Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

FW: DC Area, 3/7/06

From:

Norm Saunders

Reply-To:

Norm Saunders

Date:

Tue, 7 Mar 2006 19:57:17 -0500

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 6:48 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 3/7/06
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               3/7/2006
> 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 report was completed Tuesday, March 
> 7, at 6 p.m.
> 
> Top birds this week are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in MD, *SNOWY 
> OWL in VA, and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in VA.
>  
> Other birds of interest include CACKLING GOOSE, REDHEAD, 
> COMMON EIDER, EARED and other GREBES, raptors, WILSON'S 
> SNIPE, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, LESSER BLACK-BACKED and GLAUCOUS 
> GULLS, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, COMMON RAVEN, 
> TREE SWALLOW, RED-BREASTED and BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES, BROWN 
> CREEPER, WINTER WREN, HERMIT THRUSH, warblers, sparrows, SNOW 
> BUNTING, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, PURPLE FINCH, and RED CROSSBILL. 
> 
> AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS continue to winter at Blackwater NWR, 
> Dorchester Co, MD, with 5 birds seen from the Wildlife Drive 
> on Feb 28. 
> 
> The SNOWY OWL remains at Dulles Airport, Loudoun Co, VA, with 
> sightings as recent as the morning of March 7. 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 ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in Richmond, VA, was busy 
> pursuing insects on March 3; it frequents the train yard just 
> south of the Richmond floodwall along the southern bank of 
> the James River.
> 
> A CACKLING GOOSE was picked out of a flock of Canada Geese 
> along Carroll Rd, between Glencoe and Corbett Rds, Baltimore 
> Co, on Feb 28.
> On March 5, 3 CACKLING GEESE were found near The Plains, 
> Fauquier Co, VA; they were on a pond on Belvoir Rd (Rte 709, 
> which and intersects US 17 a mile or two south of I-66).
> 
> REDHEADS were again numerous in Occoquan Bay, with as many as 
> 38 reported from Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William Co, VA, on 
> Mar 3. Two REDHEADS were found Mar 2 in Gaithersburg, 
> Montgomery Co, MD, in the lake adjacent to the old National 
> Geographic headquarters off Rte 28; a HORNED GREBE was also
present.
> 
> A male COMMON EIDER was found Mar 5 near the jetty at the 
> Ocean City inlet, Worcester Co, MD. 
> 
> Two PIED-BILLED GREBES seen Mar 6 at Huntley Meadows Park, 
> Fairfax Co, VA, were the first to appear there in several 
> years. Half a dozen HORNED GREBES were observed Mar 2 on the 
> Potomac River between Violette's Lock and Riley's Lock, 
> Montgomery Co. An EARED GREBE was reported from Lapidum 
> Landing, Harford Co, MD, on March 5. There were two reports 
> of EARED GREBE in Rehoboth Bay, DE, on March 5, one from a 
> path at the end of Bayard and Bellevue Sts, and one from 
> Dickinson St in Dewey Beach.
> 
> Reports of COOPER'S HAWK in the District came from 14th and E 
> Sts, SE DC, Feb 28; 18th and D Sts, NW DC, March 1; and the 
> American U neighborhood, NW DC, March 3. On March 3, a 
> COOPER'S HAWK flew over a yard in Hagerstown, Washington Co, 
> MD, while a MERLIN flew over a yard in Woodbridge, Prince William
Co.
> 
> Four Buteos, 2 immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS and 2 adult 
> RED-TAILED HAWKS, were observed in downtown Bethesda, 
> Montgomery Co, March 28; the RED-SHOULDERS were seen again 
> March 1, as was a COOPER'S HAWK.
> 
> On March 4, birders venturing to VA's Highland Co found a 
> several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS in the vicinity of Blue Grass and 
> a GOLDEN EAGLE on the west side of Snowy Mountain.
> 
> The return of OSPREY was noted with delight at numerous 
> sites, starting with the railroad bridge over the Potomac 
> River below East Potomac Park, where an OSPREY was sighted 
> from a Metro train on Feb 28--while a PEREGRINE FALCON 
> perched on the bridge's main span. Other OSPREY sightings in 
