> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
> Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 6:10 PM
> To: 
> Subject: DC Area, 2/27/07
> 
> Hotline:           Voice of the Naturalist
> Date:               2/27/2007
> Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE
> Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1
> Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2
>         (email):     
>      (deadline):    midnight Mondays
> Compiler:           Joe Coleman
> 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 at 4:00 p.m. on 
> Tuesday, February 27.
> 
> Top birds this week are THICK-BILLED MURRE* in MD, COMMON 
> MURRE* in DE and MD, and GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE* and PAINTED 
> BUNTING* in VA.
> 
> Other birds of interest include geese, ducks, RED-NECKED 
> GREBE, NORTHERN FULMAR, GREAT CORMORANT, OSPREY, eagles, and 
> PEREGRINE FALCON, RED KNOT, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, gulls, 
> DOVEKIE,  RAZORBILL, ATLANTIC PUFFIN, SHORT-EARED OWL, 
> RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, LOGGERHEAD and NORTHERN SHRIKE, 
> AMERICAN PIPIT, sparrows including CLAY-COLORED, LAPLAND 
> LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, and BALTIMORE ORIOLE.
> 
> A THICK-BILLED MURRE* was first seen on Feb 22 and throughout 
> the rest of the week was in and near the inlet at Ocean City, 
> MD.  At other times it was in the man-made canal that 
> connects with the inlet across Rte 50 from Hoppers Crab House.
> 
> COMMON MURRE* were seen on a very productive pelagic trip out 
> of Lewes, DE on Feb 25, with 4 in DE waters and 1 in MD waters.
> 
> A GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE continued to visit a private feeder in 
> Galax, Carroll Co, VA with reports as recently as Feb 24.  
> Contact (276)
> 236-8034 or (276) 237-1891 if you wish to make arrangements 
> to see the bird.
> 
> While the PAINTED BUNTING at the backyard feeder in 
> Lovettsville, Loudoun Co, VA didn't show up all week long, it 
> did reappear during the snow storm on Feb 25.
> 
> Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were found Feb 25 mixed in 
> with other geese along Myers Mill Rd near Jeffersonton, 
> Culpeper Co, VA. GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE continue to be 
> reported from Augusta Co, VA with 3 seen on Feb 26, one on a 
> pond on Bell's Lane near Staunton, and two in a feedlot near 
> Riley's Farm, Swoope. The same survey found a CACKLING GOOSE 
> near Invista.  
> 
> On both Feb 22 and on Feb 25 single ROSS'S GEESE were found 
> mixed in with large flocks of geese. The one on Feb 22 was 
> near Beulah, Dorchester Co, MD, and the one on the 25th was 
> on Choptank Rd, Caroline Co, MD.
> 
> The EURASIAN WIGEON continued to be seen throughout the week 
> at Eagle's Landing Golf Course, Worcester Co, MD. 
> 
> REDHEADS continue to be found in higher than normal numbers 
> this year with reports from all over the region this past week.
> 
> On Feb 22 and 24, nine COMMON EIDERS were observed north of 
> the Ocean City inlet jetty.
> 
> Either one or two HARLEQUIN DUCKS continued to be reported 
> throughout the week at the Ocean City, MD inlet, sometimes 
> along the north jetty and other times along the south jetty.
> 
> Two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen Feb 22 on the Potomac 
> River about ½ mile upstream from Little Falls, Montgomery Co, MD.
> 
> The RED-NECKED GREBE continues at Little Seneca Lake in Black 
> Hill Regional Park, Montgomery Co, MD with the most recent 
> report from Feb 24. On the 24th and on the 25th, a RED-NECKED 
> GREBE was seen at the Ocean City inlet and 2 were seen at the 
> West Ocean City Marina.
> 
> The pelagic trip out of Lewes also found NORTHERN FULMARS 
> with 9 in DE and 22 in MD.
> 
> On Feb 24 a GREAT CORMORANT was found north of the Ocean City 
> inlet jetty.
> 
> First of the season OSPREYS were reported from Broadkill 
> Beach Rd, Prime Hook NWR, DE on Feb 22 and from Suffolk, VA 
> on the 25th.
