> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 5:16 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 2/28/06
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               2/28/2006
> Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE
> Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1
> Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2
>         (email):     
>      (deadline):    midnight Mondays
> Compiler:           Joe Coleman
> 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 report was completed Tuesday, Feb 
> 28, at 3:30p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in MD, *SNOWY 
> OWL in VA, and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH in VA.
>  
> Other birds of interest include GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, 
> COMMON EIDER and other ducks, EARED GREBE, GREAT CORMORANT, 
> raptors, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, GLAUCOUS GULL, RAZORBILL, 
> SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, RAVEN, BLACK-CAPPED 
> CHICKADEE, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and other warblers, 
> AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, PURPLE FINCH, and 
> RED CROSSBILL. 
> 
> AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS continued to be found at Blackwater 
> NWR, Dorchester Co, MD with sightings from the Wildlife Drive 
> on Feb 25 and Feb 26.
> 
> The SNOWY OWL at Dulles Airport, Loudoun Co, VA continued to 
> be seen with sightings on Feb 21 and Feb 25. The bird is 
> being viewed from a 3-story public parking garage on the 
> corner of Aviation Dr and Propeller Ct accessible from the 
> Airport Services exit off the Dulles Access Rd.
> 
> The BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH which was first discovered on the Ft.
> Belvoir CBC was found again on Feb 26 along the entrance to 
> the Occoquan Regional Park, Fairfax Co, VA. Occoquan RP is 
> located on Rte 123/Ox Rd, north of the Occoquan River.  A 
> PINE WARBLER was found in the same area.
> 
> A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was found Feb 25 on Lakeview 
> Pond on Williamson Rd, in Roanoke, VA. 
> 
> REDHEADS were reported from several locations with 27 on the 
> Potomac River off the Vernon View Dr pullout on the GW 
> Parkway, Fairfax Co, VA on Feb 26. A single GREATER SCAUP was 
> seen amongst several hundred LESSER SCAUP in the same 
> location.  REDHEADS were also seen in Cambridge, MD on Feb 24.
> 
> COMMON EIDERS were present at the Ocean City, MD Inlet Feb 25. 
>  
> Two EARED GREBES were again found on Feb 25 in Ocean City 
> along with about 45 HORNED GREBES; they were observed from 
> the boardwalk at the north end of the OC Convention Center.
> 
> A GREAT CORMORANT was clearly seen on the bay side of the 
> Ocean City Inlet on Feb 25. 
> 
> An unusual sighting for Bethesda, MD was a RED-SHOULDERED 
> HAWK observed flying and perched on Feb 27.
> 
> The Northern Virginia Bird Club trip to Highland Co, VA this 
> past weekend was very productive. On Feb 25 they saw a 
> light-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK on the country roads around 
> Blue Grass and 3 GOLDEN EAGLES at Blue Grass and North 
> Mountain. Another birder found two light-morph ROUGH-LEGGED 
> HAWKS on Rte 642 on Feb 25. On Feb 26 a different group also 
> saw two light-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS in the area between 
> Blue Grass and Hightown. That group found no less than 5 
> GOLDEN EAGLES in the same area.
> 
> On Feb 26, two GOLDEN EAGLES, one an adult and the other a 
> sub-adult, were observed off of Rte 335 near the Blackwater 
> NWR, Dorchester Co, MD. 
> 
> The MERLIN at the Fairlington Community Center, Arlington Co, 
> VA, was found again on Feb 25 and Feb 26 close to 6:00 p.m. 
> MERLINS were reported from a couple of other locations as 
> well as one on Feb 26 near the Marsh Edge Trail at Blackwater NWR.
> 
> AMERICAN WOODCOCKS continued to pop up in a variety of 
> locations. Most interesting were two nests with eggs that 
> were found, one on the Chesapeake side of the Dismal Swamp 
> NWR on Feb 24 and another right outside the refuge in Suffolk 
> Co, VA on Feb 25.
> 
> A first winter GLAUCOUS GULL was seen along the Cambridge 
> waterfront during the past week. On Feb 22 it was seen 
> perched on the boat ramp at the Great Marsh Park, on Feb 24 
> it was at the intersection of Water St and Mill St, and on 
> Feb 25, 26 and 27 at the foot of Oakley St.
> 
> A RAZORBILL was briefly seen at Indian River Inlet, DE on Feb 25.
> 
> The SHORT-EARED OWLS near Rectortown, in northern Fauquier 
> Co, VA, were seen again on Feb 22, Feb 26, and Feb 27. They 
> were observed along Crenshaw Road, about ½ mile north of 
> Rectortown, Fauquier Co, VA, with four reported on Feb 26 and 
> five on Feb. 27, and several on a nearby road on Feb 22.  
> Four SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen Feb 24 along Bells Lane, Staunton,
VA.
> 
> Numerous RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were found Feb 25 during a 
> field trip to Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA.
> 
> A RAVEN was seen Feb 26 along Peniwell Rd, off of Ox Rd in 
> Lorton, Fairfax Co, VA.
> 
> BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES were seen visiting the feeders in 
> McDowell, Highland Co, VA on Feb 25.
> 
> An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was found the afternoon of Feb 27 
> at Riverside Park, Loudoun County, VA.
> 
> AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were seen at several locations 
> including a backyard in Damascus, MD on Feb 22, and on at Feb 
> 25 at Blue Mash in Montgomery Co, MD, at Occoquan Bay NWR, 
> and at Sky Meadows SP. 
> 
> A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was found Feb 26 in a flock of approx. 120 
> HORNED LARKS in a field south of Oland Rd between Rte 85 and 
> New Design Rd, Frederick Co, MD.
> 
> Also at the feeders in McDowell, Highland Co on Feb 25, were 
> about 30 PURPLE FINCHES.
> 
> Several RED CROSSBILLS were seen on Feb 25 and Feb 26 at the 
> hairpin curve just below (west) of the Confederate 
> Breastworks overlook as one enters Highland Co. A RED 
> CROSSBILL was seen near Bolar, Highland Co on Feb 26.
> 
> 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 
>  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)
>