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FW: DC Area, 12/9/08

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Norm Saunders

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Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:59:59 -0500

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 6:19 PM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 12/9/08

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist 
Date:               12/9/08 
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 completed Tuesday, December 9, at
5 p.m.

Top birds this week are GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE in MD, CALLIOPE
HUMMINGBIRD in VA, and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in both MD and VA.

Other birds of interest include waterfowl, NORTHERN BOBWHITE, AMERICAN
WHITE PELICAN, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, VIRGINIA RAIL,
AMERICAN WOODCOCK, ICELAND and other gulls, SNOWY OWL, SHORT-EARED
OWL, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, WESTERN KINGBIRD, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, SEDGE
WREN, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, AMERICAN PIPIT, warblers, sparrows,
LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, BREWER'S and other blackbirds,
BALTIMORE ORIOLE, and PINE SISKIN.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE made a rare visit to suburban Montgomery
Co, MD. It was spotted Dec 3 at a pond at the northwest corner of
Tuckerman Rd and Brewer's House Rd in North Bethesda, and it has
continued to be seen near the pond, or on the grounds of nearby
Georgetown Prep--where it could sometimes be seen from the sidewalk
along Rockville Pike--through Dec 8. (If you wish to enter the school
property, stop at the gate and explain why you are there.)  

A CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD that has been visiting a feeder just north of
Lynchburg, Bedford Co, VA, since mid-October was banded and
definitively identified on Dec 6. This hatch-year male, which was back
again Dec 7 and 8, can be viewed, thanks to the gracious hospitality
of the property owners, at the rear of 207 Sandown Circle. 

An ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER was discovered Dec 7, and was still present
Dec 8, at Occoquan NWR, Prince William Co, VA. It was along Deephole
Rd, initially north of Charlie Rd. 

An ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER was found Dec 3, and seen again Dec 4, in
Somerset Co, MD. The bird was hanging out along Coventry Parish Rd
southeast of Rehobeth, near the banks of the Pokomoke River.

Two CACKLING GEESE were found Dec 4 along Presquile Rd west of
Pickering Creek Audubon Center in Talbot Co, MD. On Dec 2, 1 CACKLING
GOOSE and 2 GREATER-WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were at Pickering Creek. On
Dec 3, 2 CACKLING GEESE and 2 REDHEADS were among more than a dozen
species of waterfowl in the vicinity of the Belle Haven Marina and the
mouth of Hunting Creek, Fairfax Co, VA. 

A EURASIAN WIGEON was reported from Ridgeway Park, Hampton, VA, on the
afternoon of Dec 6. A EURASIAN WIGEON was found Dec 8 at a pond at the
Bayside development off Rte 611 north of Assateague Island, Worcester
Co, MD.

A REDHEAD was present Dec 2 at Kershner's pond, off Rte 17 south of
Burkittsville, Frederick Co, MD. A REDHEAD was found Dec 2 at Ft
Smallwood Park, Anne Arundel Co, MD.

A female HARLEQUIN DUCK and a COMMON EIDER were again spotted at the
Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, on Dec 8. 

Eight NORTHERN BOBWHITE were found Dec 6 at Blandy Experimental Farm,
Clarke Co, VA; they were in the field in front of the observation
tower.

A RED-THROATED LOON was seen Dec 7 at Triadelphia Reservoir, from the
boat ramp area off Greenbridge Rd in Montgomery Co. RED-THROATED LOONS
were abundant at Indian River Inlet, DE, on Dec 6.

As many as 6 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS are again on display at
Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD, with sightings Dec 6 and 7. A
VIRGINIA RAIL was observed along the refuge's Wildlife Drive (part of
which is closed), as were 2 CACKLING GEESE.

A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was reported from Beltsville, Prince George's Co,
MD, on Dec 2, while a likely NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen not far
away--over Greenbelt Lake--Dec 3.

Northampton Co, VA, is supporting a bonanza of AMERICAN WOODCOCKS;
some 55 were counted from a car going 60 mph down Rte 13 on Dec 4.
That same day a single AMERICAN WOODCOCK visited a yard in Talbot Co.

