Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist
Date: 8/29/2006
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
(email): voice@AudubonNaturalist.org
(deadline): midnight Mondays
Compiler: Lydia Schindler
Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central
Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
Transcriber: Steve Cordle (scordle@capaccess.org)
Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of
the Voice (Individual $40; Family $50; Nature Steward $75; Audubon
Advocate $150). 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 prepared Tuesday, August 29, at 1
pm.
Top birds this week are WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL in MD and DE waters,
GREAT WHITE HERON in MD, SOUTH POLAR SKUA in MD, SABINE'S GULL in DE,
ROSEATE TERN in MD, ARCTIC TERN in DE, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE in MD,
and SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER in DE.
Other birds of interest include MISSISSIPPI KITE, shorebirds including
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, GULL-BILLED and
BLACK TERNS, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, CHIMNEY SWIFT, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER,
LARK SPARROW, and BOBOLINK.
Pelagic outings scored famously this week. A charter fishing boat trip
Aug 24-25 produced 2 WHITE-FACED STORM-PETRELS, one in MD, the other
in DE. They also found an adult SABINE'S GULL as well as an ARCTIC
TERN. The See Life pelagic on Aug 28 had a SOUTH POLAR SKUA. Both
trips enjoyed many shearwaters, storm-petrels, and jaegers.
The GREAT WHITE HERON at Eastern Neck NWR in Kent Co, MD, was seen as
recently as Aug 27. As before, this white morph of the Great Blue
Heron frequents Tubby Cove.
On Aug 27, an adult ROSEATE TERN put up a large group of terns that
had been resting in the ORV zone of Assateague Island, Worcester Co,
MD.
A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE continued in Frederick Co, MD, through Aug
27, when it perched at the brick chimney beyond the Stadler Nursery on
Mt. Zion Rd. Please respect the rights of the property owners in this
area.
The SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER in northern DE was sighted again Aug 25,
on telephone wires along Rte 9 just north of Bombay Hook NWR.
Three MISSISSIPPI KITES were observed Aug 22 along Rte 29 near
Buckland, on the Prince William/Fauquier Co (VA) line.
Shorebird sightings included AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER in the ORV zone at
Assateague as well as at a turf farm on the west side of MD 331 2
miles south of Hurlock, Dorchester Co, MD (while a BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER was spotted at a turf farm on the east side of MD 331 3
miles north of Hurlock). The beach at Assateague held PIPING PLOVER
and WHIMBREL as well as 13 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS.
An UPLAND SANDPIPER was an apparent first for Huntley Meadows Park,
Fairfax Co, VA, on Aug 28; it was seen from the tower across the
erstwhile pond.
Reports of BAIRD'S SANDPIPER came from the PPG ponds, Allegany Co, MD,
and from Shirley Plantation, Charles City, VA, both on Aug 28.
A STILT SANDPIPER was new to the list for Blue Mash Nature Trail,
Montgomery Co, MD, on Aug 27.
Grasses at the north end of Bombay Hook's Raymond Pool hosted 4
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS Aug 25 to 27. At Prime Hook NWR, DE, 3
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were foraging in the grasses at the east end
of the impoundment on Broadkill Beach Rd.
On Aug 22, the Craney Island landfill, Portsmouth, VA, hosted 15
species of shorebird, including 5 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. Additional
shorebird draws were Paper Mill Flats in Baltimore Co and Cameron Run
in Alexandria, VA.
GULL-BILLED TERNS were noted at Prime Hook Aug 23 and 27.
BLACK TERNS appeared at many locations, including Assateague Island,
the Chestertown sewage ponds, and Paper Mill Flats in MD and Prime
Hook and Ted Harvey Conservation Area in DE. Four BLACK TERNS flew
over Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, NE DC, on Aug 27.
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS have been putting on a spectacular show each evening
above the illuminated buildings at Tysons Corner, Fairfax Co.
Roost-bound CHIMNEY SWIFTS are staging their own spectacle; one good
viewing site is the Luther Jackson MS on Gallows Rd in Falls Church,
VA.
Word of an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER comes from a yard in Leedstown,
Westmoreland Co, VA, on Aug 27.
A LARK SPARROW showed up Aug 27 in James City Co, VA, west of
Williamsburg; it was on the Mainland Farm portion of the Green Springs
Nature Trail.
BOBOLINKS are moving through, with reports from the Blue Ridge Center
in northwest Loudoun Co, VA, and Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William Co.
The hawk watch at Snicker's Gap, on the Clarke/Loudoun Co (VA) line,
is looking for volunteers to help monitor hawk migration,
September-November. For info, call 703-734-1238.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOSPREY,
VA-Bird, and DE Birds list servers.
Finding Birds in the National Capital Area by Claudia Wilds is an
excellent source for directions to many birding sites. The ANS
Bookstore (301-652-3606 or
www.audubonnaturalist.org/cgi-bin/mesh/store) is an excellent source
for this and many other nature-related titles.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
voice@AudubonNaturalist.org. But no big photo files, please. You may
also report by calling 301-652-1088 and selecting menu option 2.
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.
