-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2010 11:19 AM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 12/7/10
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/7/2010
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE/WV panhandle
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
(e-mail):
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, Dec 7, at 10 AM.
Top birds this week are ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD* in VA and ASH-THROATED
FLYCATCHER* in MD.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, RED-THROATED LOON, RED-NECKED
GREBE, NORTHERN GANNET, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE, SANDHILL CRANE,
gulls, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, NORTHERN SHRIKE, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, CAVE SWALLOW,
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, and
RED CROSSBILL.
The hatch year female ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD* banded last week was still
visiting feeders in Chester, VA as of Dec 5.
The ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* that was discovered over a week ago at
Assateague Island National Seashore, Worcester Co, MD, continues to be seen
with the most recent report from Dec 5. It continues to frequent the area
near the beginning of the Life of the Marsh Trail.
Waterfowl numbers continued to swell throughout the area. A GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was found Dec 5 in the field just south of the TJ Bridge
in the Solomons, Calvert Co, MD, across the road from the Calvert Marine
Museum. Two ROSS'S GEESE and one CACKLING GOOSE were found Dec 4 in an old
corn field near the intersection of Kibler and Round Top Rds Queen Anne's
Co, MD; one ROSS'S GOOSE was there on Dec 5. A ROSS'S GOOSE was seen Dec 4
at the Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA. A CACKLING GOOSE was found at
Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, Prince George's Co, MD, on Dec 6.
A EURASIAN WIGEON was seen on Belmont Bay from Mason Neck SP, Fairfax Co,
VA, on Dec 1. Two EURASIAN WIGEONS were found Dec 5 at the Bayside
Development Pond, Worcester Co, MD. Two HARLEQUIN DUCKS and 9 COMMON EIDERS
were found Nov 30 at the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD along with
several PURPLE SANDPIPERS. The same number of HARLEQUIN DUCKS and COMMON
EIDERS were found Dec 3 on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel islands,
Northampton Co, VA. A COMMON EIDER was seen Dec
4 from the 28th Bay Street, Norfolk, VA.
RED-NECKED GREBES popped up at a couple of locations this past week.
There was one at Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, MD, from Dec 3 through the 5th
and another Dec 4 on the Shenandoah River a little south of the Rte 50
bridge in Clarke, Co, VA.
Not only were NORTHERN GANNETS seen in large numbers off the coast and in
the Bay, they were seen Dec 5 in the York River off of Yorktown, VA.
A light-phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen Dec 4 in Augusta Co, VA on Hall
School Rd near Stuart's Draft. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was found Dec
5 in Shenandoah Co, VA on Bethel Church Rd a ½ mile NW of South Middle Rd.
Two GOLDEN EAGLES were reported Dec 5 from the Snicker's Gap Hawkwatch, on
the Clarke/Loudoun Co, VA line; one was seen there on the 6th.
In Carroll Co, MD, the SANDHILL CRANE in Hampstead was still being reported
on Dec 5. It was in a field on the north side of Rte 482, opposite North
Carroll HS.
An adult LITTLE GULL was seen at the Inner Harbor, Baltimore Co, MD on Dec
5. BONAPARTE'S GULLS popped at several locations this past week.
On Dec 4 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen along Rte 50 on Dec 4 near
Ocean City, MD and at the Salisbury landfill, Wicomico Co, MD.
The female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD in the Calvert Hills area of College Park,
Prince George's Co, MD, was still being seen with a report as recent as Dec
5. It can be viewed from the back patio of 4602 Drexel Rd; you are welcome
to use the chairs, but please stay on the patio.
Three hummingbirds were banded in the Lynchburg, VA area on Dec 4.
One, in Bedford Co, VA, was a first-year male RUFOUS; another, a first-year
female RUFOUS, was in Amherst Co, and the third was a late adult male
RUBY-THROATED in Lynchburg, itself. Remember to keep those feeders filled.
The NORTHERN SHRIKE that was discovered at Assateague the same day as the
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER is along Bayside Drive, close to the Life of the
Marsh parking lot; the latest report for it is from Dec 5. A LOGGERHEAD
SHRIKE was found Dec 5 on Cold Spring Rd, a ¼ mile west of Hwy 42 in
Rockingham Co, VA.
Three CAVE SWALLOWS were reported Dec 5 from the ORV zone on Assateague
Island National Seashore, Worcester Co, MD.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were found Nov 30, Dec 4 and 5 in the same area on
Assateague Island as the Ash-throated Flycatcher as well as at the Bayside
Development Pond.
Five LAPLAND LONGSPURS and four SNOW BUNTINGS were found Dec 5 mixed in with
a large flock of HORNED LARKS along Leverage Rd, Queen Anne's Co, MD. A
flock of about 30 SNOW BUNTINGS was found Dec 6 across from the parking lot
at Little Island Beach a little north of Back Bay NWR, Virginia Beach, VA.
A flock of about 90 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were on the lawn in front of the
Wetlands Center at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Anne Arundel Co, MD on Dec 6.
While waiting to see the Ash-throated Flycatcher on Assateague Island, a RED
CROSSBILL was heard Dec 4.
On Feb 5, See Life Paulagics will run a trip out of Lewes, DE, looking for
Dovkies and other alcids. For details, contact or call
215-234-6805.
Most of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey, VA-Bird,
West Virginia Birding List, and DE-Birds list servers.
The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606, http://www.audubonnaturalist.org,
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. 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 |