> -----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
> |