Date: 8/29/2006
Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE
Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1
Reports (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2
(email): voice@AudubonNaturalist.org
(deadline): midnight Mondays
Compiler: Lydia Schindler
Sponsor: Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central
Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
Transcriber: Steve Cordle (scordle@capaccess.org)
Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of
the Voice (Individual $40; Family $50; Nature Steward $75; Audubon
Advocate $150). 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 prepared Tuesday, August 29, at 1
pm.
Top birds this week are WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL in MD and DE waters,
GREAT WHITE HERON in MD, SOUTH POLAR SKUA in MD, SABINE'S GULL in DE,
ROSEATE TERN in MD, ARCTIC TERN in DE, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE in MD,
and SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER in DE.
Other birds of interest include MISSISSIPPI KITE, shorebirds including
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, GULL-BILLED and
BLACK TERNS, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, CHIMNEY SWIFT, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER,
LARK SPARROW, and BOBOLINK.
Pelagic outings scored famously this week. A charter fishing boat trip
Aug 24-25 produced 2 WHITE-FACED STORM-PETRELS, one in MD, the other
in DE. They also found an adult SABINE'S GULL as well as an ARCTIC
TERN. The See Life pelagic on Aug 28 had a SOUTH POLAR SKUA. Both
trips enjoyed many shearwaters, storm-petrels, and jaegers.
The GREAT WHITE HERON at Eastern Neck NWR in Kent Co, MD, was seen as
recently as Aug 27. As before, this white morph of the Great Blue
Heron frequents Tubby Cove.
On Aug 27, an adult ROSEATE TERN put up a large group of terns that
had been resting in the ORV zone of Assateague Island, Worcester Co,
MD.
A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE continued in Frederick Co, MD, through Aug
27, when it perched at the brick chimney beyond the Stadler Nursery on
Mt. Zion Rd. Please respect the rights of the property owners in this
area.
The SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER in northern DE was sighted again Aug 25,
on telephone wires along Rte 9 just north of Bombay Hook NWR.
Three MISSISSIPPI KITES were observed Aug 22 along Rte 29 near
Buckland, on the Prince William/Fauquier Co (VA) line.
Shorebird sightings included AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER in the ORV zone at
Assateague as well as at a turf farm on the west side of MD 331 2
miles south of Hurlock, Dorchester Co, MD (while a BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER was spotted at a turf farm on the east side of MD 331 3
miles north of Hurlock). The beach at Assateague held PIPING PLOVER
and WHIMBREL as well as 13 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS.
An UPLAND SANDPIPER was an apparent first for Huntley Meadows Park,
Fairfax Co, VA, on Aug 28; it was seen from the tower across the
erstwhile pond.
Reports of BAIRD'S SANDPIPER came from the PPG ponds, Allegany Co, MD,
and from Shirley Plantation, Charles City, VA, both on Aug 28.
A STILT SANDPIPER was new to the list for Blue Mash Nature Trail,
Montgomery Co, MD, on Aug 27.
Grasses at the north end of Bombay Hook's Raymond Pool hosted 4
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS Aug 25 to 27. At Prime Hook NWR, DE, 3
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were foraging in the grasses at the east end
of the impoundment on Broadkill Beach Rd.
On Aug 22, the Craney Island landfill, Portsmouth, VA, hosted 15
species of shorebird, including 5 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. Additional
shorebird draws were Paper Mill Flats in Baltimore Co and Cameron Run
in Alexandria, VA.
GULL-BILLED TERNS were noted at Prime Hook Aug 23 and 27.
BLACK TERNS appeared at many locations, including Assateague Island,
the Chestertown sewage ponds, and Paper Mill Flats in MD and Prime
Hook and Ted Harvey Conservation Area in DE. Four BLACK TERNS flew
over Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, NE DC, on Aug 27.
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS have been putting on a spectacular show each evening
above the illuminated buildings at Tysons Corner, Fairfax Co.
Roost-bound CHIMNEY SWIFTS are staging their own spectacle; one good
viewing site is the Luther Jackson MS on Gallows Rd in Falls Church,
VA.
Word of an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER comes from a yard in Leedstown,
Westmoreland Co, VA, on Aug 27.
A LARK SPARROW showed up Aug 27 in James City Co, VA, west of
Williamsburg; it was on the Mainland Farm portion of the Green Springs
Nature Trail.
BOBOLINKS are moving through, with reports from the Blue Ridge Center
in northwest Loudoun Co, VA, and Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William Co.
The hawk watch at Snicker's Gap, on the Clarke/Loudoun Co (VA) line,
is looking for volunteers to help monitor hawk migration,
September-November. For info, call 703-734-1238.
Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOSPREY,
VA-Bird, and DE Birds list servers.
Finding Birds in the National Capital Area by Claudia Wilds is an
excellent source for directions to many birding sites. The ANS
Bookstore (301-652-3606 or
www.audubonnaturalist.org/cgi-bin/mesh/store) is an excellent source
for this and many other nature-related titles.
To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
voice@AudubonNaturalist.org. But no big photo files, please. You may
also report by calling 301-652-1088 and selecting menu option 2.
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.