-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 2:21 PM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 3/27/12
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 3/27/2012
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, March 27 at
10:30 AM.
Top bird this week is VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* in MD.
Other birds of interest include waterfowl, RUFFED GROUSE, RED-THROATED LOON,
HORNED GREBE, NORTHERN GANNET, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, AMERICAN BITTERN,
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, GLOSSY IBIS, gulls, BLUE-HEADED VIREO, HERMIT
THRUSH, warblers, sparrows, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
Some of the delights of this special season are the continuing early
First-of-Season sightings, several of which were record setting; the many
birds nesting much earlier than normal and the carpets of wildflowers along
some of the paths.
The likely chip-notes of the VIRGINIA'S WARBLER* were heard at the Pickering
Creek Audubon Center in Talbot Co, MD, on March 25 although the bird did not
show itself except for a flight to a tree where it disappeared. 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.
A COMMON TEAL was at Raymond Pool in Bombay Hook NWR, DE during the week and
a drake EURASIAN WIGEON was seen along the Prime Hook Beach Road. A
LONG-TAILED DUCK few over a house in Edgewater, Harford Co, MD on March 20.
An astounding raft of 32,000 RUDDY DUCKS was at Cabin Creek, Anne Arundel
Co, MD on March 25.
Four RUFFED GROUSE were drumming in Finzel Swamp and another was at Piney
Reservoir, Garrett Co, MD on March 23.
A RED-THROATED LOON was near the Bloody Point Bar light seen from the end of
Kent Point Road, Kent Island, Queen Anne's Co, MD on March 25.
There were 36 HORNED GREBES in various stages of winter and breeding plumage
at Violette's Lock, Montgomery Co, MD on March 20.
NORTHERN GANNETS were seen at Cabin Creek and the Chesapeake Bay
Environmental Center, both Queen Anne's Co, MD on March 25. Eight NORTHERN
GANNETS were wheeling and diving just south of the Bay Bridge, Anne Arundel
Co, MD on the same day. More NORTHERN GANNETS were in Chesapeake Bay and up
the South River between the Mayo Peninsula and Thomas Point, Anne Arundel
Co, MD during the week.
Twenty two NORTHERN GANNETS were near Romancoke, Queen Anne's Co, MD on
March 25.
At least eighty one AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were at Blackwater NWR,
Dorchester Co, MD on March 22.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was flushed out of some wetlands near the Font Hill
neighborhood in Ellicott City, Howard Co, MD on March 25. Five
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were at the Jones Falls Trail, Baltimore City,
MD on March 20. More YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were on Dead Run, Baltimore
Co, MD on March 22. As of March 23, the YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS have
returned to Sligo Creek Park in Silver Spring, Montgomery Co., MD.
A GLOSSY IBIS was at the Beasley Tract of the Princess Ann WMA in Virginia
Beach, VA on March 23. The count of GLOSSY IBIS had increased to thirty one
by March 26.
A BLACK-HEADED GULL was at Point Lookout SP, St. Mary's Co, MD on March 24.
Two LITTLE GULLS were with the BONAPARTE'S GULLS at Back River; one was
downstream of the Eastern Blvd. Bridge and the other was in the water off
Diamond Point, Baltimore Co., MD on March 21. A LITTLE GULL flew up Bank
River from the dock to Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD on March 26.
A BLUE-HEADED VIREO was at Spear's Farm, Buckingham Co, VA on March 22.
Another BLUE-HEADED VIREO was at New Germany SP, Garrett Co, MD on March 26.
HERMIT THRUSHES were singing at Governor Bridge NA, Prince George's Co, MD
on March 23.
Two ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were in the trees west of the DC Veteran's
Memorial, DC, on March 22. The ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER previously reported
from Linkwood, Dorchester Co, MD put in a brief appearance on March 23.
There were also many reports of early warblers, notably LOUISANA
WATERTHRUSH, throughout the area.
A VESPER SPARROW was at the Easton Airport, Talbot Co, MD on March 22.
A VESPER SPARROW was at Cub Run, Fairfax Co., VA on March 23. Another VESPER
SPARROW was at Blandy Experimental Farm, Clarke Co., VA also on March 23. A
VESPER SPARROW was at Southwest Area Park, Baltimore Co, MD on March 25 and
26.
Six NELSON'S SPARROWS and two SEASIDE SPARROWS were at Bethel Beach,
Matthews Co, VA on March 21.
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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