-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 11:30 AM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 3/23/10
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 3/23/10
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 March 23, at
10:45 AM.
Top birds this week are TUFTED DUCK* in MD, SWAINSON'S HAWK* in DC, and
CALIFORNIA GULL* in VA.
Other birds of interest include BLUE-WINGED TEAL, EURASIAN (COMMON)
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RED-THROATED LOON, NORTHERN GANNET, AMERICAN WHITE
PELICAN, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, raptors, SANDHILL CRANE, shorebirds
including AMERICAN WOODCOCK, gulls, FORSTER'S TERN, sparrows, and RUSTY
BLACKBIRD.
A male TUFTED DUCK* was found on the east side of the Holiday Inn Express
near the Kent Narrows in Queen Anne Co, MD on March 16 and was still being
seen as of March 22. The hotel's General Manager has indicated that birders
are welcome and can use the wooden deck as an observation platform.
A SWAINSON'S HAWK* was seen circling the National Mall from the south
entrance to the Natural History Museum in NW DC on March 17. After a few
minutes the hawk flew away to the west-north-west.
The CALIFORNIA GULL* reported in the Fort Story area of the beach at First
Landing SP, Virginia Beach, VA was seen again everyday through March 18. A
CALIFORNIA GULL was seen March 20 among the many other gulls at the Prince
William Landfill, Prince William Co, VA.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL were reported at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA, on
March 20 and at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands Mitigation Project, Loudoun Co,
VA, on March 21.
A EURASIAN (COMMON) GREEN-WINGED TEAL was found on March 21 in the north
impoundment along Broadkill Beach Rd, Sussex Co, DE. A hybrid American /
EURASIAN (COMMON) GREEN-WINGED TEAL was found at Little Patuxent Oxbow Lake
Nature Preserve, Anne Arundel Co, MD on March 19 and reported there again on
March 22.
A RED-THROATED LOON was seen March 19 on Carvins Cove Reservoir in Botetourt
Co, VA. On March 21 a RED-THROATED LOON was found in the waters off of
Palmer Point, Kerr Reservoir, Mecklenburg Co, VA.
On March 20, while conducting aerial avian surveys, researchers from the
Center for Conservation Biology observed an estimated 20,000 NORTHERN
GANNETS near the mouth of Hungars Creek in Northampton Co, VA along the
bayside of the Eastern Shore. This is a significant portion of the
population believed to occur within the western Atlantic. The morning of
March 22, 11,560 NORTHERN GANNETTS were seen in Northampton Co off Cape
Charles Beach between the harbor and Cherrystone Creek.
Eleven AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co,
MD on March 20.
A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was seen March 22 along Sligo Creek, Montgomery
Co, MD, between Rte 29 and Wayne Ave at last year's nesting site over the
creek a short way downstream from the intersection of Sligo Creek Pkwy and
Worth Ave.
A dark morph RED-TAILED HAWK was seen and photographed on March 20 from
Airport Rd, just west of Rte 11 on the west side of the river bridge in
Mount Crawford, Rockingham Co, VA.
Two PEREGRINE FALCONS were flying around Silver Spring, Montgomery Co, MD on
March 17.
A flock of nine SANDHILL CRANES was seen near Leesburg, Loudoun Co, VA on
March 16 flying northeast towards the Potomac River. A SANDHILL CRANE was
seen March 22 in the northeast corner of the cornfield across River Rd from
the eastern edge of the Patton Turf Farm in Montgomery Co, MD.
Shorebird reports are beginning to trickle in with three PECTORAL SANDPIPERS
on Oak Grove Rd in Caroline Co, MD on March 16. AMERICAN WOODCOCKS continued
to be reported displaying at a variety of locations including Monticello
Park, Alexandria, VA on March 16; several on the 16th at Soldiers Delight
Natural Area, Baltimore Co, MD; several off Ben Rose Ln at Morgan Run NEA,
Carroll Co, MD on March 17; and at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA on
March 17 and 20.
A first cycle ICELAND GULL was seen March 16 on the beach east of the
boardwalk close to Fort Story at First Landing SP, Virginia Beach, VA.
There were at least four LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS at the Prince William Co
Landfill on March 20.
A FORSTER'S TERN was seen and photographed flying over Lake Shenandoah,
Rockingham Co, VA on March 17.
A VESPER SPARROW was seen March 21 near the turn to Stonehouse Lake in
Amherst Co, VA. A VESPER SPARROW was found the same day at Old Trail,
Albemarle Co, VA. Eight FOX SPARROWS were found March 16 at Prettyboy
Reservoir, Baltimore Co, MD. FOX SPARROWS were also found March 21 during
the regular weekly bird walk at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA.
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA on Mar 20
and 21. A handful of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were found on March 21 at the Irvine
Nature Center, Baltimore Co, MD. Five RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were found March 21
at Little Patuxent Oxbow Lake Nature Preserve, Anne Arundel Co, MD.
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 |