-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 11:32 AM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 12/14/10
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/14/2010
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE/WV panhandle
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
(email):
Compiler: Bob Hartman
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. Covered here are reports up to about 8:15 AM,
Tuesday, December 14.
Top birds this week are Gyrfalcon in southern PA, Black-headed Gull
and Thayer's Gull in MD, ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD in MD, and Ash-throated
Flycatcher in MD.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, red-necked grebe, golden
eagle, Sandhill crane, Iceland gulls, black skimmer, Rufous and
Allen's hummingbirds, loggerhead and northern shrikes, cave swallow,
very late warblers, and evening grosbeaks.
Although outside our normal reporting region, the gyrfalcon seen on
Dec 7 at Waggoner's Gap hawkwatch in southern PA suggests that we
should be watching for them in the northern parts of the region.
A black-headed gull found on Dec 8 at Paper Mill Flats, Baltimore Co,
MD, continues through Dec 13.
Also found on Dec 8 was a Thayer's Gull, at Ocean City inlet,
Worcester Co, MD.
A hummingbird, which has been seen at a feeder in Middletown, MD,
since late November, was netted, identified as a hatch-year male
Anna's hummingbird*, and banded, on Dec 9. It hasn't been seen since.
The ash-throated flycatcher continued at least through Dec 12 at
Assateague Island National Seashore, Worcester Co, MD, around the Life
of the Marsh Trail.
Interesting waterfowl continue in many places, including Greater
white-fronted geese at Patuxent River Park (Jug Bay), Prince George's
Co, MD, on Dec 10, and at Cranberry Reservoir, Carroll Co, MD, on Dec
12 and 13. Also at Cranberry Reservoir on Dec 12, a cackling goose was
seen. CACKLING GEESE were also found at Piney Run Pk, Carroll Co, MD,
on Dec 10, and in Arnold, Prince George's Co, MD, on Dec 11. Tundra
swans are not so unusual in this area, but more than 1500 tundra swans
at Perryville Community Pk, Cecil Co, MD, on Dec 12 must have been
quite an impressive sight. A Eurasian wigeon was reported at Cedar
Creek Pond, Kent Co, DE, on Dec 11, and a redhead turned up at
Georgetown Reservoir, in NW DC on Dec 12. Long-tailed ducks are no
surprise along the saltwater coast, but one at Piney Run Pk on Dec 7,
and especially 30 of them at Triadelphia Reservoir, Montgomery/Howard
Co, MD, were a treat. The Red-necked grebe continued at Piney Run Pk
at least through Dec 11.
A golden eagle was reported from Schoolhouse Pond, Upper Marlboro, MD,
on Dec 7.
The Sandhill Crane near Hampstead, Carroll Co, MD, continued at least
through Dec 12, but has moved to Shiloh Rd.
Iceland Gulls have appeared in several places, including Brown Station
Rd landfill, Prince George's Co, MD, on Dec 9, Patuxent River Pk on
Dec 11, Neabsco Creek, Prince William Co, VA, on Dec 11, and Ocean
City, MD, on Dec 11. A Black Skimmer was seen at Assateague Island
National Seashore on Dec 10.
The female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD in the Calvert Hills area of College
Park, Prince George's Co, MD, was still being seen, with a report on
Dec 13. 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. The
Allen's hummingbird in Chester, Chesterfield Co, VA, was seen at least
through Dec 8.
The northern shrike at Assateague Island National Seashore continued
at least through Dec 12 (near the ash-throated flycatcher, but
apparently not as easy to find). A Loggerhead shrike* was reported
from Ashville Pk, Norfolk, VA, on Dec 11.
A pair of Cave Swallows was seen at Point Lookout State Park, St.
Mary's County, MD, on Dec 7.
Sightings of Black-capped chickadees have decreased, but they are
still being reported across the northern part of the region. A flock
of 14 Brown-headed Nuthatches was seen at Chesapeake Bay Env. Center
(formerly Horsehead), Queen Anne's Co, MD, on Dec 10. A young male
American Redstart was photographed at Bombay Hook NWR, DE, on Dec 8,
and an Ovenbird that turned up at Schoolhouse Pond on Dec 7 has
remained through Dec 13.
Be on the watch for evening grosbeaks. They have turned up at two
locations in MD: North Beach, Calvert Co, on Dec 8, and Mount Calvert
Rd in Upper Marlboro on Dec 11.
On Feb 5, See Life Paulagics will run a trip out of Lewes, DE, looking
for Dovekies and other alcids. For details, contact
or call 215-234-6805.
All 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/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. 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(s) |