-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 9:25 AM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 12/30/08
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/30/08
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
(email):
(deadline): midnight Mondays
Compiler: John Bjerke
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 30, at
8 a.m.
Top bird this week is ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* in MD.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, grebes, NORTHERN GANNET, GREAT
CORMORANT, hawks and eagles, SORA, SANDHILL CRANE, LONG-BILLED CURLEW*,
gulls, alcids, SNOWY OWL*, SHORT-EARED OWL, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, LOGGERHEAD
SHRIKE*, YELLOW and other warblers, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, BREWER'S BLACKBIRD,
COMMON REDPOLL, and PINE SISKIN.
The Ocean City, MD Christmas Bird Count on Dec 28 had many excellent
sightings. Perhaps the best was an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* seen along the
south road into Snug Harbor off Rt 611 south of Ocean City.
A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen at Centennial Lake in Howard Co, MD
on Dec 23. A ROSS'S GOOSE was found on Rt 50 south of Easton, Talbot Co, MD
on Dec 26. Three ROSS'S GEESE were near South Point, Worcester Co, MD on Dec
28 and two others were near Berlin, Worcester Co that same day. CACKLING
GEESE were seen Centennial Lake in Howard Co on Dec 23 and 26. They were
also seen at Brighton Dam, Howard and Montgomery Cos, MD on Dec 28; at
Greenbelt Lake, Prince Georges Co, MD on Dec 27; and on Skimmer Island,
Ocean City, MD on Dec 28.
The EURASIAN WIGEON was again reported at Piscataway Park, Prince Georges
Co, MD on Dec 27 and 29. REDHEADS were found on Centennial Lake, Howard Co
on Dec 25, 26, and 27. A dozen REDHEADS were seen at Beaverdam Reservoir,
Loudoun Co, VA on Dec 27. At least 70 REDHEADS were at the Loch Raven
Reservoir, Baltimore Co, MD on Dec 28. A TUFTED
DUCK* of unknown provenance was seen from Great Marsh Park, Cambridge,
Dorchester Co, MD on Dec 25. An immature male COMMON EIDER, an immature male
KING EIDER, a female KING EIDER, and a female HARLEQUIN DUCK were found on
the south side of the Ocean City, MD inlet on Dec 28. A drake HARLEQUIN DUCK
was near the Inlet Motel, Ocean City, MD on Dec 29. One immature male and
one female KING EIDER, one immature male and one female COMMON EIDER, and
one adult male HARLEQUIN DUCK were near the northern two islands of the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, Northampton Co, VA on Dec 26. A female
LONG-TAILED DUCK was seen from Hains Point, Washington, DC on Dec 24 and 29.
A RED-NECKED GREBE was spotted from Island 4 of the Chesapeake Bay
Bridge/Tunnel on Dec 26. An uncooperative grebe that was either a
WESTERN* or a CLARK'S* was found at Point Lookout SP, St Mary's Co, MD on
Dec 27.
NORTHERN GANNETS were in large numbers at Ocean City, MD and the Chesapeake
Bay Bridge/Tunnel. Twenty two GREAT CORMORANTS were seen at the Bay
Bridge/Tunnel on Dec 26.
Single OSPREY were found near Dameron, St Mary's Co, MD on Dec 24 and in
south Ocean Pines, Worcester Co, MD on Dec 28. An immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK
was found at Cedar Landing, Dorchester Co, MD on Dec 26. A dark phase
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen on Griffith Neck Rd, Dorchester Co, MD on Dec 26.
An immature GOLDEN EAGLE was found south of Berlin, MD on Dec 28. Another
GOLDEN EAGLE was near the Bestpitch boat landing, Dorchester Co, MD on Dec
26.
A SORA was seen along the boardwalk at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA
on Dec 27.
Three SANDHILL CRANES flew over Slaterville, New Kent Co, VA on Dec 25. A
LONG-BILLED CURLEW* has been in residence at a farm near Breaks, Buchanan
Co, VA since Dec 21.
An adult LITTLE GULL was seen from the northern islands of the Chesapeake
Bay Bridge/Tunnel, VA on Dec 26. A first year THAYER'S GULL was at
Schoolhouse Pond, Upper Marlboro, Prince Georges Co, MD on Dec 24. Another
first winter THAYER'S was on Assateague Island, Worcester Co, MD on Dec 28.
Two first year THAYER'S GULLS and one first year Kumlien's form ICELAND GULL
were found at the Salisbury, Wicomico Co, MD landfill on Dec 29. A first
year Kumlien's form ICELAND GULL was seen on the Anacostia River, Washington
DC on Dec 27. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were reported from the Anacostia
River, the Salisbury landfill, and Waldorf and Jug Bay in Prince Georges Co,
MD.
A first year GLAUCOUS GULL was at the Loudoun Co, VA Landfill on Dec 27.
A RAZORBILL and a DOVEKIE were seen in the Ocean City, MD inlet on Dec 28.
Three more RAZORBILLS were off the ocean beaches of Assateague Island on Dec
28. A RAZORBILL was in the Ocean City inlet on Dec 29.
A SNOWY OWL* was seen at Savage's Ditch bayside about 7 miles south of
Rehoboth Beach, Sussex Co, DE on Dec 29. SHORT-EARED OWLS were found near
Purcellville, Loudoun Co, VA on Dec 27; on Port Mahon Rd, Kent Co, DE on Dec
27; and in the Bestpitch area, Dorchester Co, MD on Dec
26.
The RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD visiting a feeder in Port Republic, Calvert Co, MD
was seen again on Dec 26.
A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE* was seen along Rt 15 south of Leesburg, Loudoun Co, VA
on Dec 28.
A YELLOW WARBLER, an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and a PALM WARBLER stayed
within 100 yards of milepost 8 on the bike path north of Dyke Marsh, Fairfax
Co, VA, Dec 25 through 28. An OVENBIRD was found on a golf course near south
Ocean Pines, Worcester Co, MD on Dec 28.
An unidentified Longspur was seen along Oland Rd, Frederick Co, MD on Dec
27. A LAPLAND LONGSPUR and two BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS were found southwest of
Berlin, MD on Dec 28.
A male COMMON REDPOLL was briefly at the Ocean City, MD inlet on Dec
26.
PINE SISKINS continued to appear all over the region.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey, VA-Bird,
and Delaware 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. |