> 
> On Feb 22 a survey of the lower 6 miles of Cat Point Creek, 
> part of the Rappahannock River, VA, eagle concentration area 
> counted between
> 134 and 144 BALD EAGLES, the highest number ever recorded on 
> any of their winter counts.
> 
> An immature GOLDEN EAGLE was seen flying over MD Rte 20 just 
> west of Baker's Lane in Kent Co on the 24th. The same group, 
> towards the end of their visit of Chesapeake Farms, observed 
> another immature GOLDEN EAGLE. On Feb 23 an immature Golden 
> Eagle was seen flying in northwest Rockbridge Co, VA.
> 
> The PEREGRINE FALCON is again being seen in the Bailey's 
> Crossroads area of Fairfax Co, VA with the most recent 
> sighting on Feb 27.
> 
> Also at the Ocean City inlet on Feb 25, mixed in with other 
> shorebirds was a single RED KNOT.
> 
> AMERICAN WOODCOCKS were seen and heard performing their 
> display flight at the NTA White Marsh Park and Ride in 
> eastern Baltimore Co, MD on the morning of the 26th and at 
> Queenstown, Queen Anne's Co, MD, the morning of the 27th.
> 
> A first-year ICELAND GULL was at the Ocean City inlet on the 
> 22nd and the 24th. Several LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and a 
> first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL were found at the Salisbury 
> Landfill, Wicomico Co, MD on Feb 22 and Feb 24.
> 
> The Lewes pelagic trip on the 25th also saw in MD and DE 
> waters LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, 
> over 4,000 DOVEKIES, 50 RAZORBILLS, and several ATLANTIC PUFFINS.
> 
> Two SHORT-EARED OWLS were found along Spinks Ferry Rd in the 
> Lucketts area of Loudoun Co on Feb 24. SHORT-EARED OWLS also 
> continued to be seen along Crenshaw Rd near Rectortown, 
> Fauquier Co, VA.  
> 
> The always-present RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen at Sky 
> Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA, with 8 on the 24th. 
> 
> A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was again found on the east side of Sky 
> Meadows SP, this time on the 24th, and two were found the 
> same day in Augusta Co, VA in Swoope near the intersection of 
> Rte 876, Cattleman Rd, and Rte 707, Livick Rd.  
> 
> The NORTHERN SHRIKE continued to be seen along the entrance 
> road to the headquarters of the Prime Hook NWR, DE, with a 
> report from Feb 23.
> 
> AMERICAN PIPITS and HORNED LARKS continued to be reported 
> from several different locations throughout the area.
> 
> AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS continued to be seen in small numbers 
> throughout the region last week. A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was found
Feb
> 24 at the Marshy Point Nature Center in eastern Baltimore Co, 
> MD. FOX SPARROWS, in small numbers, were seen visiting a 
> number of feeders last week.  An immature GAMBEL'S 
> WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, a western taiga subspecies, was found 
> in a flock of WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS at Chesapeake Farms, 
> Kent Co, MD, on Feb 24. A immature GAMBEL'S was also reported 
> Feb 25, from Rte 298, just west of Butlertown, Kent Co, MD, 
> near the location of the one seen on Feb 24.
> 
> LAPLAND LONGSPURS were found at several different locations last
week.
> On Feb 20, five LAPLAND LONGSPURS were found along Dairy Farm 
> Rd in Anne Arundel Co, MD, among a larger flock of Horned 
> Larks. Two LAPLAND LONGSPURS were seen there on the 21st. Two 
> were also found near Remington, Fauquier Co, VA on Feb 25.
> 
> SNOW BUNTINGS were found on the 25th with one on Lewistown 
> Rd, Talbot Co, MD and two on Sparks Rd, Caroline Co, MD.
> 
> Five RUSTY BLACKBIRDS visited feeders in a Waldorf, Charles 
> Co, MD yard on Feb 25.
> 
> BALTIMORE ORIOLES continue to show up at various feeders 
> throughout the area with one seen last week in the Lynchburg, 
> VA, Old City Cemetery on Feb 22 and one at a feeder in Reston 
> on the 26th.
> 
> 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 
>   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 record committee.
>