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FW: DC Area, 12/23/08

From:

Norm Saunders

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Date:

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:09:42 -0500

 

 

From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 6:48 PM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 12/23/08

 

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist 
Date:               12/23/08 
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, December 23, at 6 p.m.

Top birds this week are GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE in MD, PACIFIC LOON in
VA, and CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD in VA.

Other birds of interest include waterfowl, hawks including GOLDEN EAGLE,
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, SNOWY OWL, SHORT-EARED OWL, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD,
SNOW BUNTING, RUSTY and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILL, and PINE SISKIN.

On Dec 18 a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen at Broadford Lake,
Garrett Co, MD and on Dec 20 one was in the main impoundment at the
Pickering Creek Audubon Center in Talbot Co, MD.

A PACIFIC LOON was sighted Dec 20 on Kerr Reservoir in Mecklenburg Co off
of the Palmer Point Day Use Area.  This is the sixth year in a row that a
PACIFIC LOON has been at this location during the winter.  Also present
there was a RED-THROATED LOON.

The CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD that has been visiting a feeder just north of
Lynchburg, Bedford Co, VA continues. This hatch-year male, reported as
recently as Dec 22, can be viewed, thanks to the gracious hospitality of
the property owners, at the rear of 207 Sandown Circle. 

A ROSS'S GOOSE and a CACKLING GOOSE were found at Great Oak Pond, Kent Co,
MD on Dec 18.  A ROSS'S GOOSE was seen at Riverview Park on the New River
in Radford, VA, on Dec 18.  ON Dec 20 ROSS'S GEESE were seen in a number
of locations, one was flying overhead in Baltimore Co, MD; another was
seen at Tuckahoe State Park, Queen Anne's Co, MD and still another along
Sparks Road, Caroline Co, MD.  There was also an immature ROSS'S GOOSE
that day at a pond on Rte 311 in north Roanoke Co, VA and an adult ROSS'S
GOOSE in the Leedstown area of Westmoreland Co, VA on Dec 20.

On Dec 21 two CACKLING GEESE were found at North Branch, Allegany Co, MD. 
 On Dec 22 a CACKLING GOOSE was found at Oxbow Lake Nature Preserve, Anne
Arundel Co, MD.
 
A TRUMPETER SWAN, presumably #962 was found Dec 21 at Schoolhouse Pond,
Upper Marlboro, Prince George's Co, MD.

The EURASIAN WIGEON was again reported at Piscataway Park, Prince Georges
Co, MD, with reports throughout the week through Dec 21 when two drakes
were reported there.  

A first-winter male COMMON EIDER was at the first island of the Chesapeake
Bay Bridge/Tunnel islands, Northampton Co, VA on both Dec 20 & 21.

A WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was found on Dec 20 on the Potomac River between
Hains Point and Fort McNair, SW DC.   Another (?) was seen on the
Anacostia River the same day.

A female LONG-TAILED DUCK was seen on Lake Placid off of Rte 28 in
Montgomery Co, MD through Dec 21.  On Dec 21 a female LONG-TAILED DUCK was
seen along Piscataway Creek between Fort Washington National Park and
Wharf Road, Prince George's Co, MD.

An adult GOLDEN EAGLE was seen Dec 22 flying over fields in Howard Co, MD,
where Homewood, Sheppards Lane, and Folly Quarter meet.  Single MERLINS
and PEREGRINE FALCONS were reported from several of the Christmas Bird
Counts that took place over the weekend. 

A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was reported from the Navy Yard, SW DC on Dec
20.  The same day a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was reported sitting on the
railings at Hains Pt, SW DC.

SNOWY OWLS continued to grab the attention of birders. The owl on
Assateague Island was viewed again on Dec 21 near kilometer 24 in the ORV
zone. The SNOWY OWL on Poplar Island, Talbot Co, MD, was seen again on Dec
19 as well as 58 SNOW BUNTINGS.

Three SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen Dec 21 flying on McCune Rd a little
southwest of Middletown, Frederick Co, VA.

In spite of the cold weather several area birders report lingering
hummingbirds at feeders.  A RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD has been visiting a feeder
this past week in Port Republic, Calvert Co, MD and was positively banded
and identified the morning of Dec 23.  The RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD that has
been visiting a feeder in Fairfax Co south of George Mason Univ. near
Fairfax City was reported still doing so on Dec 21.

A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was visiting a feeder in Laurel, Prince George's Co, MD,
on Dec 20.

Four, and possibly more, BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS were found Dec 20 at the old
cattle farm on Fleetwood Drive in Nokesville, Prince William Co, VA.

A BALTIMORE ORIOLE was visiting feeders in a yard in New Kent Co, VA on
Dec 22.

A small flock of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were spotted in the Swallow Falls
State Park (Garrett Co, MD) parking lot on Dec 18.  On Dec 20 they were
heard in the same location and seven were seen in a tree visible from the
Oakland Golf clubhouse parking lot on Oakland-Sang Run Rd, Garrett Co, MD.

PINE SISKINS continued to pop up at feeders throughout the area, usually
in relatively small numbers but sometimes in flocks as large as 60 birds.

Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey and
VA-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.