-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 5:43 PM
To: 
Subject: DC Area, 10/18/11

Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist
Date:               10/18/2011
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 $50; Family $65; Nature Steward $100; Audubon Advocate
$200). 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, October 18, at 10 AM. 

Top birds this week are YELLOW RAIL in VA and BELL'S VIREO in MD.

Other birds of interest include REDHEAD, COMMON MERGANSER, HORNED GREBE,
NORTHERN GANNET, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN BITTERN, YELLOW-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERON, WHITE IBIS, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, SORA, AMERICAN AVOCET, SPOTTED
SANDPIPER, SOLITARY SANDPIPER, MARBLED GODWIT, POMARINE JAEGER, PARASITIC
JAEGER, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD,
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, BANK SWALLOW, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, MARSH
WREN, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, WOOD THRUSH, warblers, sparrows, ROSE-BREASTED
GROSBEAK, DICKCISSEL, BOBOLINK, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, and BALTIMORE ORIOLE.

A YELLOW RAIL appeared briefly in Cape Charles, Northampton Co VA, on 10/16,
but apparently wasn't located again. On 10/17, a BELL'S VIREO was enjoyed by
several people at Turkey Point, Elk Neck SP, Cecil Co MD.

Most of this week's birds are either late-departing migrants or early
arrivals. Among the former are a YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON in Northampton
Co VA on 10/15, a sprinkling of BROAD-WINGED HAWKS through the week (mostly
at the hawk watches), an AMERICAN AVOCET at Eastern Shore of VA NWR
(Northampton Co) on 10/16, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER on
10/16 at Dyke Marsh VA (Fairfax Co), a SOLITARY SANDPIPER on 10/13 at
Kenilworth Pk, SE DC, a MARBLED GODWIT on 10/14 at Broadkill Beach Rd,
Sussex Co DE, a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO at Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch (Sussex Co
DE) on 10/15, COMMON NIGHTHAWKS at Kiptopeke Hawk Watch (Northampton Co VA)
on 10/16 and 10/17, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS on
10/13 in Mt. Crawford VA (Rockingham Co) and on 10/16 at a feeder in St.
Margaret's MD (Anne Arundel Co), 43 ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS at a school in
Woodbridge VA (Prince William Co) with smaller numbers widely scattered over
the reporting area, BANK SWALLOWS on 10/14 at Kiptopeke Hawk Watch and on
10/15 along Longneck Rd in St. Mary's Co MD, a MARSH WREN on 10/16 at UMD
Central Farm in Howard Co MD, a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER at the State Arboretum
of VA (Clarke Co) on 10/15, and a WOOD THRUSH on 10/16 in Rock Creek Pk, NW
DC.

Nearly 20 species of warbler were reported. The late departures included
widely scattered TENNESSEE WARBLERS throughout the week in small numbers,
single ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS seen at Loch Raven Reservoir (Baltimore Co
MD) on 10/11-12, at Bayside Campground on 10/16, and at Sky Meadows SP also
on 10/16, single NASHVILLE WARBLERS and NORTHERN PARULAS, again widely
scattered and throughout the week, single CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS at
Snicker's Gap Hawk Watch (Loudon Co
VA) on 10/13 and in Fairfax VA (Fairfax Co), 152 CAPE MAY WARBLERS streaming
past Assateague Island NS on 10/15 and small numbers of CAPE MAY WARBLERS
widely scattered throughout the week, AMERICAN REDSTARTS at Assateague
(10/15), Point Lookout SP (10/16), and Rock Creek Pk (10/16-17), a single
OVENBIRD on 10/11 at Cromwell Valley Pk (Baltimore Co MD), single
CONNECTICUT WARBLERS on 10/15 at Meadowood Rec. Area, Lorton VA (Fairfax Co)
and at Meadowbrook Pk in Howard Co MD, and HOODED WARBLERS on 10/16 in
Shenandoah Co VA and at Eastern Shore of VA NWR and at Huntley Meadows Pk,
Fairfax Co VA, on 10/17, and single YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS, at Point Lookout
SP on 10/15 and at Bayside Campground, Assateague, Worcester Co MD, on
10/16.

Late-departing sparrows included CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS sparsely distributed
throughout the area between 10/14 and 10/17, a single VESPER SPARROW at Sky
Meadows SP (Fauquier Co VA) on 10/16. In MD on 10/16, GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS
were found in Baltimore, at UMD Central Farm, and Western Regional Pk
(Howard Co).

Other late-departing migrants included a single ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK on
10/17 in Rock Creek Pk, single DICKCISSELS on 10/16 at UMD Central Farm and
on Milltown Landing Rd, Prince George's Co MD. Also, a single BOBOLINK was
seen at Occoquan Bay NWR (Prince William Co VA) on 10/15 and eight BOBOLINKS
were at Assateague Island NS the same day, and a single BALTIMORE ORIOLE was
at Bayside Campground on 10/16.

Early arrivals included a REDHEAD in Worcester Co MD on 10/16, a COMMON
MERGANSER at Great Falls Nat. Historical Pk, Fairfax Co VA, on 10/16, a
number of RED-THROATED LOONS passing Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch between 10/14
and 10/17, two HORNED GREBES near McMillan Reservoir in NW DC on 10/17,
eight NORTHERN GANNETS at Assateague SP on 10/16, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS
thinly scattered over the area between 10/14 and 10/16, and RUSTY BLACKBIRDS
at Hughes Hollow (Montgomery Co MD) on 10/12, at Occoquan Bay NWR on 10/15,
and at Aspen Hill Rec. Area (Montgomery Co MD) on 10/16.

Other birds of interest were three AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS seen from the
Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch on 10/14, a WHITE IBIS found in Northampton Co VA
on 10/15, four SORA seen at Huntley Meadows Pk on 10/17, PARASITIC JAEGERS
seen from the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch on
10/11 and 10/14, three PARASITIC JAEGERS and a POMARINE JAEGER seen from
Assateague SP on 10/16, and a few RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES in MD and DE on
10/16 and 10/17

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/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

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