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FW: DC Area, 11/3/09

From:

Norm Saunders

Reply-To:

Norm Saunders

Date:

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:59:58 -0500

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 4:28 PM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 11/3/09

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist 
Date:               11/3/09
Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE 
Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1 
Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2 
        (email):     
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, Nov. 3, at 11:00 am.

Top birds this week are grebe sp.* in VA, GREAT WHITE HERON* in VA and DE,
and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* in VA.

Other birds of interest include waterfowl, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN
BITTERN, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE, COMMON MOORHEN, shorebirds
including HUDSONIAN GODWIT, PARASITIC JAEGER, gulls, WESTERN KINGBIRD,
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, COMMON RAVEN, sparrows, YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

A GREBE, either a CLARK'S*, virtually unheard of in our area, or a WESTERN*,
also very rare, was reported at a small pond at Atlantic Shores, Virginia
Beach, VA Nov 2.

A GREAT WHITE HERON*, a white morph of the GREAT BLUE HERON, was seen and
photographed Oct 31 in a field along Clifton Farms Rd near the confluence of
the Clinch and Little Rivers, Russell Co, VA. A GREAT WHITE HERON* was also
reported from Bethany Beach, DE on Nov 1. It was found at a pond on the
north side of the road close to where Fred Hudson Rd intersects with Cedar
Neck Rd just before the entrance to the Bethany Lakes development.

An ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* was seen and heard for about an hour from the
Kiptopeke SP Hawkwatch, Northampton Co, VA on Nov 1.

A CACKLING GOOSE (RICHARDSON'S) was seen Oct 28 at the Boy Scout Camp near
Swoope, Augusta Co, VA. One was found Oct 29 at Cranberry Reservoir, Carroll
Co, MD and three were there on Oct 30.

A BRANT was found at Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, MD on Oct 28 and seen
through the first of Nov. Several BRANT were also found at Sandy Point SP,
Anne Arundel Co, MD throughout the week.

Waterfowl numbers swelled this past week and included seven COMMON EIDERS on
Oct 30 and a HARLEQUIN DUCK flying over Cape Henlopen on Oct 29. Five COMMON
EIDERS and one juvenile HARLEQUIN DUCK were seen at the Ocean City, MD inlet
on Nov 1. Scoters showed up at a number of locations including seven SURF
SCOTERS reported Oct 30 from Lake Royal in the Kings Park west area of
Fairfax Co, VA. On Nov 1 there were two BLACK SCOTERS on the Potomac River
between the 14th St. Bridge and Memorial Bridge in SW DC. Six BLACK SCOTERS
were seen Nov 1 on ponds in Augusta Co, VA. Four SURF SCOTERS and two BLACK
SCOTERS were found Nov 1 at Lapidum, Harford Co, MD. There was a single
female SURF SCOTER at Greenbelt Lake, PG Co, MD Nov 2. A LONG-TAILED DUCK
was seen at Cranberry Reservoir on Oct 30. There was a LONG-TAILED DUCK at
the Georgetown Reservoir, NW DC on Nov 1.

An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD on
Oct 28.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen Oct 28 in the newly constructed wetlands along
the east side of Egypt Road, Dorchester Co, MD. The AMERICAN BITTERN
reported last week at the pond behind the Walmart on Rte 29 in Madison
Heights, Amherst Co, VA, was seen again on Oct 29 and Nov 2.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen flying over Little Island City Park, Virginia
Beach, VA on Oct 31. 

A light-phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK flew over the Gardenville section of
Baltimore, MD Nov 2.

GOLDEN EAGLES were seen at a couple of different locations including one on
Oct 31 flying over Sky Meadows State Park, Fauquier Co, VA. Two GOLDEN
EAGLES as well as two SNOW GEESE and over 60 TUNDRA SWANS flew over the
Snickers Gap Hawkwatch, Clarke Co, VA on Nov 1.

A COMMON MOORHEN was found Nov 1 in the large pond along Elliott Island Rd,
Dorchester Co, MD.

A flock of SANDHILL CRANES flew over Calf's Mtn, Waynesboro, VA, Nov 1. A
SANDHILL CRANE flew over Bombay Hook NWR, DE on Nov 2.

On Oct 28 six AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS flew over the Kiptopeke St Pk
Hawkwatch, Northampton Co, VA. There was an AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER at Merkle
Wildlife Sanctuary, Prince George's Co, MD on both Nov 1 and Nov 2.

The two HUDSONIAN GODWITS spotted in pool 5a of Blackwater NWR, Dorchester
Co, MD last week continued to be reported with reports from every day of the
week. Also present there on occasion were two LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. A
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was also found at the ponds along Rte 3 in King
George, King George Co, VA on Oct 31. A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen at
Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary the 28th through the 31st of Oct. A WESTERN
SANDPIPER and two LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were seen during the trip to
Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD on Oct 31. There was a STILT SANDPIPER
at Leonard's Pond in Rockingham Co, VA on Nov 1.

A juvenile PARASITIC JAEGER was seen Oct 31 at the Ocean City Inlet,
Worcester Co, MD, and three were seen there on Nov 1.

An adult FRANKLIN'S GULL was found Oct 31 on Hydes Rd off of Long Green Pike
in Baltimore Co, MD. Other gull sightings included LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS
from several locations.

A WESTERN KINGBIRD was found Nov 2 at Cape Henlopen SP, DE.

Two LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were reported Nov 2 at 4407 Ballenger Creek Pike
Frederick County, MD, which is between Cap Stine Rd and New Design Rd just
south of Elmer Derr Rd.

There was a late PHILADELPHIA VIREO in Lynchburg, VA on Oct 28.

COMMON RAVENS were seen near Tyson's Corners, Fairfax Co, VA on Oct 29.

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES continued to be reported from a variety of
locations.

A VESPER SPARROW was found Oct 27 at Loch Raven Reservoir, Baltimore Co, MD.
There was also a VESPER SPARROW at Sky Meadows SP on Nov 1. A NELSON'S
SPARROW was found in the marsh along Rumbly Point Rd, Somerset Co, MD on Oct
29. A NELSON'S SPARROW was also seen along George Island Landing Rd, east of
Stockton, Worcester Co, MD on Oct 31. A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen Oct 30
along the C&O Canal west of
MD-61 where it crosses the Potomac River in South Cumberland, Allegany Co,
MD. Two SNOW BUNTINGS were seen at Little Island City Park, Virginia Beach,
VA on Oct 31.

On Oct 31 a male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, in full breeding plumage, was
found mixed in with flock of over 4,000 blackbirds in a field of waste corn
across Rte 3 from a pond to the right of the Aggregate driveway in King
George, King George Co, VA. A flock of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen nearby
earlier in the morning.

Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey, VA-Bird,
and DE-Birds 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