-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 11:15 AM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 7/13/10

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist 
Date:               7/13/2010
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, July 13, at 10:30 AM.

Top bird this week is BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK* in MD.
Birds of interest this week include AMERICAN BITTERN, LEAST BITTERN,
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, COMMON MOORHEN, shorebirds
including UPLAND SANDPIPER and RUFF, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, CLIFF SWALLOW,
DARK-EYED JUNCO, SWAMP SPARROW, and PINE SISKIN.

The five BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING DUCKS* that were reported at the
Charlestown Retirement Community Pond off Wilkens Ave in Catonsville,
Baltimore Co, MD, were seen again on July 6 and 7. Since then they have not
been reported from this private community where access is strictly limited.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was found at Swan Creek Wetland at the end of Kembo Rd
near Key Bridge in northern Anne Arundel Co, MD on July 9; it was in the
large impoundment on the west side of the rd. A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
was also seen there as it flew over the gate at dawn.

On July 6 a LEAST BITTERN was found at Swan Harbor Farm Park, Harford Co,
MD. The highlights of the regular weekly bird walk on July 11 at Dyke Marsh,
Fairfax Co, VA were the sightings of three different LEAST BITTERNS south of
the trail on the dogleg as well as a nearly grown juvenile HOODED MERGANSER.
A LEAST BITTERN was also found July 12 on Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co,
MD.
 
A BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was also seen July 12 on the Baltimore Co, MD
side of Liberty Reservoir.

A BROAD-WINGED HAWK was observed July 6 along the Appalachian Trail in G.
Richard Thompson WMA, Fauquier Co, VA as it perched in a snag along Skyline
Drive in VA's Shenandoah NP.

A  COMMON MOORHEN was found at Schoolhouse Pond, Upper Marlboro, Prince
George's Co, MD, on July 7 and seen there through July 10.

Numerous shorebirds, including a BLACK-NECKED STILT, were found at
Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD on July 12.

Five AMERICAN AVOCETS were seen on July 10 at Violette's Lock, C&O Canal,
Montgomery Co, MD. The same day four AMERICAN AVOCETS were also found, as
well as three SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, at Brown Station Rd pond, Upper
Marlboro Prince George's Co, MD. The pond is best viewed from the parking
lot at the Public Convenience Center. An AMERICAN AVOCET was also seen July
11 on Liberty Reservoir located on the border of Baltimore Co and Carroll
Co, MD.

An UPLAND SANDPIPER was found in DE on July 11 in the field directly across
from the entrance to the Air Mobility Command Museum at the Dover Air Force
Base on Route 9.

A MARBLED GODWIT was found July 10 at Lynnhaven Inlet, Virginia Beach, VA.

A black RUFF was found on July 6 and 11 at the north end of Raymond Pool in
Bombay Hook NWR, DE. Another RUFF, this one with a white ruff, was seen
there between July 7 and July 9.

In addition to the four SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS at the pond at Brown Station
Rd in Upper Marlboro Prince George's Co, three were also reported at Blue
Mash, Montgomery Co, MD, and four were at the Dulles Greenway Wetlands
Mitigation Project, Loudoun Co, VA, all on July 10.

A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was seen at Blue Mash, Montgomery Co, MD on July 10.

In spite of bridge cleaning, the colony of approximately 20 nesting CLIFF
SWALLOWS persists under the bridge from Brunswick, Frederick Co, MD to VA. A
report from July 12 indicated the swallows are nesting on both the north and
side of the bridge but are being forced to get to their nests through a gap
in the tarp in the middle of the bridge.
CLIFF SWALLOWS were also reported on a wire near the Visitor Center at Sky
Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA on July 10.

A very out-of-season DARK-EYED JUNCO was seen in Darnestown, Montgomery Co,
MD on July 10.

A SWAMP SPARROW, an unusual summer find, was seen during the regular weekly
bird walk at Huntley Meadows Pk, Fairfax Co, VA on July 12. 

A PINE SISKIN was found July 12 at Piney Reservoir, Garrett 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