Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

FW: DC Area, 2/14/06

From:

Norm Saunders

Reply-To:

Norm Saunders

Date:

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:28:08 -0500

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 5:22 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 2/14/06
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               2/14/2006
> 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, Feb 14, at
3:30p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are *PACIFIC LOON in VA, AMERICAN WHITE 
> PELICAN and RUFF in MD and *SNOWY OWL in VA.
> 
> Other birds of interest include CACKLING GOOSE, GREAT 
> CORMORANT, raptors, LESSER BLACK-BACKED and GLAUCOUS GULLS, 
> alcids and other pelagic birds, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED 
> WOODPECKER, sparrows, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, COMMON REDPOLL, and 
> EVENING GROSBEAK. 
> 
> A *PACIFIC LOON was seen again at Kerr Reservoir, Mecklenburg 
> Co in far southern VA, on Feb 12, accompanied by a 
> RED-THROATED LOON and plenty of COMMON LOONS. The loons were 
> in the Palmer Point Recreation Area (which can be reached by 
> taking Rte 4 south past the dam to Palmer Point Rd).
> 
> AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS continue at Blackwater NWR, 
> Dorchester Co, MD, with reports of three birds seen on Feb 7. 
> On Feb 9, the number had increased to 5. The pelicans favor a 
> mudbar on the Blackwater River towards the end of the Wildlife
Drive.
> 
> The RUFF discovered Jan 29 east of Bestpitch, Dorchester Co, 
> was seen on Feb 7. This bird comes to forage in a flooded 
> field along Griffith Neck Rd. 
> 
> The SNOWY OWL at Dulles Airport, Loudoun Co, VA, was seen 
> again on Feb 11. The bird is being viewed from a 3-story 
> public parking garage on the corner of Aviation Dr and 
> Propeller Ct; this can be accessed from the Airport Services 
> exit off the Dulles Toll Rd.  On Feb 12, the SNOWY OWL chased 
> a SHORT-EARED OWL that flew a little too close.
> 
> A CACKLING GOOSE was found at Blue Mash Nature Trail, 
> Montgomery Co, MD on Feb 11. Four HARLEQUIN DUCKS were seen 
> on the CBBT, Northampton Co, VA on Feb 12.
> 
> Three GREAT CORMORANTS were noted at the Ocean City Inlet, 
> Worcester Co, MD on Feb 8. Another GREAT CORMORANT was 
> spotted on Island 4 of the CBBT on Feb 12.
> 
> An immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was reported from alternate Rte 
> 40 between Middletown and the Frederick/Washington Co, MD border.
> 
> The MERLIN that frequents the Fairlington Community Center, 
> Arlington Co, VA, was found again on Feb 11 despite the wet, 
> blowing snow. 
> 
> PEREGRINE FALCONS have been making a splash this week some 
> favoring sites near office buildings in Bethesda and 
> Rockville, Montgomery Co and Bailey's Crossroads, Falls 
> Church, Fairfax Co, VA. Another was sighted flying around the 
> 14th St. bridge over the Potomac, SW DC.
> Another PEREGRINE FALCON was spotted on the Water Tower at 
> Ocean City, Worcester Co, MD on Feb 8.
> 
> A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was loafing on the beach at 
> Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA on Feb 11. A GLAUCOUS GULL 
> was sighted in the vicinity of Chester Cove Marina, Fells 
> Point, Baltimore City on Feb 10. 
> 
> A Pelagic trip out of Virginia Beach, VA on Feb 11 spotted a 
> MANX SHEARWATER, a PARASITIC JAEGER, two LITTLE GULLS, COMMON 
> and THICK-BILLED MURRES, several RAZORBILLS and an ATLANTIC 
> PUFFIN. A DOVEKIE was seen at the Ocean City Inlet on Feb 9.
> 
> On Feb 10, three SHORT-EARED OWLS were reported from Zion 
> Crossroads, Louisa Co, VA. Two perched SHORT-EARED OWLS were 
> observed along Crenshaw Road in Rectortown, Fauquier Co, VA 
> on Feb 11. A SHORT-EARED OWL was spotted flying over the 
> fields along Rt. 628 on the south side of Blandy Experimental 
> Farm in Clarke Co, VA on Feb 13.
> 
> RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were evident in the region with 
> reports from Weinberg Park, Anne Arundel Co, MD on Feb 8 and 
> 11; at the Waynewood pull-out on the GW Parkway on Feb 10; at 
> Banshee-Reeks Nature Preserve, Loudoun Co, VA on Feb 11 and 
> at the National Arboretum, DC on Feb 12.
> 
> Sparrow aficionados were delighted this week with multiple 
> sightings which included AMERICAN TREE, SAVANNAH, FOX and 
> WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. Two VESPER SPARROWS were working a 
> dirt patch on Bethel Road, Wicomico Co, MD on Feb 12. Some 
> LAPLAND LONGSPURS were sighted in a small flock of HORNED 
> LARKS a few miles south of Boonsboro along Rte 67 just south 
> of Park Hall Road, Washington Co, MD on Feb 12. Two more 
> LAPLAND LONGSPURS were spotted in Kent Co, MD, one by the 
> side of the road on Rt. 313 south of Massey and the second on 
> Rt. 291 heading east toward Delaware about 1 mile our of
Millington.
> 
> A first-year, male BALTIMORE ORIOLE posed for his picture in 
> La Plata, Charles Co, MD on Feb 11. Two more BALTIMORE 
> ORIOLES were spotted in Alexandria, VA also on Feb 11.
> 
> A COMMON REDPOLL visited a feeder in Herndon, Fairfax Co, VA 
> on Feb 12.
> 
> An EVENING GROSBEAK was picked out of a mixed flock at Chino 
> Farm, Queen Anne's Co, MD on Feb 9. Three EVENING GROSBEAKS 
> were reported at the feeders at the Chesapeake Bay 
> Environmental Center (formerly Horsehead Wetlands), Queen 
> Anne's Co, MD on Feb.12.
> 
> See Life Paulagics will be running a regular 12-hour offshore 
> pelagic on Saturday Feb 25. They need additional signups in 
> order to run the proposed 8-hour inshore pelagic on Sunday 
> Feb 26. For more details, check the web site at paulagics.com 
> or call 215-234-6805.
> 
> Brian Patteson, using his own new boat, the Stormy Petrel, 
> proposes running one, perhaps two, February pelagic trips ( 
> Feb 18 [19], perhaps Feb 25 [26]) out of Virginia Beach. For 
> details, check the website at seabirding.com, or phone 
> 252-986-1363 to express your interest.
> 
> 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)
>