> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 6:34 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 1/17/06
> 
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               1/17/2006
> 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, Jan 17, at 6 p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in MD and 
> *ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, and RED 
> CROSSBILL in VA. 
> 
> Other birds of interest include GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, 
> EURASIAN TEAL, EURASIAN WIGEON, and other waterfowl, RUFFED 
> GROUSE, RED-NECKED GREBE, GREAT CORMORANT, raptors including 
> ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, CLAPPER RAIL, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, 
> *CALIFORNIA and other GULLS, GREAT HORNED AND SHORT-EARED 
> OWLS, RUBY-THROATED and RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS, BLACK-CAPPED 
> CHICKADEE, SEDGE WREN, PINE WARBLER, AMERICAN TREE and other 
> SPARROWS, and SNOW BUNTING.  
> 
> AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS continued at Blackwater NWR, 
> Dorchester Co, MD, with reports of three birds 
> seen--intermittently--as recently as Jan 16. The pelicans 
> favor a mudbar on the Blackwater River towards the end of the 
> Wildlife Drive.
> 
> The *ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in Richmond, VA, was seen again 
> Jan 10, 12, 15, and 16; it moves actively in the train yard 
> just south of the Richmond floodwall along the southern bank 
> of the James River. (The floodwall parking lot is on Semmes 
> Ave at the southern end of the Manchester Bridge in Richmond; 
> drive north on Semmes, as though you intend to cross the 
> Manchester Bridge, but turn left into the lot before you 
> enter the on-ramp for the bridge, just after the north and 
> southbound lanes split. There are small brown signs for the
parking
> lot.)
> 
> The BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH continues at Occoquan Regional 
> Park, Fairfax Co, VA. It was seen Jan 14, about 1/4 mile 
> downhill just before "a rickety footbridge," and Jan 15, just 
> above the middle brick culvert. (Occoquan RP is located on 
> Rte 123/Ox Rd, north of the Occoquan River; when the gate to 
> the park is closed, you can park and walk down the
> road.) 
> 
> A flock of 10 RED CROSSBILLS was discovered Jan 13 in 
> Highland Co, VA, near the Augusta Co line (DeLorme 65, B 7). 
> They were "graveling" in the road along US Rte 250, just west 
> of the Civil War site known as the Confederate Breastworks. 
> They were heard again that afternoon. One crossbill was seen 
> there Jan 15, and two birds, a male and a female, were found 
> in trees there Jan 15. This area is at a hairpin turn, but a 
> wide shoulder on the north side of the road makes it easy to park.

> 
> A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was discovered at Huntley 
> Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, on Jan 11, and seen again daily 
> through at least Jan 14. Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were 
> found in northern Baltimore Co Jan 12 and seen again Jan 13; 
> they were next to a pond on the west side of Carroll Rd 
> (which can be seen driving south), just south of Corbett Rd. 
> Four GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen Jan 13 on the road 
> to Fowler's Beach, DE; they were in a field near a big S-curve.
>  
> A EURASIAN WIGEON was again seen at the Eagle's Nest Golf 
> Course south of Ocean City, Worcester Co, MD, on Jan 14 and 
> 16. A drake EURASIAN WIGEON was found again Jan 14 on Lake 
> Knapp at Horsehead Wetlands Center, Queen Anne's Co, MD. A 
> male EURASIAN WIGEON was found at Loch Raven reservoir, 
> Baltimore Co, Jan 13; two REDHEADS were also present.
> 
> A EURASIAN (COMMON) TEAL--considered a separate species from 
> GREEN-WINGED TEAL in much of the world--was seen and 
> photographed at Huntley Meadows on Jan 14. 
> 
> A REDHEAD has been visiting Patuxent Research Refuge, Anne 
> Arundel Co, MD, with reports from Jan 14, 15, and 17.
> 
> Indian River Inlet, DE, featured as many as 8 COMMON EIDERS, 
> including a stunning adult male, on Jan 12 and 13, and a 
> young male HARLEQUIN DUCK Jan 12.  
