-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 3:26 PM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 10/3/06

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               10/3/2006
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 report was completed Tuesday, October 3, at
2:45 pm.

Top birds this week are GREAT WHITE HERON* and SABINE'S GULL* in MD.

Other birds of interest include GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, BARNACLE
GOOSE, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, PEREGRINE FALCON, shorebirds, MONK PARAKEET,
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, thrushes, warblers and
sparrows.  

A GREAT WHITE HERON*, a white morph of the GREAT BLUE HERON, was
photographed off South Beach Jetty in Scientists Cliffs, Calvert Co,
MD on September 30. Another put in regular appearances at Tubby Cove,
Eastern Neck NWR, Kent Co, MD on the same day.

An immature SABINE'S GULL was seen during the week at Conowingo Dam on
the Harford/Cecil Co line, MD with reports from September 30 and
October 1.

Observers at Great Oak Pond, Kent Co, MD picked out a GREENLAND
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and a BARNACLE GOOSE out of a large flock
on September 30. The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was relocated on
October 1.

The BROAD-WING HAWK migration continued this past week with reports
from the various hawk watches, again most notably at the Rockfish Gap
Hawk Watch, VA with 14,067 reported for the month of September.

There were several PEREGRINE FALCON sightings during the week
including from the Viers Mill Picnic Area, Montgomery Co, MD and from
a spot near Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Silver Spring on
September 27. On September 28, a PEREGRINE FALCON was seen at Turkey
Point, Cecil Co, MD; another was cruising over Bethesda, MD and
another over Baltimore, MD. Three PEREGRINE FALCONS were seen at
Eastern Neck Narrows, Kent Co, MD on September 30 and another flew
over the Great Oak Pond on the same day.  The flight of 10 PEREGRINE
FALCONS over the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch on September 30 broke the all
time season high and set a new single day high count.

A field trip to Chincoteague NWR on September 30 encountered 5 MARBLED
GODWITS and one HUDSONIAN GODWIT. A HUDSONIAN GODWIT was spotted in
the south-east corner of Swan Cove, Chincoteague NWR on October 1.

A field trip to Craney Island, Portsmouth Co, VA on September 28
encountered 12 shorebird species including 13 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS
as well as 5 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. Observers at Hart-Miller Island,
Baltimore Co, MD saw one WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER among 10 shorebird
species on September 30.

Two MONK PARAKEETS came to feeder in Takoma Park, Montgomery Co, MD on
September 30.

A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was spotted at Middle Patuxent
Environmental Area, Howard Co, MD on September 28.

PHILADELPHIA VIREOS were reported from a number of locations including
one at Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and another upstream of
Riley's Lock, Montgomery Co, MD, both on September 27. 

Thrushes continued to be reported moving through the area with several
reports of GRAY-CHEEKED as well as VEERYS and SWAINSON'S THRUSHES. A
BICKNELL'S THRUSH was heard at Mason Neck State Park, Fairfax Co, VA
on September 30.

Forty CAPE MAY WABLERS were among 17 species of warbler seen at
Occoquan Bay NWR on September 30. A CONNECTICUT WARBLER was spotted at
Rock Creek Park, DC on October 1 and 2. Two CONNECTICUT WARBLERS were
viewed at Potomac Overlook Regional Park in Arlington, VA on October
2.

A VESPER SPARROW was seen interacting with EASTERN BLUEBIRDS in a
field in Darnestown, Montgomery Co, MD on September 27.

A LARK SPARROW was found on a farm on the Maryland side near Seaford,
DE on the morning of September 30. Later in the day, the bird was
re-found, this time on the Delaware side of the line.

Single LINCOLN'S SPARROWS popped up in a number of different locations
last week including David Force, Howard Co, MD and Huntley Meadows
Park, Fairfax Co, VA on September 27.  Two LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were
seen at Rock Creek Park on October 2.  An immature WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROW was spotted at Governor Bridge Park, Bowie, Prince Georges Co,
MD on September 30.  

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 for 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.