> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 4:07 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 9/20/2005
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               9/20/2005
> Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE
> Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1
> Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2
>         (email):     
>      (deadline):    midnight Mondays
> Compiler:           Helen Patton
> 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 $40; Family $50; Nature Steward 
> $75; Audubon Advocate $150). 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, September 20, 
> at 4:30 p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in DE and VA, 
> WHITE IBIS in VA and MD, SWAINSON'S HAWK in VA, and 
> YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD in MD. 
> 
> Other birds of interest include RED-THROATED LOON, waders, 
> raptors, SORA, shorebirds including GODWITS, BLACK-BILLED 
> CUCKOO, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, CHIMNEY SWIFT, OLIVE-SIDED and 
> YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, RED-BREASTED 
> NUTHATCH, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, CONNECTICUT and other WARBLERS, 
> LINCOLN'S SPARROW, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, BOBOLINK, and 
> PURPLE FINCH. 
> 
> An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was found at Sept 16 at the north 
> impoundment at Ted Harvey Conservation Area, DE, where it 
> preened and slept in the far northeast corner. 
> 
> An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was found Sept 18 at Staunton River 
> SP, Halifax Co, VA; it was seen from the point where the Dan 
> and Staunton Rivers meet.
> 
> Some 42 immature WHITE IBIS were observed Sept 19 at 
> Assateague Island, Worcester Co, MD; they were in the marshes 
> east and north of the bridge leading from the Visitor Center. 
> Also present were more than 50 GREAT EGRETS and numerous 
> SNOWY EGRETS, LITTLE BLUE HERONS, and TRICOLORED HERONS. 
> 
> At least 10 WHITE IBIS were present Sept 17 at the Eastern 
> Shore of VA NWR, Northampton Co.
> 
> A SWAINSON'S HAWK scored as the bird of the day Sept 18 at 
> the hawk watch at Kiptopeke SP, Northampton Co--even though 
> it had stiff competition from 770 other raptors, including 
> 129 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 327 AMERICAN KESTRELS, 57 MERLINS, 
> and 7 PEREGRINE FALCONS.
> 
> YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was a first-timer at Hart-Miller 
> Island, Baltimore Co, MD, on Sept 17. 
> 
> An early RED-THROATED LOON flew over Hooper's Island, 
> Dorchester Co, MD, Sept 17.
> 
> Area hawk watches are busy. Snickers Gap, on the Clarke/Loudoun Co
> (VA) line, saw 545 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS on Sept 14 and 637 on 
> Sept 19. Rockfish Gap. Augusta Co, VA, tallied 942 
> BROAD-WINGS on Sept 15--including nearly 850 in a 5-minute 
> period late in the day. Cromwell Valley Park, Baltimore Co, 
> registered 844 BROAD-WIINGED HAWKS Sept 19--along with 8 
> AMERICAN KESTRELS, 3 MERLINS, and an unusual-for-there 
> PEREGRINE FALCON.
> 
> BROAD-WINGED HAWKS are winging over town, too. On Sept 19, 60 
> were seen over Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, while a kettle 
> of 10 was noted over Van Dyck Park, Fairfax City, VA. 
> 
> SORAS are moving through. One was found Sept 16 above Riley's 
> Lock along the C&O Canal at Seneca, Montgomery Co, MD. One 
> was seen that same day at the bird stream at Fort C. F. Smith 
> Park, Arlington, VA. On Sept 17, between 5 and 10 SORAS were 
> found at their usual haunt at Jug Bay Natural Area, Prince 
> George's Co, MD. 
> 
> Two juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were observed at Fort 
> McHenry, Baltimore, on Sept 13. Five AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS 
> were seen Sept 16 at the impoundments along Broadkill Beach 
> Rd, DE, as were up to 7 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS. 
> 
> The annual "Kiptopeke Challenge" fundraiser on Virginia's 
> Eastern Shore Sept 17 turned up a fine array of shorebirds. 
> An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen Sept 16 and 17 at Snow 
> Goose Pool, Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA. Over 20 
> MARBLED GODWITS were found at Oyster, Northampton Co, while 
> Chincoteague held 1 MARBLED and 2 HUDSONIAN GODWITS. Two 
> BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS were spotted along Chincoteague's Wildlife 
> Drive on Sept 16. 
> 
> On Sept 17, 2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were among the 14 
> species of shorebird at Hart-Miller.
> 
> On Sept 18, the flats along Paper Mill Rd, Baltimore Co, held 
> 8 species of shorebird, including 1 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER 
> and 101 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.
> 
> Shorebirds present at Ted Harvey Sept 16 included more than 
> 20 STILT SANDPIPERS and 10 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS. 
> 
> A juvenile BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was reported from Fort C.F. 
> Smith Park Sept 14. On Sept 17, 2 juvenile BLACK-BILLED 
> CUCKOOS were found on a farm near Oak Grove, DE. A 
> BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was spotted at Riverbend Park, Fairfax 
> Co, on Sept 18; it was in the northwest corner of the meadow. 
