-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 11:14 AM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 2/21/12
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 2/21/2012
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, February 21, at
10 AM.
The most exciting find of the week was a VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* in MD.
Other top birds were PINK-FOOTED GOOSE* in MD, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE* in MD,
and WESTERN GREBE in DE.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, RED-THROATED LOON, GREAT
CORMORANT, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, hawks, SANDHILL CRANE, AMERICAN WOODCOCK,
gulls, RAZORBILL, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, warblers, sparrows, BALTIMORE ORIOLE,
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, and PINE SISKIN.
A VIRGINIA'S WARBLER*, a first record for MD, was confirmed at Pickering
Creek Audubon Center, Talbot Co, MD on Feb 15 and seen every day there for
the rest of the week. While it was actually first seen on Jan 26 it was in
poor light and thought to be a Palm Warbler but better looks and photos from
the 15th confirm that is a VIRGINIA'S WARBLER. It was between the parking
lot and the first pond observation platform. To find the bird take the
gravel entrance road into Pickering Creek Audubon and park in the lot on the
left; take the trail that heads towards the impoundments and begin looking
for the bird in the bushes on both sides of the path in both scrubby fields.
Pickering Creek has asked that the following practices be adopted
immediately by those searching for the bird: 1. In general, do what you can
to minimize the chaos and confusion for the bird due to your searching. 2.
In particular - please respect the fact that the habitat of the field where
the bird has been seen is a warm season grass meadow disrupted only by a
minimal set of deer trails. This meadow has not previously been tramped
down by human traffic, and it would be best to keep it that way. Therefore,
birders are asked to do their searching through use of existing mown trails,
driveways, mowed fields, and dormant agriculture lands, but are asked to NOT
trample through the warm season grassy meadows. Such trampling is not likely
to produce the bird, and will likely result in the bird leaving the entire
area.
A PINK-FOOTED GOOSE* was found Feb 20 at the edge of a pond near the
intersection of Jones Rd and Hipsley Mill Rd just north of the Patuxent
River SP, Howard Co, MD. PLEASE NOTE access to this site appears difficult
as the pond and the land around it are private property; however, the pond
and fields are viewable from Hipsley Mill Rd. Please be careful, courteous,
and do not park on the grass. It was seen again the morning of Feb 21 at
Jennings Chapel Rd and Colton Ct, just north of Jones Rd.
The BARROW'S GOLDENEYE* was again reported Feb 18 at the Elms Environmental
Education Center, St. Mary's Co, MD.
The WESTERN GREBE was seen again on Feb 15, 17, and 18 at the ferry landing
in Lewes, Sussex Co, DE.
A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was found Feb 18 at Belle Haven Marina,
Fairfax Co, VA. Four GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were found again Feb
20 along Polks Rd west of Allen Rd, Somerset Co, MD; three CACKLING GEESE
were also found in the same area. The blue-phase SNOW GOOSE at Veteran's
Park, Woodbridge, Prince William Co, VA was seen again on Feb 18. A ROSS'S
GOOSE and a CACKLING GOOSE were found Feb 17 along Broadkill Rd, Sussex Co,
DE.
Two CACKLING GEESE were seen Feb 20 at Woodlawn Cemetery, Norfolk, VA.
Two EURASIAN WIDGEONS were seen Feb 15 and 17 along Prime Hook Beach Rd,
Sussex Co, DE. A EURASIAN WIGEON was found Feb 18 at the Chesapeake Bay
Environmental Center, Grasonville, Queen Anne's Co, MD.
COMMON EIDERS and HARLEQUIN DUCKS continue to be found in the Ocean City, MD
inlet with reports of the latter from Feb 14 and the former on Feb 18. Two
WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen Feb 14 and 15 in the Potomac River in
Montgomery Co, MD waters from the Billy Goat Trail near Great Falls.
While conducting a beach survey at Back Bay NWR and False Cape SP, VA Beach,
VA on Feb 15 a very large flight of RED-THROATED LOONS (7300), NORTHERN
GANNETS (2800), and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS (1660) was observed along with 4
RAZORBILLS.
Two GREAT CORMORANTS were seen Feb 18 at the Elms Environmental Education
Center, St. Mary's Co, MD.
The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN which has been reported along Riley Roberts Rd in
the Deal Island WMA, Somerset Co, MD was seen again on Feb 15 and 20.
A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen Feb 15 from Clifton Farm Rd, Russell Co, VA.
Birders also found a GOLDEN EAGLE while looking for the VIRGINIA'S WARBLER
at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center, Talbot Co, MD on Feb 17 and 18.
Seven GOLDEN EAGLES, both adults and immature birds, were observed Feb 18 in
Burke's Garden, Tazewell Co, VA.
A MERLIN was one of the highlights of the weekly Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co, VA
walk on Feb 19.
A SANDHILL CRANE was seen Feb 15 at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA but
not seen again later in the week. A SANDHILL CRANE was also seen on Feb 16
and 17 in Calvert Co, MD, in a field along Yellow Bank Rd, just north of the
light in Dunkirk. It was not seen again later in the week.
There were even more reports of displaying AMERICAN WOODCOCKS this past week
with reports from Kenilworth Park, NE DC on Feb 14, from Aldie, VA on the
18th, and from Claude Moore Park, Sterling, Loudoun Co, VA on Feb 20.
A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen Feb 17 at Swan Cove, Chincoteague NWR, Accomack
Co, VA and at Tom's Cove on the 18th. A BLACK-HEADED GULL was also seen at
Cape Charles, Northampton Co, VA on Feb 17 and another at Paper Mill Flats,
Baltimore Co, MD on Feb 18. The first year GLAUCOUS GULL was seen again
near Brown's Island, Richmond, VA on Feb 20.
RAZORBILLS continue to be found at the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD
with sightings there on both Feb 14 and 18. RAZORBILLS were also seen Feb
18 and 20 at Indian River Inlet, Sussex Co, DE.
Two LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were found Feb 18 along Rte 711 in Mecklenburg Co, VA
0.1 miles north of the Palmer Springs firehouse.
An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen Feb 17 in Cape Charles, Northampton
Co, VA. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was also seen Feb 20 along Riley
Roberts Rd, Somerset Co, MD.
Five AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW were found Feb 18 in
Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA around the platform at the end of the
Hike/Bike trail. AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were also found Feb 20 in a scrubby
field along Ebenezer Church Rd near Bloomfield, Loudoun Co, VA. The LARK
SPARROW near Pumphouse #2 at the Assateague SP, Worcester Co, MD, was seen
again on Feb 20.
As of Feb 16 a BALTIMORE ORIOLE is continuing to visit a feeder near
Manassas, Prince William Co, VA.
A WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL showed up at a feeder on Feb 18 in Port Republic,
Calvert Co, MD.
A PINE SISKIN again visited a feeder in West Laurel, Prince George's Co, MD,
on Feb 19.
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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