-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 12:24 PM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 12/13/11
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 12/13/2011
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE/WV panhandle
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports, comments, questions:
(e-mail):
(voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
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 $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, December 13, at
noon.
Top birds this week are CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD* in MD, LE CONTE'S
SPARROW* in MD, and WESTERN TANAGER* in VA.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, HORNED GREBE, AMERICAN
WHITE PELICAN, raptors, AMERICAN AVOCET, gulls including BLACK-HEADED
GULL, SHORT-EARED OWL, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE*, SNOW
BUNTING, warblers, sparrows, DICKCISSEL, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, PURPLE
FINCH, and PINE SISKIN.
The CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD* visiting a garden near Easton, Talbot Co,
MD, since October 23 was banded on Dec 9. The garden is in a private
community where parking is limited and all viewing is from inside a
townhouse. Access can still be attained, but is by appointment only.
To arrange a time for a visit, phone the home owner at 410-822-1966;
she will provide directions to her home and instructions about
parking. Please be courteous and respectful.
The LE CONTE'S SPARROW* found Nov 25 at Swan Harbor Farm, Harford Co,
MD, continued to be seen throughout this past week as it moved along
the reeds on the south dike of the marshy impoundment. An AMERICAN
BITTERN was also seen there on Dec 9.
A very skittish WESTERN TANAGER* that has been visiting a feeder in
Williamsburg, VA continued to be seen with a report as recently as Dec
9.
Waterfowl numbers continue to mount throughout the area.
A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was found Dec 8 at the intersection of
Zion and Campbell Rd, Louisa Co, VA, mixed in with about 60 Canada
Geese. SNOW GEESE, mostly flyovers, were reported in several
locations west of their normal haunts throughout the week, including a
blue morph with a flock of Canada Geese off the northern-most end of
the nature trail at Veterans Park, Woodbridge, VA, on Dec 12. A
ROSS'S GOOSE and a CACKLING GOOSE were seen Dec 7 along Prime Hook
Beach Rd, Sussex Co, DE.
A EURASIAN WIGEON was found Dec 11 at the Bayside Development Pond,
Ocean City, MD.
LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen at a number of inland locations this past
week including one on Dec 8 in SW DC on the Potomac north of the 14th
Street Bridge. On Dec 10 there were 32 at Black Hill Regional Park,
Montgomery Co, MD, and 22, along with 10 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, at
Violette's Lock, Montgomery Co MD.
A single HORNED GREBE was found Dec 11 at Beaverdam Reservoir, Loudoun
Co, VA.
Six AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were found Dec 6 at Willis Wharf,
Northampton Co, VA; they were also seen Dec 9 and Dec 11 at the
Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD.
The highlight of a trip to The Cove in Tazewell Co, VA on Dec 11 was
two adult GOLDEN EAGLES and a BALD EAGLE perched in the same snag. A
few minutes before seeing these birds a juvenile GOLDEN EAGLE was seen
soaring overhead. A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen Dec 8 in the Bailey's
Crossroad's area of Fairfax, Co, VA.
The AMERICAN AVOCET*, first found on Dec 3 at a farm pond near
Bridgewater, Rockingham Co, VA, was last seen Dec 10 the day before
the pond froze.
A single BLACK-LEGGED KITIWAKE was found Dec 11 from the inlet at
Ocean City, MD. A BLACK-HEADED GULL, mixed in with a flock of
Ring-billed Gulls, was found Dec 9 in the parking lot in front of the
Best Buy at the Hunt Valley Mall, Baltimore Co, MD. It continued to
be seen and beautifully photographed throughout the rest of the week.
On Dec 11 an ICELAND GULL was found at the Salisbury Landfill,
Wicomico Co, MD.
SHORT-EARED OWL sightings increased this past week with three hunting
over a large field on the east side of Bullfrog Rd, about a 1/4 mile
north of Baumgardner Rd, west of Taneytown in Carroll Co, MD, on Dec 9
and two there on the 10th. The same day one was reported flying over
the marshes from the canoe/boat launch at Shorter's Wharf Rd,
Dorchester Co, MD. Three SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen Dec 11 foraging
over a couple of fields in the Green Springs area of Louisa Co, VA
along with about 15 NORTHERN HARRIERS.
An adult female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD was banded in Lynchburg, VA on Dec
10. Another RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD is visiting a feeder in Virginia
Beach, VA and was well-photographed on Dec 11. A hatch year
Selasphorus species visited a feeder in Dinwiddie Co, VA on Dec 10.
A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE* which was discovered Nov 25, northwest of
Hagerstown, Washington Co, MD, was seen again on Dec 10, this time off
of Hager's Crossing Dr. Later in the day it was seen from Pettigrew
Court off of Sedgwick Way. The shrike has been frequenting the
outskirts of a large shopping complex, the Centre at Hagerstown. [From
I-70, take I-81 north, then Rte 40 west, and almost immediately make a
right turn into the Centre. At the T, go left on Bartow Dr to a
roundabout. The bird has been found near two of the streets that lead
off the roundabout, Sedgewick Way and Hager's Crossing Dr.]
A flock of 30 SNOW BUNTINGS was found Dec 10 at Assateague Island
State Park, Worcester Co, MD. Two SNOW BUNTINGS were seen flying over
Sky Meadows State Park, Fauquier Co, VA on Dec 10. Six fly-over SNOW
BUNTINGS were seen Dec 11 in Crisfield, Somerset Co, MD.
Warblers other than YELLOW-RUMPED continued to pop up at a variety of
locations including a WILSON'S WARBLER which was found Dec 8 at the
Portsmouth City Park, Portsmouth, VA. On Dec 10 a PRAIRIE WARBLER was
found on Assateague Island, Worcester Co, MD in the Bayside
Campground, along with a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT in the scrubby area
behind the dunes of North Ocean Beach, and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
at the State Park.
The LARK SPARROW at the Assateague Island NS campground in front of
pump house #2 was seen again on Dec 9 and 10. A LINCOLN SPARROW was
found Dec 6 at the E A Vaughn Wildlife Management Area, North Section,
Worcester Co, MD. A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen Dec 11 at the end of
the Hike/Bike trail at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA.
A DICKCISSEL continued to be seen at Hains Point, SW DC, with a report
on Dec 10.
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS continued to be seen in the area this past week.
While there have been few reports of PURPLE FINCH reports this year,
on Dec 11 one was reported at the White Oak WMA in Pittsylvania Co, VA
and another at a feeder in Columbia, Howard Co, MD.
PINE SISKINS were observed Dec 9 on a walk to the Swan Creek mitigated
wetlands in Anne Arundel Co, MD.
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.
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