-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 5:25 PM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 5/18/10

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist 
Date:               5/18/2010
Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE 
Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1 
Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2 
        (email):     
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, May 18, at 8 AM.

Top birds this week are LITTLE STINT* in MD, SOOTY TERN* in VA, and PAINTED
BUNTING* in DC.

Other birds of interest include CATTLE EGRET, WHITE IBIS, MISSISSIPPI KITE,
PIPING PLOVER and other shorebirds, terns, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, OLIVE-SIDED
FLYCATCHER, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, COMMON RAVEN, GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH,
BICKNELL'S THRUSH, BREWSTER'S WARBLER, MOURNING WARBLER and other warblers,
VESPER SPARROW, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, and DICKCISSEL.

A LITTLE STINT* was found in a farm pond on Canning House Rd, Harford Co, MD
on May 12.

A SOOTY TERN* was seen very briefly over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel,
Northampton Co, VA on May 14.

A PAINTED BUNTING*, either a first year male or a female, was seen at the
maintenance yard on Hains Point, Washington, DC on May 15.

Two CATTLE EGRETS were on the west side of the Anacostia River in
Bladensburg, Prince Georges Co, MD on May 12. An adult WHITE IBIS was
spotted in the Bayside Development off Rt 611 near Ocean City, Worcester Co,
MD on May 15. Another was on Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA on May 16.  

MISSISSIPPI KITES were seen from many locations including the Kings Park
subdivision, Springfield, Fairfax Co, VA on May 16; Lake Accotink, Fairfax
Co, VA on May 15; Fairfax Station, Fairfax Co on May 15, Julie Metz
Wetlands, Woodbridge, Prince William CO, VA on May 15; Ft Smallwood Park,
Anne Arundel Co, MD on May 14 and Susquehanna SP, Harford Co, MD on May 15.

A PIPING PLOVER was found on the beach at Chincoteague NWR,  on May 16. A
MARBLED GODWIT was in Ted Harvey WMA, Kent Co, DE on May 12. In addition to
the spectacular migration staging underway on the Delaware Bay, shorebirds
turned up in some other somewhat unusual spots. A DUNLIN was at the
Germantown, Montgomery Co, MD soccerplex on May 12.
A STILT SANDPIPER was in the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial,
Washington DC, on May 13. A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was there on May 14.
Three RUFFS were seen from Canning House Rd, Harford Co, MD on May 12. A
WILSON'S PHALAROPE was seen again on a large pond on Rte 313 north of
Sudlersville, Queen Anne's Co, MD on May 11 and 13. 

Two GULL-BILLED TERNS were spotted at Ted Harvey WMA on May 12. Twenty
COMMON TERNS were on the Potomac River at Violette's Lock, C&O Canal,
Montgomery Co, MD on May 14. A BLACK TERN was seen there on May 13.
Another BLACK TERN was at Occoquan Bay NWR, Woodbridge, Prince William Co,
VA on May 12.

A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was found near Marriottsville, Howard Co, MD on May
15. 

OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS were found in several locations this week.
Upper Watts Branch Park, Montgomery Co, MD had one on May 15 and two on May
16. Single OLIVE-SIDEDS were seen at Patuxent Refuge North Track, Anne
Arundel Co, MD on May 15; Little Bennett Regional Park, Montgomery Co, MD on
May 16, Marriottsville, Howard Co, MD on May 16; and Pennyfield Lock, C&O
Canal, Montgomery Co, MD on May 16. ALDER and LEAST FLYCATCHERS were also
reported from many locations across the region this week.

A PHILADELPHIA VIREO was seen at Brown Station Landfill, Prince Georges Co,
MD on May 15. The property is not open to the public.
Another PHILADELPHIA VIREO was near Sealston, King George Co, VA on May 15.

A COMMON RAVEN flew over Tyson's Corner, Fairfax Co, VA on May 13.  

Adding to the joys of migration, GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES made an impressive
showing across the region this week. Two were in Rock Creek Park in
Washington, DC on May 12 and Upper Watts Branch Park, Rockville, Montgomery
Co, MD on May 16; single birds were found in the Gorman Rd/Eden Brook area,
Howard Co, MD on May 12; Powell's Creek, Prince William Co, VA on May 12;
Blue Mash Nature Trail, Montgomery Co, MD on May 15; Susquehanna SP, Harford
Co, MD on May 15 and 16; a Towson, MD back yard on May 16; Sugarloaf Mt,
Frederick Co, MD on May 16; Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC on May 16; The
Point in Prince William Co, VA on May 15 and Weyanoke Sanctuary, Norfolk, VA
on May 17.

BICKNELL'S THRUSH was also observed in several locations. Single birds were
seen and sometimes heard at Davidsonville Park, Anne Arundel Co, MD on May
15; an Anne Arundel Co back yard on May 15; the Jug Bay area of Prince
Georges Co, MD on May 16; and Governors Bridge Road Park, Prince Georges Co,
MD on May 15. Birders are cautioned that the minimus subspecies of
GRAY-CHEEKED must be carefully separated from BICKNELL'S.  

Warblers brightened spirits everywhere. Susquehanna SP in Harford Co, MD
seems to have taken top honor for diversity with 27 species recorded on May
16 and 24 on May 15. As is often the case at this point in migration,
BLACKPOLL WARBLERS impress with their numbers; 65 were seen on a morning
walk at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA on May 16. A BREWSTER'S WARBLER hybrid
was found at Blair's Valley Lake, Washington Co, MD on May 13.

MOURNING WARBLERS were reported from many locations including Westminster,
Carroll Co, MD on May 12; Blair's Valley Lake, May 13, 15, and 16;
Schoolhouse Pond, Prince Georges Co, MD on May 14 and 15; Susquehanna SP on
May 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17; Upper Watts Branch Park on May 14; Fort CF Smith
Park, Arlington, VA on May 13, 14, and 16; Little Bennett Regional Park on
May 15; Meadowside Nature Center, Montgomery Co, MD on May 16; Rock Creek
Park, Washington, DC on May 16; and Patuxent Ponds Park, Anne Arundel Co, MD
on May 17. 

A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was seen in Kenilworth Park, Washington, DC on May 13.
A VESPER SPARROW was found on Harris Rd, Caroline Co, MD on May 16.

LINCOLN'S SPARROW turned up at Mountain Rd, Garrett Co, MD on May 15;
Hanging Rock Rd, Washington Co, MD on May 16; Oxon Cove, Prince Georges Co,
MD on May 16; Burke, Fairfax Co, VA on May 16; and Rock Creek Park,
Washington, DC on May 12.

Two DICKCISSELS were singing on Cap Stine Rd just north of Manor Woods Rd,
Frederick Co, MD on May 16.  

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