>