A first-winter ICELAND GULL was discovered Dec 6 at Brown Station
landfill, Prince George's Co. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were among the
larids flocking to Schoolhouse Pond, Upper Marlboro, Prince George's
Co, on Dec 4 and 6.

SNOWY OWLS continued to grab the attention of birders. The bird on
Assateague Island was viewed on Dec 6, more than 3 miles down the ORV
zone. Another specially arranged boat trip to Poplar Island, on Dec 2,
again found the SNOWY OWL, as well as more than 50 SNOW BUNTINGS; both
owl and buntings were present again Dec 4, and the owl was still
around Dec 9. A SNOWY OWL visited Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co,
MD, Dec 2. 

In VA, a SNOWY OWL near Ruckersville, Greene Co, was refound and
photographed Dec 6, and it was back in the area Dec 7. The bird favors
fields on the east side of Rte 29 north of Rte 609 (although it has
also visited yards about a mile away). 

SHORT-EARED OWLS are frequenting the area around Blackwater NWR: on
Dec 6, one was found along Shorter's Wharf Rd while 3 were found along
Cedar Creek Rd--as were a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and a SEDGE WREN. Two
SHORT-EARED OWLS and a NORTHERN HARRIER were observed Dec 4 in the
Russell Rd area of Garrett Co, MD. 

Several area birders report lingering hummingbirds. One--apparently a
hatch-year RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD--has been visiting a feeder since early
fall in the Sampson's Wharf area of lower Northumberland Co, VA.
Another likely RUFOUS is visiting a feeder in Bedford Co, not far from
the haunt of the Calliope. Yet another hummer continues to visit a
yard in the Four Corners area of Silver Spring, Montgomery Co.

Birders scouring Somerset Co for the MD Ash-throated Flycatcher found
a WESTERN KINGBIRD, as well as a LARK SPARROW, at Vessey's Orchard
(north of Rehobeth) on Dec 5; these birds were also present on Dec 6. 

A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was spotted Dec 7 in a field south and east of
Blandy.
The LBJ Grove along the GW Parkway, next to the Columbia Island
Marina, DC, continued to be a hotbed of warbler activity: on Dec 6 it
showcased YELLOW-THROATED, PINE, and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS (as well
as 15 PINE SISKINS and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH). These birds were
reported again Dec 7 and 8. (The LBJ Grove is accessible only from the
southbound George Washington Parkway, between Memorial Bridge and the
14th St Bridges.)  On Dec 6, 4 yellow PALM WARBLERS visited Kenilworth
Park, NE DC--as did 2 AMERICAN PIPITS and a flyover SNOW BUNTING.

WARBLERS also continued to brighten the Hopewell, VA, area, with
reports of ORANGE-CROWNED, WILSON'S, and BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS on
Dec 7 and 8.  As of Dec 2, a WILSON'S WARBLER had spent the week in a
backyard in Alexandria, VA. A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT turned up at
Assateague's Bayside campground on Dec 5 (site C 49).  

AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were reported at a few spots, including Blandy
and Occoquan, on Dec 6.

At least 10 LAPLAND LONGSPURS and a sprinkling of SNOW BUNTINGS have
been working the fields around the intersection of Oland Rd and Rte 85
in Frederick Co, MD, with reports from Dec 4 through Dec 9.
 
The Rehobeth, MD fields hosting the Ash-throated Flycatcher also
produced 2 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS along with numerous RUSTY BLACKBIRDS on
Dec 3 and 4. On Dec 8 a BREWER'S BLACKBIRD foraged with a flock of
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS near Blackwater NWR, along Egypt Rd 1/2 mile
north of Key Wallace Drive.

A BALTIMORE ORIOLE visited a yard in Columbia, Howard Co, MD, Dec 6.
On Dec 4, a BALTIMORE ORIOLE was spotted at Vessey's Orchard.

Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey,
VA-Bird, and DE-bird list servers.  

The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606,
http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/default.asp?page=511) 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.