> 
> COMMON NIGHTHAWKS are still around. On Sept 13, a dozen 
> NIGHTHAWKS were seen in Silver Spring, Montgomery Co, off 
> Wayne Ave. A dozen were seen Sept 17 in Fairfax Co, hawking 
> insects over a tall building near the intersection of Gallows 
> Rd and Aline Ave, Fairfax Co. And on Sept 18, there were 
> still a few NIGHTHAWKS in Ashton, Montgomery Co.
> 
> Hundreds of CHIMNEY SWIFTS were again observed, on the night 
> of Sept 17, as they circled and dropped into the chimney at 
> the Luther Jackson Middle School in Fairfax Co. 
> 
> An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was spotted at Cape Charles, 
> Northampton Co, on Sept 18. A YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was 
> found Sept 18 at Rock Creek Park, NW DC. 
> 
> PHILADELPHIA VIREO put on a good showing: Sept 15 at Middle 
> Patuxent EA, Howard Co, MD; Sept 19 at the National 
> Arboretum, NE DC--along with 7 warbler species; Sept 19, Lake 
> Needwood, Montgomery Co--in the woods north of the 
> lake--along with 9 warbler species; Sept 19, Little Falls 
> Parkway, Bethesda, Montgomery Co; Sept 19, Chester Phelps 
> WMA, Fauquier Co, VA.
> 
> RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were again reported from numerous
locations.
> 
> SWAINSON'S THRUSH was spotted at several locations. 
> 
> It was a good week for warblers, including CONNECTICUT 
> WARBLER. One was found Sept 16 at Sunset Beach, near 
> Kiptopeke. One was seen Sept 17 at Long Branch Nature Center, 
> Arlington Co. And one turned up Sept 19 at Wakefield Park, 
> Fairfax Co. 
> 
> In DE, 2 CONNECTICUT WARBLERS, an adult and a juvenile, were 
> found Sept 16 at White Clay Creek SP; one bird was seen there 
> Sept 18. On Sept 17 a CONNECTICUT WARBLER was found along the 
> boardwalk at Prime Hook NWR--and relocated later that day. On 
> Sept 18 an adult female CONNECTICUT WARBLER was found at 
> Milford Neck WA. On Sept 19, a first-winter CONNECTICUT 
> WARBLER was found at Brandywine Creek SP.
> 
> Still in DE, on Sept 19 Little Creek WA held 14 warbler 
> species, including ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER--and also a 
> PHILADELPHIA VIREO.
> 
> On Sept 18, Sunset Beach experienced a spectacular morning 
> flight, with "several hundred AMERICAN REDSTARTS, many dozens 
> of MAGNOLIA and PALM WARBLERS and NORTHERN PARULAS, and 
> lesser numbers of" 16 other warbler species--plus an apparent 
> MOURNING WARBLER, photographed in flight. A MOURNING WARBLER 
> was one of 14 species sighted Sept 19 at Chester Phelps WMA.
> 
> Riverbend again hosted an assortment of warblers, with 11 
> species on Sept 18. Rock Creek Park had 14 species Sept 18. 
> Assorted warbler species were on display at the NY Monuments 
> section of Manassas National Battlefield Park, Prince William 
> Co, VA; at Blue Mash Nature Trail, Montgomery Co; and at 
> Cylburn Arboretum. 
> 
> At Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, MD, the warbler selection on 
> Sept 19 included a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. A YELLOW-RUMP was 
> also one of 18 species tallied Sept 18 at a property near 
> Grundy, Buchanan Co, in southwestern VA. 
> 
> A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was a nice find at Manassas Sept 19.
> 
> Small flocks of ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS were noted at 
> numerous locations.
> 
> Some 1,200 BOBOLINKS were observed Sept 17 at Blackwater NWR, 
> Dorchester Co, MD; the large flocks were in a field near the 
> end of the Wildlife Drive. But by the next day, only 30 or so 
> could be found. Fifteen BOBOLINKS WERE SEEN AT OCCOQUAN Bay 
> NWR Sept 17. A single BOBOLINK was at Blue Mash Sept 18.
> 
> PURPLE FINCH showed up at a yard in Charles Co, MD, on Sept 
> 14, and at a feeder in Columbia, Howard Co, Sept 16.
> 
> On Oct 22, See Life Paulagics is running a trip out of Lewes, 
> DE. For more information, contact them at 215-234-6805 or 
> check their web page at paulagics.com. 
> 
> Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the 
> MDOSPREY, VA-Bird, and DE Birds 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 
>  But please do not submit 
> photographs. You may also report by calling 301-652-1088 and 
> selecting menu option 2. Please post reports before midnight 
> Monday, identify the county as well as state, and include 
> your name and a Tuesday morning contact, either e-mail or phone. 
> 
> Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING. 
>