-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Cordle [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 10:40 AM
To:
Subject: DC Area, 4/10/12
Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 4/10/2012
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: Bob Hartman
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, April 10, at 10 AM.
Top birds this week are BEWICK'S WREN in DE, SWALLOW-TAILED KITE and
FRANKLIN'S GULL in MD, ANHINGA, WHIMBREL, and NELSON'S SPARROW in VA, and
LESSER GOLDFINCH in S. PA.
Other birds of interest include CACKLING GOOSE, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN,
LEAST BITTERN, SORA, BLACK-NECKED STILT, WHIP-POOR-WILL, RUBY-CROWNED
HUMMINGBIRD, WHITE-EYED VIREO, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO, COMMON RAVEN, BANK
SWALLOW, CLIFF SWALLOW, HOUSE WREN, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, NORTHERN PARULA,
PRAIRIE WARBLER, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, and OVENBIRD.
A single ANHINGA was reported in Newport News VA on Apr 6. On Apr 3, a
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was seen in Potomac MD (Montgomery Co) over Montrose Rd
between Seven Locks and Falls Rds. Also in Potomac MD, on the Potomac River
near Violette's Lock, two FRANKLIN'S GULLS were spotted on Apr 9. A probable
BEWICK'S WREN was seen at Fowler Beach DE (Sussex Co) on Apr 6. On Apr 3,
eight NELSON'S SPARROWS were reported in Gloucester Co VA. Just outside our
normal reporting area, a LESSER GOLDFINCH was seen on Apr 9 in Greencastle
PA, just north of Hagerstown MD.
On Apr 4, maybe a couple of weeks earlier than expected, the WHIMBREL named
"Hope" passed through Eastern Shore of VA NWR, on her way from near St.
Croix in the Virgin Islands to the Mackenzie R area in NW Canada. Hope was
fitted with a radio transmitter in May 2009, and since that time has logged
over 44,000 miles in her travels. Note that her arrival in VA was determined
by radio tracking, not a visual sighting.
On Apr 3 near Limeton VA (Warren Co), a CACKLING GOOSE was spotted. A
substantial flock of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS has been in the Williamsburg VA
area recently. On Apr 3, 24 were seen, and another five were spotted not too
far away in Gloucester Co. Then on Apr 9, twenty were seen, again in
Williamsburg.
A number of birds seem to be arriving one or two weeks early this year. On
Apr 7, a LEAST BITTERN was found at Point Lookout SP, St.
Mary's Co MD. A SORA was seen at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery Co MD, on Apr 4,
and another SORA was heard Apr 6 at Swan Creek Wetland, Anne Arundel Co MD.
Two BLACK-NECKED STILTS were seen along Elliot Island Rd, Dorchester Co MD,
on Apr 7. A couple of pairs of WHIP-POOR-WILLS were found, one pair on Apr 5
in Wicomico Co MD, another pair on Apr 8 in Berkeley Co WV near Jones
Spring.
Smaller birds are also arriving pretty early. A RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
was seen in Gloucester Co VA on Apr 7. Starting about Apr 6, WHITE EYED
VIREOS have been seen and heard throughout the reporting area. A
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO was heard, then called in and seen, on Apr 6 at
Porter's Crossing, Worcester Co MD. All of the normal swallow species have
been seen. Earlier than usual were a BANK SWALLOW seen at Sandy Point SP
(Anne Arundel Co MD) on Apr 7, and two CLIFF SWALLOWS near Elkton VA
(Rockingham Co) on Apr 8. Widely separated HOUSE WRENS were seen, one Apr 7
at Point Lookout SP (MD), another Apr 8 at Harper's Ferry WV (Jefferson Co).
There have been some early warblers also. A NORTHERN PARULA was encountered
Apr 7 at Riley's Lock, Montgomery Co MD, and a PRAIRIE WARBLER was spotted
at Point Lookout SP, also on Apr 7. A single PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was seen
Apr 6 & 7 at Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William Co VA, and single OVENBIRDS
were seen and heard, on Apr 6 near Snow Hill MD (Worcester Co) and on Apr 8
at Huntley Meadow Pk, Fairfax Co VA.
Always uncommon in the spring, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were spotted on Apr 5
at Southwest Area Pk in Baltimore, and on Apr 7 in Talbot Co MD, at Tilghman
Back Creek Pk, near Tilghman Island.
Finally, COMMON RAVENS definitely seem to be showing up more often on the
coastal plain. On Apr 7, two were seen in the Patuxent Wildlife Research
Refuge, along the Prince George's/Anne Arundel Co border.
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.
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