-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 1:06 PM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 12/2/08 - corrected date in subject line only
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/2/08
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, December 2, at
11:45 a.m.
Top birds this week are BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK in DE and GYRFALCON in
VA.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN
BITTERN, hawks, falcons, SANDHILL CRANE, PURPLE SANDPIPER, gulls, CASPIAN
TERN, SNOWY OWL, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, WESTERN KINGBIRD, CAVE SWALLOW,
warblers, sparrows, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD and
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL*.
The BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK remains at Silver Lake, Rehoboth DE.
The Kiptopeke Hawk Watch, Northampton Co, VA reported a gray morph GYRFALCON
on November 27.
A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen in a field bounded by Rte 33 and
Unionville Road, Talbot Co, MD on November 28. ROSS'S GEESE were at the
Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA on November 26, 27 and 28.
Two ROSS'S GEESE were at the Hurlock WWTP, Dorchester Co, MD on November 29.
Reports of CACKLING GEESE came in from a few places including The
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD on November 25;
Eastern Neck NWR, Kent Co, MD on November 27 and 28 and Kenilworth Park, DC
on November 30.
Duck sightings have increased substantially during the last week. Some
notable sightings include: an immature male EURASIAN WIGEON at the
Chincoteague NWR on November 26, 28 and 29; a HARLEQUIN DUCK and one KING
and one COMMON EIDER at the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD on November
28 and 29; one REDHEAD and three BLACK SCOTERS at Thomas Point, Annapolis on
November 29.
Four AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD
on November 30.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was spotted at Elliot Island, Dorchester Co, MD on
November 29.
An observer stopped counting at 75 BALD EAGLES on November 27 at Conowingo
Dam, Harford/Cecil Co, MD on November 27. A GOLDEN EAGLE and a NORTHERN
GOSHAWK were spotted at Rum Pointe, Worcester Co, MD on November 28.
A MERLIN was perched in the top of a large Sycamore along Frederick Road in
western Howard Co, MD on November 28 while another was seen at Kenilworth
Park, DC on both November 28 and 30. A MERLIN was seen at Centennial Park,
Howard Co, on November 29. A PEREGRINE FALCON flew over Greenbury Point,
Annapolis on November 29. Another PEREGRINE FALCON was on the CBBT,
Northampton Co, VA on November 29.
A SANDHILL CRANE was seen at the Cromwell Valley Hawk Watch, Baltimore Co,
MD on November 25.
Three PURPLE SANDPIPERS were noted at Thomas Point, Annapolis on November
29.
A FRANKLIN'S GULL was photographed at the south end of Cape Charles Beach,
Northampton Co, VA on November 28. Schoolhouse Pond, Prince George's Co, MD
experienced good gull activity with reports of a first winter THAYER'S GULL
plus a second winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL November 25 and 26 and a first
winter GLAUCOUS GULL on November 26. On November 27, the Hopewell area near
Richmond, VA had an ICELAND GULL and 5+ LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS. The
ICELAND GULL was seen again on November 29. Six LESSER BLACK-BACKED GUILS
were at the Salisbury landfill, Wicomico Co, MD on November 28. Three LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULLS were at the Tidal Basin, DC on December 1.
Six very late CASPIAN TERNS were seen at Blue Mash Nature Trail, Montgomery
Co, MD on November 29.
The SNOWY OWL continues in the Assateague ORV Zone, Worcester Co, MD with
sightings on November 28, 29 and 30. Another SNOWY OWL was found on the
ground in the Norfolk, VA area and subsequently admitted to a rehabilitation
center on November 28. Another SNOWY OWL was observed at the corner of Rte
29 and Rte 609 outside of Ruckersville, Greene Co, VA on December 1.
A RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD continues at a feeder in Fairfax, VA with the most
recent report from Nov 26.
The WESTERN KINGBIRD previously reported at Eastern Neck NWR was seen again
on November 25, 26.
A CAVE SWALLOW was seen at the John Hanson WWTP, Chestertown, Kent Co, MD on
November 29.
Several reports of warbler activity occurred during the week including
YELLOW-THROATED and PINE WARBLERS at the LBJ Grove along the GW Parkway on
November 27; three ORANGE-CROWNED and a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS at the
Hopewell, VA area, also on November 27 and 29 plus a WILSON'S WARBLER on
November 29; a male NASHVILLE WARBLER at Ben Brenman Park, Alexandria, VA on
November 28.
AMERICAN TREE and FOX SPARROWS were reported from a number of different
locations. A SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW was at Chincoteague NWR on
November 26. On November 27, a LAPLAND LONGSPUR was noted on Oland Road,
Frederick Co, MD. SNOW BUNTINGS were seen at Chincoteague NWR on November
26, 27 and 28. Five SNOW BUNTINGS flew over the Prince William County
Sanitary Landfill, VA on November 29.
A BREWER'S BLACKBIRD was observed feeding on the grass right by the refuge
headquarters at Blackwater NWR on November 30.
Two WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS* were seen on November 29 at Eastern Neck NWR.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey, VA-Bird,
and DE-bird list servers.
The Audubon Sanctuary Shop
<http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/default.asp?page=511>
(301-652-3606) is an excellent source for guidebooks 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. |