-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 11:47 AM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 3/20/12
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 3/20/2012
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, March 20 at
10:30 AM.
Top birds this week are VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* in MD, BREWER'S SPARROW* in VA,
and LE CONTE'S SPARROW* in MD.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, NORTHERN FULMAR, MANX SHEARWATER,
AMERICAN BITTERN, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE, VIRGINIA RAIL, SORA,
shorebirds, BLACK-HEADED GULL, LITTLE GULL, RAZORBILL, EURASIAN-COLLARED
DOVE, warblers, sparrows, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
Two of the most interesting aspects of this past week were the many early
First-of-Season sightings, several of which were record setting; and the
many birds nesting much earlier than normal.
The VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* is still being seen at the Pickering Creek Audubon
Center in Talbot Co, MD, with the most recent report from March 18. 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 BREWER'S SPARROW* was seen again March 17 at the Occoquan NWR, Prince
William Co VA.
The LE CONTE'S SPARROW* continued to be seen throughout the week at the
Irvine Nature Center, Owings Mills, Baltimore Co, MD, with a sighting as
recently as March 18.
The flock of 13 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE* was still at the Hestons Farm
Ponds off of Shilom Rd in the Stuarts Draft area of Augusta Co, VA on March
15 and 16. The COMMON TEAL at Lilypons, Frederick Co, MD was seen again
March 15 and 16. A COMMON TEAL was also found March 18 on Raymond's Pool,
Bombay Hook NWR, DE. A WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was found March 18 at Piscataway
Park, Prince George's Co, MD.
The highlight of a March 17 pelagic trip out of Ocean City MD was the large
number of MANX SHEARWATERS found, 112. Among the other birds seen were
several NORTHERN FULMARS and RAZORBILLS, and a LITTLE GULL.
Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax Co, VA seemed to be the place to find
AMERICAN BITTERNS, VIRGINIA RAILS, and SORAS this past week. AMERICAN
BITTERNS were seen there on March 13 and 19 while, on March 18, an AMERICAN
BITTERN, two VIRGINIA RAILS, and two SORAS were observed there. A VIRGINIA
RAIL and a SORA were also found March 19 at Point Lookout SP, St Mary's Co,
MD.
A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen March 19 at Sky Meadows State Park, Fauquier
Co, VA.
A juvenile GOLDEN EAGLE was seen March 18 flying along Carr Road near
Upperville in northwestern Fauquier Co, VA.
There were approximately 100 WILLETS and 50 MARBLED GODWITS among the many
shorebirds at Swan's Cove, Chincoteague NWR, Accomack Co, VA, on March 15.
A single BLACK-HEADED GULL was also seen there. A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen
March 15 flying up the river at Lapidum, Harford Co, MD.
A EURASIAN-COLLARED DOVE was found March 18 at a backyard feeder on Ocean
Blvd, Chincoteague, Accomack Co, VA.
The LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE in the Ashville Park development in Virginia Beach,
VA, was seen again on March 16. Two LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were found March 17
along Cattleman Rd in the Swoope area of western Augusta Co, VA.
The ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER reported from Linkwood, Dorchester Co MD, was
seen again on March 14 and the one at the Florence Rd Silage Pit, Howard Co,
MD, was seen again on March 17. There were also several reports of early
warblers throughout the area.
The CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was seen again March 18 in the north section of the
E. A. Vaughn WMA (North), Worcester Co, MD. The Assateague Island SP (MD)
Pumphouse 2 LARK SPARROW was seen again March 18.
The LARK SPARROW* along Brenneman Ln, Augusta Co, VA was seen again on March
16.
A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was found March 19 at Sky Meadows State Park, Fauquier
Co, VA.
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen throughout the week in a number of locations.
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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