-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 10:08 AM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 4/14/09

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist 
Date:               4/14/09
Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE 
Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1 
Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2 
       (email):      
    (deadline):     midnight Mondays 
Compiler:           Lou DeMouy
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, April 14, at 9:00 am.

Top birds this week are AUSTRALIAN BLACK SWAN* in DE and COMMON MURRE* in MD

Other birds of interest include BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK*, HARLEQUIN
DUCK,  RED-THROATED LOON, NORTHERN GANNETT, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN
BITTERN, egrets and herons, WOOD STORK, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, RING-NECKED
PHEASANT, RUFFED GROUSE, VIRGINIA RAIL, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, WILSON'S SNIPE,
terns, BLACK SKIMMER*, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE*, WHIP-POOR-WILL, CHIMNEY
SWIFT, vireos, warblers, HARRIS'S SPARROW*, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILL, and PINE SISKIN.

An AUSTRALIAN BLACK SWAN* has been reported at Silver Lake, Rehoboth, DE, on
April 7, 8, and 10.

A COMMON MURRE* in breeding plumage was seen on the south side of the Ocean
City Inlet off of Assateague Island, Worcester Co, MD, on April
12 and 13.

The BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK* was reported again at Silver Lake,
Rehoboth, DE, on April 10.  

Two HARLEQUIN DUCKS were at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD, on April 12.

RED-THROATED LOONS showed at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA, on April 12. 

NORTHERN GANNETS continue to be observed at a variety of locations at
coastal areas in our region. 

About 30 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co,
MD, on April 7.
 
An AMERICAN BITTERN was at the Middle Patuxent River in Columbia, Howard Co,
MD, on April 10.  Other AMERICAN BITTERN reports came from Shirley
Plantation, New Kent Co, VA, on April 10; Julie Metz Wetlands, Prince
William Co, VA, on April 11; Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD, on April 13; and
Southwest Area Park, Baltimore, MD, on April 13.

Egret and heron sightings include two GREAT EGRETS at Meadowbrook Park,
Howard Co, MD, on April 8, a CATTLE EGRET at Pasadena, Anne Arundel Co, MD,
on April 8, 13 CATTLE EGRETS south of Elkton, Cecil Co, MD, on April 8, a
GREEN HERON at Shirley Plantation, New Kent Co, VA, on April 13,
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS at Kent Narrows, Queen Anne's Co, MD, on April 9
and at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on April 11, and a YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON at
Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co, VA, on April 8. 

A WOOD STORK* was seen flying over Woodstock, Howard Co, MD, on April
11 flying in the direction of Liberty Lake, Carroll Co, MD. 

Among hawk sightings, a BROAD-WINGED HAWK was seen at Morgan Run Natural
Environmental Area, Carroll Co, MD, on April 13.  Other BROAD-WINGED HAWK
reports on April 13 include five in Woodbine, Carroll Co, MD, and 22 over
the Ashland Nature Center, New Castle Co, DE, on April 13.

Two RING-NECKED PHEASANTS were at Southwest Area Park, Baltimore, MD, on
April 13.

A RUFFED GROUSE report came from Russell Co, VA, on April 13. 

A VIRGINIA RAIL was reported at Huntley Meadows Park on April 12 and 13.

A SPOTTED SANDPIPER was at Veterans Park, Prince William Co, VA, on April 12
and three SPOTTED SANDPIPERS were found at Great Falls National Park,
Fairfax Co, VA, on April 12.

A number of WILSON'S SNIPE were at Davidsonville Park, Prince George's Co,
MD, on April 9.  Other sightings include two WILSON'S SNIPE at Neabsco
Creek, Prince William Co, VA, on April 12, another at Huntley Meadows,
Fairfax Co, VA, on April 12, and eleven at Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD, on
April 13.

TERN sightings included CASPIAN at various locations across our area and a
LEAST TERN at Bogle's Wharf, Kent Co, MD, on April 12. 

Two BLACK SKIMMERS* were reported flying over the Van Ness area of northwest
Washington, DC, on April 8.

A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE* was seen again in Somerset Co, MD, on April 10. 

A WHIP-POOR-WILL was reported at the Patuxent North Tract, Anne Arundel Co,
MD, on April 8.  Two WHIP-POOR-WILL were at Buffalo Creek Nature Area at the
Bedford/Campbell Co line, VA, on April 12.  

Early CHIMNEY SWIFTS have shown at Waterworks Park, Anne Arundel Co, MD, on
April 11; Kingstowne Pond, Fairfax Co, VA, on April 11; and at Cylburn
Arboretum, Baltimore, MD, on April 13.

A BLUE-HEADED VIREO was spotted at Governor Bridge Natural Area, Prince
George's Co, MD, on April 8.  A BLUE-HEADED VIREO was seen at Fort Dupont
Park, Washington DC, on April 8.

Swallows including TREE SWALLOWS and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS are
appearing in good numbers across the region. A CLIFF SWALLOW was spotted at
Oxbow Lake, Anne Arundel Co, MD, on April 12. 

Warbler arrivals are well underway.  Reports of NORTHERN PARULA, YELLOW,
YELLOW-RUMPED, YELLOW-THROATED, PINE, PALM, BLACK-AND-WHITE, OVENBIRD,
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT have come in from many
locations throughout the region.  A PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was reported at
Virginia Beach, VA, on April 12.

Sparrow sightings include twelve VESPER SPARROWS in Rappahannock Co, VA, on
April 9 and one VESPER SPARROW in Augusta Co, VA, on April 11.
A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was reported from the Amelia WMA, Powhatan Co, VA,
on April 10.  Many sightings of CHIPPING SPARROWS come from across the area.
The HARRIS'S SPARROW*, which was being seen regularly in Columbia, Howard
Co, MD, was last reported on April 8. 

RUSTY BLACKBIRDS continued, with appearances at Lake Roland, Baltimore Co,
MD; Lake Elkhorn, Howard Co, MD, and Huntley Meadows, Fairfax Co, VA. 

Six WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were spotted in Baltimore, MD, on April 10.

PINE SISKINS sightings continue daily from many locations.  Reports have
come from Lake Elkhorn, Howard Co, MD, on April 10; Augusta Co, VA, on April
10; Colesville in Montgomery Co, MD, on April 11; Baltimore Co, MD, on April
12; Bethesda, Montgomery Co, MD, on April 12; Fredericksburg, VA, on April
13; and Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, Howard Co, MD, on April 13.

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.