-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 3:15 PM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 6/17/08

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist 
Date:               6/17/2008 
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 Tuesday, June 17, at
2:30 p.m. 

Top birds this week are LITTLE EGRET* in DE and HENSLOW'S SPARROW* in
MD. 

Other birds of interest include TRUMPETER SWAN, NORTHERN BOBWHITE,
HORNED GREBE, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, LEAST BITTERN, MISSISSIPPI KITE,
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, LEAST FLYCATCHER, BLUE-HEADED VIREO,
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, VEERY, warblers including SWAINSON'S, SUMMER
TANAGER, VESPER SPARROW, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, DICKCISSEL, and
BOBOLINK.

 The LITTLE EGRET* was found again this past week with reports from
June 10 through the 14th at Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE. It was seen
at Shearness Pool and Bear Swamp.

A HENSLOW'S SPARROW*, very unusual anywhere west of Allegany Co, MD,
was found near Poolesville, Montgomery Co, MD on June 15 and again on
the 16th & 17th. It is in a grassy field, part of the NIH Animal
Facility, across from a house at 23021 Club Hollow Rd. HENSLOW'S
SPARROWS were also found at the Old Legislative Road site in Allegany
County on June 12.

TRUMPETER SWAN #962 was seen June 16 at Schoolhouse Pond, Upper
Marlboro, Prince George's Co, MD.

Two NORTHERN BOBWHITES were found June 12 on Nature Conservancy land
on the SW edge of Sharptown, Wicomico Co, MD.

A HORNED GREBE in breeding plumage was found June 14 at the boat
launch at Point Lookout State SP, St. Mary's Co, MD.

The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in the Fairfield area of Baltimore was seen
again on June 12 and 13 by looking across the Patapsco River from Ft.
McHenry.

Two LEAST BITTERNS were seen flying over Neabsco Marsh from Neabsco Rd
just before the entrance to Leesylvania State Park, Prince William Co,
VA, on June 15. On the same day, a LEAST BITTERN put on a fine show
flying this way and that over the cattails on the west side of the
island between the boardwalk platform and the marina during the weekly
Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA, bird walk. 

A pair of MISSISSIPPI KITES was seen soaring over Waynewood Elementary
School on Waynewood Boulevard in southeast Fairfax County near Fort
Hunt on June 13. On June 14, while kayaking on the Blackwater River
that divides Isle of Wight and Southampton Counties, VA, a MISSISSIPPI
KITE was seen soaring at treetop level above the river just south of
the SR 619 bridge crossing near a pumping station. 

Two possibly nesting RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were found at Calvert
Cliffs State Pk, Calvert County, MD on June 15. They were active in
the dead trees in the marshy area off the Red trail that links the car
park with the beach.

Higher elevations continued to be the place to be this past week with
reports of a LEAST FLYCATCHER and 8 BLUE-HEADED VIREOS on Poor
Mountain and Bent Mountain in Roanoke Co, VA on June 10. Another visit
to higher elevations in Augusta Co, VA in the Rte 610, Big Levels and
Reddish Knob area yielded 24 BLUE-HEADED VIREOS along with 5
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES and 17 VEERYS, mostly in the Reddish Knob
area. Two BLUE-HEADED VIREOS and 3 VEERYS were found on the Front
Royal BBS (north section of the Shenandoah NP) on June 14. Two
BLUE-HEADED VIREOS and 23 VEERYS were found on the Big Meadows BBS in
Shenandoah NP, VA, on June 15.

Two BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS and two WORM-EATING WARBLERS were found
on the Prince William Forest Park (Prince William Co, VA) BBS on June
12.

Eight PRAIRIE WARBLERS and two WORM-EATING WARBLERS were found during
a June 12 blitz of Nature Conservancy land on the SW edge of
Sharptown, Wicomico Co, MD. Two WORM-EATING WARBLERS and a SUMMER
TANAGER were found June 13 along the Bull Run near Clifton, VA.

A SWAINSON'S WARBLER was found from the boardwalk near the visitor
center at the Nature Conservancy's Nassawango Creek Preserve,
Worcester Co, MD on June 13. 

A SUMMER TANAGER was found on the Prince William Forest Park BBS on
June 12. The MAPS banding team at the Mason Neck NWR, Fairfax Co, VA
banded their first-ever, for that location, SUMMER TANAGER on June 13.

On June 14 two VESPER SPARROWS and a SAVANNAH SPARROW were found along
Stauffer Road in an area of alfalfa and wheat fields southeast of
Walkersville in Frederick Co, MD. On June 15 two VESPER SPARROWS were
reported from Carroll Co, MD, one on Jasontown Rd and another on Sixes
Bridge Rd.
 
A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was found along Burning Mines Rd in Allegany
Co, MD on both the 12th and 13th of June.

A DICKCISSEL was found June 10 in Hightown, Highland Co, VA on the
north side of 250 just west of the 640 intersection. Two DICKCISSELS
were found in a weedy field on the north side of Valley View Dr, about
a half mile NE of its intersection with Parkgate Rd in the Nokesville
area of Prince William Co, VA. In the New Hope area of Augusta Co
there were at least 5 DICKCISSELS on June 15.

BOBOLINKS were also seen in several different locations including
along Ebenezer Church Rd in western Loudoun Co, VA near Bluemont,
where they were seen and heard singing in several fields all week
long. There were at least two BOBOLINKS singing in the Lucketts area
of Loudoun Co, along Rte 662.  There was also a singing BOBOLINK in
the fields west of the North Entrance of Old Whitewood Farm on Rte 704
north of the Plains, Fauquier Co, VA on the 15th.

Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey,
VA-Bird, and DE-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
 or call 301-652-1088 and select 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 records committee.