> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 6:32 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 10/25/2005
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               10/25/2005
> 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 $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, October 25, at 7
p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are SWAINSON'S HAWK in VA and *GRAY 
> KINGBIRD in MD.
> 
> Other birds of interest include CACKLING GOOSE, REDHEAD, 
> RING-NECKED PHEASANT, EARED GREBE, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, 
> AMERICAN BITTERN, raptors including NORTHERN GOSHAWK and 
> GOLDEN EAGLE, shorebirds, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, 
> RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, COMMON RAVEN, SEDGE WREN, kinglets, 
> thrushes, CATBIRD, ORANGE-CROWNED and other WARBLERS, 
> SPARROWS including CLAY-COLORED, VESPER, and NELSON'S 
> SHARP-TAILED, DICKCISSEL, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, PURPLE FINCH, 
> and PINE SISKIN.
> 
> On Oct 19, a hatching-year SWAINSON'S HAWK appeared low above 
> the hawk watch at Kiptopeke SP, Northampton Co, VA. It then 
> circled south--but not before yielding some "excellent" video.
> 
> A *GRAY KINGBIRD was discovered Oct 19 in Worcester Co, MD, 
> and was seen again repeatedly until Oct 24. This bird, only 
> the sixth state record, was near the end of George's Island 
> Landing Rd (DeLorme 27 B4), where it foraged from wires, 
> working its way from wires at the marsh to wires near the 
> landing. On Oct 24, it did not show up until mid-day, when it 
> sat on the wires for about 20 minutes before disappearing 
> into a tangle of Virginia creeper on the south side of the 
> road. (Park at the lot at the boat ramp, just 100 yards 
> further down the road.) 
> 
> A CACKLING GOOSE was reported Oct 22 at Burke Lake Park, 
> Fairfax Co, VA. It was in a flock of Canadas just off the marina.
> 
> A REDHEAD was found Oct 18 at Centennial Park, Howard Co, MD, 
> and it was seen as recently as Oct 25.
> 
> A RING-NECKED PHEASANT was spotted Oct 18 at the Wye Research 
> Center near Queenstown, Queen Anne's Co, MD. 
> 
> An EARED GREBE was present Oct 20 in the Patuxent River near 
> King's Landing Park west of Huntingtown, Calvert Co, MD. It 
> was actively feeding about 100 yards north of the park 
> fishing pier. (The park is open 8:30 am-4:30 pm weekdays and 
> until 6:00 pm on weekends.) An EARED GREBE at Craney Island, 
> Portsmouth VA, was seen as recently as Oct 24, when it was in 
> the middle cell, at the western portion.
> 
> AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were noted this week off South Point, 
> in southern Worcester Co (DeLorme 35 D5). Five were reported 
> Oct 19; three were seen Oct 23 off Newport Bay Drive.
> 
> An AMERICAN BITTERN was observed flying up out of the marsh 
> at Woodland Beach WA, DE, on Oct 20; it flew across Rte 9 and 
> into the phragmites at the edge of Taylor's Gut.
> 
> The Kiptopeke hawk watch had yet another banner day Oct 20, 
> when it tallied more than 1100 raptors, including 432 
> SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 161 COOPER'S, 134 AMERICAN KESTRELS, and 
> 142 MERLINS, as well as a dozen PEREGRINE FALCONS. 
> 
> On Oct 22, Kiptopeke registered a GOLDEN EAGLE and a NORTHERN 
> GOSHAWK. On Oct 23, the hawk watch at Harvey's Knob on the 
> Blue Ridge Parkway in VA had its second GOLDEN EAGLE of the 
> season, an immature. Also on Oct 23, an adult GOLDEN EAGLE 
> was spotted over Prime Hook NWR, DE.
> 
> On Oct 20, a commuter on I-495 observed a PEREGRINE FALCON as 
> it flew over the Wilson Bridge and into VA.
> 
> The hawk watch at Turkey Point in Cecil Co, MD, had a total 
> of 143 raptors Oct 24, led by 68 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS. 
> 
> On Oct 20, Bombay Hook NWR hosted a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, 2 
> MARBLED GODWITS, and 19 HUDSONIAN GODWITS. 
> 
> On Oct 18, a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD was photographed in 
> Charles Co, MD. A female RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD was 
> reported from a yard in Arlington, VA, on Oct 23. 
> 
> A hummingbird feeder is once again in place in the 
> Smithsonian's Ripley Garden (on the Mall between the Arts and 
> Industries Building and the Hirshhorn Museum), in hopes of 
> attracting wintering hummers.
> 
> A NoVA Bird Club trip to Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA, on 
> Oct 19 found 15 of the park's "trademark" RED-HEADED 
> WOODPECKERS. They also saw 3 COMMON RAVENS and 8 species of 
> sparrow, including VESPER and LINCOLN'S. 
