> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 3:42 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 5/2/06
> 
> Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               5/2/2006
> 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 compiled Tuesday, May 2, at 3
pm.
> 
> Top birds this week are WHITE-FACED IBIS, SWALLOW-TAILED 
> KITE, and SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER in VA and RUFF and 
> WESTERN KINGBIRD in MD. 
> 
> Other birds of interest include mergansers, AMERICAN and 
> LEAST BITTERNS, night-herons, GLOSSY IBIS, rails, SORA, 
> COMMON MOORHEN, shorebirds, GULL-BILLED and LEAST TERNS, 
> BLACK-BILLED and YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW, 
> WHIP-POOR-WILL, CHIMNEY SWIFT, ACADIAN and LEAST FLYCATCHERS, 
> WARBLING VIREO, BANK SWALLOW, BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH, VEERY, 
> warblers, tanagers, sparrows, and ROSE-BREASTED and BLUE
GROSBEAKS. 
> 
> A WHITE-FACED IBIS and a GLOSSY IBIS were seen at Huntley 
> Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA, off and on each day between 
> April 26 and May 1.
> A GLOSSY IBIS was photographed April 28 from the Wildlife 
> Loop at Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA.
> 
>  A SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was seen April 24 in the vicinity of 
> Gloucester Point, Gloucester Co, VA. 
> 
> The female RUFF continued at Pickering Creek Nature Center, 
> Talbot Co, MD, through at least April 28.
> 
> A WESTERN KINGBIRD has returned to its haunts near the 
> Visitor Center at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, with sightings as 
> recent as May 2.
> 
> An adult male SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER was spotted April 25 
> on the Eastern Shore of VA; it was flycatching from a wire on 
> the west side of Arlington Rd, about a quarter-mile south of 
> Rte 646 (Townsend Rd).
> 
> A female COMMON MERGANSER with nine chicks was seen on the 
> Potomac River near Violette's Lock, Montgomery Co, MD, on 
> April 27. Six female RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were reported 
> from Difficult Run, Great Falls NP, Fairfax Co, on April 30. 
> A HOODED MERGANSER trailing eight ducklings was seen at 
> Lilypons Water Gardens, Frederick Co, MD, April 29.
> 
> AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at Lilypons April 26 and 29, at 
> Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co, April 26, and at Huntley 
> Meadows April 29 and 30. A LEAST BITTERN was found at Hughes 
> Hollow April 26, and at Occoquan April 30.
> 
> A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was spotted April 27 on an island 
> in the Potomac, close to the Maryland shore, just below Great 
> Falls NHP, MD.
> 
> Reports of YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON came from Lilypons 
> April 26 and 27, along Rock Creek in Chevy Chase, MD, April 
> 28, and on the north side of Sycamore Landing Rd, Montgomery 
> Co, April 30. Still in Montgomery Co, on April 26 a 
> YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was spotted on the grounds of the 
> Stoneridge Academy, near the junction of Rte 355 and Cedar 
> Lane. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS are again nesting in 
> Reston, Fairfax Co; the nest is in a tree along Twin Branches 
> trail, which begins where Glade Dr ends at Twin Branches Rd.
> 
> A KING RAIL was again found at Occoquan Bay NWR on April 29. 
> On April 29, Lilypons hosted 2 VIRGINIA RAILS, a SORA, and a 
> COMMON MOORHEN. A VIRGINIA RAIL and a SORA were also in 
> evidence at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD, on April 29. 
> COMMON MOORHEN was again seen at Hughes Hollow on April 26, 
> and at Pennyfield April 27.
> 
> An AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was among many BLACK-BELLIED 
> PLOVERS along the entrance road to Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on April
29.
> 
> On April 29, Chincoteague held 3 PIPING PLOVERS at the Cove, 
> BLACK-NECKED STILTS on the causeway, and WHIMBRELS on the 
> refuge. That same day, Cape Henlopen SP, DE, also hosted 
> PIPING PLOVERS and WHIMBRELS. BLACK-NECKED STILTS were also 
> seen at Elliot Island, Dorchester Co. 
> 
> A PIPING PLOVER and 2 BLACK-NECKED STILTS were also the 
> highlight of an April 26 trip to Craney Island, Portsmouth, 
> VA. This group also saw a GULL-BILLED TERN.
> 
> LEAST TERNS arrived at Southwest Area Park in southwestern 
> Baltimore Co on April 28, and at Wye Island, Queen Anne's Co, 
> MD, on April 29.
> 
> A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, as well as 3 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS, 
> was found at the Chester Phelps WMA in western Fauquier Co, 
> VA, on April 30.
> Other YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS were sighted at Kenilworth 
> Aquatic Gardens, NE DC, April 26; Rock Creek Park, NW DC, on 
> April 29 and 30; and Huntley Meadows April 30.
> 
> One CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW and 2 WHIP-POOR-WILLS were calling 
> April 30 in Prince William Co, VA; they were along Joplin Rd 
> at the American Legion bridge, about 2 miles from Prince 
> William Forest Park. 
> 
> CHIMNEY SWIFTS are again roosting in the Hampden area of 
> Baltimore. On April 25, some 545 swifts gradually dropped 
> into the Bookbindery chimney at dusk. On April 30, in the 
> Seven Corners area of Falls Church, Fairfax Co, several 
> hundred CHIMNEY SWIFTS descended into a 75-ft brick chimney 
> near the intersection of Rte 7 and Patrick Henry Dr--and they 
> emerged the next morning precisely at sunrise.
> 
> An ACADIAN FLYCATCHER was reported April 29 in Montgomery Co, 
> along Beach Drive between Cedar Lane and Old Spring Lane. On 
> April 30, a LEAST FLYCATCHER was found along High Point Rd in 
> Mason Neck SP, Fairfax Co.
> 
> WARBLING VIREOS have returned in force. Five were seen April 
> 30 during the Sunday morning walk at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co.
> 
> Perched BANK SWALLOWS were giving good views at Hughes Hollow 
> April 26.
> 
> A BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH discovered April 27 at Fort Smallwood 
> Park is a first-ever for Anne Arundel Co.
> 
> A VEERY was found April 27 at Fort Bayard Park, NW DC, and 
> April 30 at Middle Patuxent EA, Howard Co, MD.
> 
> More than 2 dozen warbler species frequented the area this past
week.
> Highlights include BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER at Rock Creek Park, 
> the National Arboretum, NE DC, and Mason Neck; CAPE MAY at 
> Rock Creek Park and in Howard CO; CERULEAN on the C&O towpath 
> near the power line cut adjacent to Blockhouse Point, and in 
> a yard in Baltimore; NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at several 
> locations, including Pennyfield Lock and Riley's Lock in 
> Montgomery Co; and 35 (!) YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS at the Phelps 
> WMA on April 30. 
> 
> Both SUMMER and SCARLET TANAGERS were at Huntley Meadows April 30.

> 
> SAVANNAH, GRASSHOPPER, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were among 
> 9 species tallied April 30 in western Montgomery Co; the 
> intersection of Montevideo and Sugarland Rds also hosted 3
BOBOLINKS.
> 
> ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS showed up at numerous area feeders. 
> BLUE GROSBEAKS appeared at several locations, including 
> Kenilworth Park, NE DC, Huntley Meadows, Barcroft Park in 
> Arlington, VA, Paint Branch Stream Valley Park in Prince 
> George's Co, MD, and yards in Anne Arundel and Charles Counties.
> 
> 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 big photo files, 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)
>