> MD come from Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center in 
> Millersville, Anne Arundel Co; Schoolhouse Pond, Upper 
> Marlboro, and Jug Bay in Croom--both in  Prince George's Co; 
> and Conowingo Dam, on the Harford/Cecil Co line. In VA, an 
> OSPREY was spotted at the dock at Occoquan Bay NWR on March 5.
> 
> Three WILSON'S SNIPE were found at Kenilworth Park, NE DC, on Feb
28.
> That same day, a SNIPE visited a yard in Gaithersburg. SNIPE 
> were also seen March 4 and 5 at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co; 
> on March 4, one of
> the birds perched for 5 minutes atop a dead tree.    
> AMERICAN WOODCOCKS have been displaying at UMaryland 
> Baltimore Co since March 1; on March 5 the display was 
> enhanced when the birds were backlit by stadium lights from 
> the ball park. On March 5, 3 or 4 WOODCOCKS were peenting in 
> fields along both sides of Sycamore Landing Rd, Montgomery Co.
> 
> The first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL in Cambridge, Dorchester Co, 
> MD, was seen again March 4, resting on a low stone wall at 
> the foot of Oakley St. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was noted 
> at the Georgetown Reservoir, NW DC, March 6.
> 
> The SHORT-EARED OWLS near Rectortown in northern Fauquier Co 
> have been observed several times this week. On Feb 28 there 
> were at least a dozen owls in the vicinity: Crenshaw Road 
> about ½ mile north of Rectortown
> 
> On March 5, the National Arboretum, NE DC, hosted a 
> RED-HEADED WOODPECKER and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH; the 
> woodpecker favors snags in the wooded patch behind the 
> Capitol columns, while the nuthatch frequents the Asian 
> Garden. The east side of the Youth Garden held a PINE WARBLER or
two.
> 
> RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were also reported from Arlington, VA, 
> on March 2, along Pollard St near 30th St North; and from 
> Weinberg Park, Anne Arundel Co, on March 3.
> 
> A COMMON RAVEN was noted at Fort C F Smith Park, Arlington, 
> VA, on March 3, and a COMMON RAVEN was seen from Great Falls 
> National Park, Fairfax Co, on March 4. On March 4, a 
> leucistic RAVEN was seen at the east side of Beaverdam 
> Reservoir in  Loudoun Co; it was described as a striking 
> bird, a rich chocolate brown with silvery overtones. Another 
> abnormally plumaged RAVEN was reported from Owings Mills, 
> Baltimore Co, on March 4; this was a bird with black head and 
> wings, but white neck, chest, and back. 
> 
> Another welcome sign of spring were the TREE SWALLOWS sighted 
> at several locations, including Tuckahoe SP, Queen Anne's Co, 
> MD, March 4, and Hughes Hollow March 5.
> 
> On March 2, Ft CF Smith Park offered up a veritable bouquet of
winter
> visitors: RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BROWN CREEPER, WINTER WREN, 
> HERMIT THRUSH, FOX SPARROW, and PURPLE FINCH.
> 
> Two BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES were found at Point Lookout SP, 
> St. Mary's Co, MD, on March 4, as was a PINE WARBLER. A PINE 
> WARBLER arrived in a Charles Co, MD, yard on March 6. 
> 
> A NASHVILLE WARBLER was again found in Carroll Park, 
> Baltimore City, on Feb 28; it was next to the bike trail in a 
> bushy spot about 100 yards up from the parking lot.
> 
> A FOX SPARROW visited a feeder in Eldersburg, Carroll Co, MD, 
> March 3, and the Parklawn picnic area of Rock Creek Park, 
> Montgomery Co, March 6. Also on March 6, 2 FOX SPARROWS were 
> found at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, NE DC.
> 
> On March 4, 11 SNOW BUNTINGS were tallied at Hart-Miller 
> Island, Baltimore Co.
> 
> A singing RUSTY BLACKBIRD was reported from Occoquan Bay NWR 
> March 5; it was along Deephole Pt Rd.
> 
> A feeder in Darnestown, Montgomery Co, drew 20 or more PURPLE 
> FINCHES on March 1.
> 
> RED CROSSBILLS were again found in Highland Co on Feb 28, 
> March 4, and March 5; as before, they were at the hairpin 
> curve on Rte 250, just below (west) of the Confederate 
> Breastworks overlook.
> 
> 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
>