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Voice of the Naturalist, 10/17/2006

From:

Norm Saunders

Reply-To:

Norm Saunders

Date:

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:29:29 -0400

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               10/17/2006
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 prepared Tuesday, October 17, at
11 am.

Top bird this week is *BULLOCK'S ORIOLE in DC.

Other birds of interest include ROSS'S GOOSE, GREAT WHITE HERON,
NORTHERN GOSHAWK, SWAINSON'S HAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE, MERLIN, HUDSONIAN
GODWIT, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, COMMON RAVEN, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH,
WINTER WREN, thrushes, AMERICAN PIPIT, CONNECTICUT and other WARBLERS,
and sparrows, including NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW.

An adult male *BULLOCK'S ORIOLE was discovered Oct 14 at Rock Creek
Park, NW DC. The bird was at the ravine in the Maintenance Yard.
Despite intensive searching later that day and the next, the bird was
never relocated.  

Four ROSS'S GEESE were among the waterfowl flocks at Great Oak Pond,
Kent Co, MD, on Oct 14. Two ROSS'S GEESE were present at Bombay Hook
NWR, DE, on Oct 14, as were 3 HUDSONIAN GODWITS.

The GREAT WHITE HERON was still present at Eastern Neck NWR, Kent Co,
as of Oct 14. This white morph of the Great Blue Heron frequents Tubby
Cove.  

Two NORTHERN GOSHAWKS were tallied Oct 14 at the hawk watch at
Snickers Gap, on the Clarke/Loudoun Co (VA) line.

A SWAINSON'S HAWK was seen Oct 14 in Northampton Co, VA; it flew over
the landfill at Oyster.

An adult GOLDEN EAGLE appeared Oct 16 over the hawk watch at Turkey
Point, Cecil Co, MD.

A MERLIN was zipping over the fields at Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co,
VA, on Oct 15.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were again on deck at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery
Co, MD, on Oct 11 and Oct 15. [Note that this area is currently open
for hunting every day except Sunday.] 

Also at Hughes Hollow Oct 15, two COMMON RAVENS perched atop the cell
phone tower SE of the impoundments. That same day in Howard Co, MD,
single RAVENS were seen at Western RP and Centennial Park. 

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH returned to a Howard Co yard Oct 14. 

WINTER WRENS are back, too, with reports from a variety of locations. 

THRUSHES continued to move through, and AMERICAN PIPITS were spotted
at several sites.

Warblers continue to trickle through. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was found
at Meadowbrook Park, Howard Co, on Oct 10 and at Cromwell Valley Park,
Baltimore Co, Oct 14. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was one of six warbler
species at Rock Creek Park Oct 15.  

A CONNECTICUT WARBLER visited Rock Creek Park's Maintenance Yard Oct
10. Daingerfield Island, along the GW Parkway just south of Reagan
National Airport, hosted a CONNECTICUT WARBLER on Oct 11 and a
WILSON'S WARBLER on Oct 16.

Sparrow season is upon us. Among the many species seen this week was
NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW, with one at Lilypons through Oct 15 and
others at two undisclosed locations in Howard Co on Oct 11. At least 1
SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW was present at Prime Hook NWR, DE, on
Oct 14. LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were noted at numerous locales.

Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOSPREY,
VA-Bird, and DE Birds 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.

*Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee
(www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html)