> 
> A COMMON RAVEN was seen in Prince William Co, VA, over Linton 
> Hall Rd, on Oct 18, and a COMMON RAVEN flew over Riverbend 
> Park on Oct 19.
> 
> A "very cooperative" SEDGE WREN was noted Oct 23 at the 
> private North Fork wetlands, Prince William Co. The area also 
> held VESPER SPARROW, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, and LINCOLN'S SPARROW.  
> 
> RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were seen and heard at several locations.
> 
> This week saw a continuing fallout of passerines along the 
> coast, which had observers on the Eastern Shore of VA and MD 
> and in DE reaching for terms like "avalanche" and "invasion" 
> and "seething
> masses": flickers, kinglets, swallows, thrushes, warblers 
> (mostly YELLOW-RUMPED). And sparrows: on Oct 20 and 21, 
> "every shrub in DE" was said to be "jumping with sparrows." 
> These included a very cooperative VESPER SPARROW at Bombay 
> Hook's Raymond pool; a huge flock near the entrance to Prime 
> Hook that included a FOX SPARROW; and, along Prime Hook's 
> trails, more than 1,000 sparrows, including WHITE-CROWNED and 
> LINCOLN'S. 
> 
> The phenomenon was echoed in the District. On Oct 21, the 
> National Mall was filled with feeding flocks, including 
> "astonishing" numbers of PALM WARBLERS and WHITE-THROATED 
> SPARROWS, JUNCOS, many SONG and SAVANNAH SPARROWS, numerous 
> YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, catbirds, phoebes, kinglets. Amidst 
> the throng were an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER near the FDR 
> Memorial and a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW at the north end of the 
> Tidal Basin. Many of these species were still around Oct 24. 
> 
> Kenilworth Park in NE DC also held a nice array of birds. On 
> Oct 22 these included some 40 PALM WARBLERS and many 
> sparrows, mostly SONG, plus a few SWAMP and WHITE-THROATED. 
> The highlight, though, was a surprising 15 EASTERN 
> MEADOWLARKS. On Oct 23, Kenilworth added about 20 SAVANNAH 
> SPARROWS, 4 FIELD SPARROWS, and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW. 
> 
> On Oct 22, some 200 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and numerous 
> sparrows were present at the Mount Calvert area of Patuxent 
> River Park, Prince George's Co, MD. A few hundred sparrows 
> were found at Cromwell Valley Park, Baltimore Co.  
> 
> ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were found Oct 19 at Fort C. F. Smith 
> Park, Arlington; and Oct 20 at Schooley Mill Park, Howard Co.
> 
> NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW showed up at three area 
> locations. A bird found at Lilypons Water Gardens, Frederick 
> Co, MD, on Oct 17 was seen almost daily, early in the 
> morning, through Oct 23; it frequents the fourth pond on the 
> right past the small wooden bridge, below the upper parking 
> lot. On Oct 19, a NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW was noted at 
> Swan Harbor Farm, Harford Co, MD; it was at the east edge of 
> the pond, closest to the house. And on Oct 24, a NELSON'S 
> SHARP-TAILED SPARROW stopped by Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax 
> Co, where it posed in a red maple sapling just 3 feet off the 
> boardwalk.
> 
> On Oct 23, a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was one of 7 sparrow 
> species found in a field in Wicomico Co, MD; this was at the 
> intersection of State Line and Bethel Rds (ie, the extreme 
> eastern end of State Line Rd.) On Oct 22 and 23, a 
> CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was found at Prime Hook, along the 
> entrance road just before Black Farm Trail.
> 
> The regular monthly walk sponsored by the Loudoun Wildlife 
> Conservancy at the Blue Ridge Center, held on Oct 22, 
> produced good numbers and varieties of sparrows, kinglets, 
> warblers, and vireos. Highlights were VESPER, GRASSHOPPER, 
> and LINCOLN'S SPARROWS. All were seen around the new Visitor
Center. 
>  
> LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were also seen at Lilypons Oct 19 and 23; 
> the Oxon Hill "landfill," Prince George's Co, Oct 20; 
> Occoquan NWR, Prince William Co, Oct 23; and Riverbend Oct 23.
> 
> A DICKCISSEL was discovered Oct 24 at Lakeside ponds in 
> Edgewood, Harford Co; if flew up from the cattails and 
> continued until it was out of sight.
> 
> PURPLE FINCHES were in evidence at a variety of locations 
> throughout the week. 
> 
> Thistle feeders in northern Damascus, Montgomery Co, MD drew 
> PINE SISKINS--4 on Oct 22 and 2 on Oct 23. Two PINE SISKINS 
> flew over Patterson Park, Baltimore, on Oct 23. And a PINE 
> SISKIN showed up at a niger feeder in northern PG Co Oct 25. 
> 
> 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 no photographs, please. 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. 
> 
> *Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For more 
> information, visit www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html.
>