-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 4:20 PM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 2/28/12
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 2/28/2012
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: Helen Patton
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 28, at
11:45 AM.
Top birds this week include PINK-FOOTED GOOSE* in MD, WESTERN GREBE in DE
and VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* in MD.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, WHITE IBIS, AMERICAN WHITE
PELICAN, hawks, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, gulls, RAZORBILL, WHITE-WINGED DOVE,
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, COMMON RAVEN, PURPLE MARTIN, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, LARK
SPARROW and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
The PINK-FOOTED GOOSE*, first found on February 20 in Howard Co, MD was seen
again on February 21 and 22 but there were only second-hand reports after
that. Since the goose moved around so much a Google map of the sighting
locations can be viewed at http://g.co/maps/s2z8x.
The VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* continued to be seen sporadically at Pickering Creek
Audubon Center, Talbot Co, MD during the week. 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
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.
The WESTERN GREBE was seen again on February 21, 22 and 24 at the ferry
landing in Lewes, Sussex Co, DE.
Many observers have been treated to the spectacle of thousands of TUNDRA
SWANS and CANADA and SNOW GEESE on the move this week. A GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was in a field at the Solomons, Calvert Co MD on
February 22, 23, 24. Thirteen GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were at McCune's
in the Fishersville area, Augusta Co, VA on February 23.
All thirteen were seen on Hestons Farm ponds off Shilom Road (Rte.
632) in the Stuarts Draft area on February 26. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
was at the Plantations development off US50 in Hebron, Wicomico Co, MD on
February 24. Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and two CACKLING GEESE were
found along Harrison Road near The Plains, Fauquier Co, VA on February 24.
A EURASIAN WIGEON was at the small cove adjacent to the Holiday Inn Express,
Kent Narrows, Queen Anne's Co MD on February 26. The continuing EURASIAN
WIGEON was at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Grasonville, Queen
Anne's Co, MD with sightings on February 26 and 27. A EURASIAN (COMMON) TEAL
was at the West OC Pond, Ocean City, Worcester Co, MD on February 24 and 25.
HARLEQUIN DUCKS continue to be found in the Ocean City, MD inlet with
reports from February 25.
Two adult WHITE IBIS were along Riley Roberts Road, Deal Island WMA,
Somerset Co, MD on February 26.
The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN which has been reported along Riley Roberts Road,
Deal Island WMA, Somerset Co, MD was seen again on February 25 and 27. Forty
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD on
February 26.
Birders looking for the VIRGINIA'S WARBLER at the Pickering Creek Audubon
Center, Talbot Co, MD were treated to the sight of a GOLDEN EAGLE on
February 21. A GOLDEN EAGLE was at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD on
February 26. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was on Cedar Creek, also Dorchester Co, MD
on the same day.
AMERICAN WOODCOCKS put on quite a show at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co,
VA on the evening of February 25. They were displaying again there early on
February 26. More AMERICAN WOODCOCKS were flushed from the Halethorpe ponds
area of Patapsco Valley State Park, Baltimore Co, MD on February 26.
The BLACK-HEADED GULL frequenting the Hunt Valley Town Center, Baltimore Co,
MD was seen on February 26. A LAUGHING GULL was at the Salisbury Landfill,
Wicomico Co, MD on February 24. Another LAUGHING GULL was at the Ocean City
Inlet, Worcester Co, MD on February 25.
A GLAUCOUS GULL was at Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William Co, VA on February
26.
RAZORBILLS continue to be found at the Ocean City Inlet, Worcester Co, MD
with sightings there on February 25. RAZORBILLS were also seen February 20
and 26 at Indian River Inlet, Sussex Co, DE.
A WHITE-WINGED DOVE was at the Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA on February
24.
A RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD has been coming to a feeder in Darlington, Harford Co,
MD seen on February 25.
As part of the continuing COMMON RAVEN territory expansion, two were at the
Oxbow Lake Preserve on February 26 and another one was sighted along MD 32
on February 27 both in Anne Arundel Co, MD.
A PURPLE MARTIN scout was on the oceanfront at Virginia Beach, VA on
February 23.
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was on Whitehall Neck Road, Bombay Hook NWR, DE on
February 20 and 22.
The LARK SPARROW near Pumphouse #2 at the Assateague SP, Worcester Co, MD,
was seen again on Feb 25 and 26.
Seven RUSTY BLACKBIRDS visited a yard in Concord, Campbell Co, VA on
February 21. A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was at Huntley Meadows Park on February 26.
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were at the Great Dismal Swamp NWR, Suffolk, VA on February
27.
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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