> 
> On Jan 12, the Ocean City Inlet held 2 COMMON EIDERS and 1 
> KING EIDER, all females. On Jan 14, a RED-NECKED GREBE was 
> briefly glimpsed in the thick fog blanketing the inlet; a 
> GREAT CORMORANT was also present. A RED-NECKED GREBE was seen 
> Jan 13 in DE, in the marina at the end of South Drive in West 
> Bay Park, off Camp Arrowhead Rd. 
> 
> A young male HARLEQUIN DUCK at the Choptank Marina in 
> Cambridge, Dorchester Co, continues to be seen, off and on, 
> with reports through Jan 16.
> 
> A BALD EAGLE was observed at the National Arboretum, NE DC, on Jan
13.
> 
> A late-afternoon visit to Elliott Island, Dorchester Co, on 
> Jan 12 yielded a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and a SHORT-EARED OWL, as 
> well as several CLAPPER RAILS, several calling GREAT HORNED 
> OWLS, a SEDGE WREN, and at least 2 AMERICAN WOODCOCK. On Jan 
> 14, 4 light-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were seen above the 
> marshes at the north end of Elliot Island.
> 
> On Jan 15, an adult GOLDEN EAGLE was found in northwestern 
> Caroline Co, MD; it was standing in a field on the east side 
> of Bee Tree Rd, about 1/4 mile south of Mud Mill Rd (DeLorme 
> 51 A-5)--its plumage glistening in the sun.
> 
> An immature GOLDEN EAGLE was observed Jan 15 in Highland Co, 
> as it flew over the Cowpasture River, along Rte 614 some 3 to 
> 5 miles south of Rte 250. On Jan 13, Highland Co's Lantz 
> Mountain hosted a GOLDEN EAGLE as well as a RUFFED GROUSE, 
> while a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen from Hardscrabble Rd (Rte 644).

> 
> Two *CALIFORNIA GULLS, one adult and one third-winter, were 
> found Jan 12 at the Prince William Co (VA) landfill. On Jan 
> 16, the PW landfill hosted a first- or second-winter GLAUCOUS 
> GULL and an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. On Jan 16, North 
> East Town Park, Cecil Co, MD, held one first-winter ICELAND 
> GULL and 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS. Also on Jan 16, a 
> LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was noted from the Visitor Center at 
> Riverbend Park, Fairfax Co.
> 
> SHORT-EARED OWLS and NORTHERN HARRIERS were again on stage 
> along Crenshaw Road at Rectortown, Fauquier Co, VA, with 3 
> owls and 9 harriers seen on Jan 12 and 4 owls and 6 harriers 
> on Jan 16.
> 
> The young male RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD continues to feed at 
> a yard in Silver Spring, Montgomery Co, MD, as of Jan 17.
> 
> The RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD in Chesterfield Co, VA, was captured, 
> banded, and measured on Jan 16. (To make arrangements to see 
> this bird, consult the directions on the VA-Bird list server.)
> 
> Two BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES were found Jan 10 in Chesapeake 
> Landing, Kent Co, MD--as was an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. One 
> BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE was reported Jan 11 from a yard in 
> Jarretsville, Harford Co, MD.
> 
> On Jan 16, a PINE WARBLER was seen at Occoquan RP.
> 
> On Jan 16, Occoquan NWR, Prince William Co, held a nice 
> assortment of SPARROWS, including AMERICAN TREE, FIELD, FOX 
> (singing), SONG, and WHITE-THROATED.
> 
> Some 50 SNOW BUNTINGS were sighted Jan 10 at the Point at 
> Cape Henlopen SP, DE; they were on both the bay and ocean 
> sides, flying low over the dunes and sitting on the dunes.
> 
> See Life Paulagics will be running trips on Feb 25 and 26. 
> The Saturday trip will be a regular 12-hour offshore pelagic. 
> The Sunday trip will be an 8-hour inshore trip. For more 
> details, check their web site at www.paulagics.com or call 
> 215-234-6805.
> 
> 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 either the MD/DC Records Committee
> (www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html) or the VA Records Committee
> (www.virginiabirds.org)
>