From: Steve Cordle To: Subject: DC Area, 10/10/00 Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 2:04 AM Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist Date: 10/10/00 Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1 Reports (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2 (email): voice@capaccess.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) !!Check www.sitesbysteve.com/nvbc/vguide.txt for guidelines on reporting your sightings!! This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon Naturalist Society. This tape was made Tuesday, Oct 10, at 12:30. Please consider joining ANS, especially if you are a regular user of the Voice (Indiv.$30; Family $40; Nature Steward $60; Audubon Advocate $100). 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. Top birds this week are *BLACK-TAILED GULL in MD and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and probable YELLOW RAIL in VA. Other birds of interest include EARED GREBE, BALD and GOLDEN EAGLES, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, COMMON RAVEN, WESTERN KINGBIRD, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, SEDGE WREN, warblers including ORANGE-CROWNED and CONNECTICUT WARBLER, and sparrows. A BLACK-TAILED GULL was discovered Oct 7, and seen again Oct 8, on Assateague Island, Worcester Co, MD. The plumage of this East Asian species indicates that it is molting from second alternate to third basic, with a prominent hood of dark streaking. The greenish-yellow bill showed a black subterminal band, a red tip, and a small red spot next to the black band. The gull was photographed as it was sitting on the beach along with other gulls, and subsequently videotaped. However, the bird was in an area that is difficult to get to, between 7.75 and 11.75 miles beyond where the pavement ends; access requires a high-clearance 4-wheel-drive plus a $60 Off Road Vehicle pass. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was discovered Oct 3 on a farm pond south of The Plains, Fauquier Co, VA, and it has been seen repeatedly throughout the week, with the most recent report from the afternoon of Oct 9. The pond is on the north side of VA 750 (Harrison Rd) about midway between VA 245 (Old Tavern Rd) and VA 709 (Belvoir Rd). On Oct 9, there were also three COMMON RAVENS calling and soaring overhead. A likely YELLOW RAIL was reported Oct 3 from Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax Co, VA. This small dark rail exposed white patches on the wings as it was flushed from the marsh area that is encircled by boardwalk. An EARED GREBE was found at the marina at Havre de Grace, Harford Co, MD, Oct 6. At the Snicker's Gap Hawk Watch on the on the Clarke/Loudoun Co line, VA, raptor numbers were generally low; highlights included another immature GOLDEN EAGLE on Oct 5 and 8 BALD EAGLES ON Oct 10. On Oct 7, a GOLDEN EAGLE flew over Monument Knob in MD's Washington Monument SP, on the Washington/Frederick Co. line. A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was spotted Oct 8 on Island # 2 of the CBB/T, Northampton Co, Va, and also flying offshore from nearby Kiptopeke SP, that same day. Birders at Sky Meadows SP, Fauquier Co, VA, found as many as 13 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS on Oct 7--some 10 adults and 3 juveniles. Two LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were seen Oct 7 on Rt 614 in Culpeper Co, VA. A WESTERN KINGBIRD was spotted at the College Park Airport, Prince George's Co, MD, on the morning of Oct 3, but could not be found again later that day. A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH was spotted at Huntley Meadows Park Oct 9. Five species of wren were seen in the area of Cape Charles, Northampton Co, over the weekend, including a SEDGE WREN Oct 7 on Island # 2 of the CBB/T. Warblers continue to trickle through. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER topped the list of 11 species seen Oct 7 at Rock Creek Park's picnic area 17/18 in NW DC; there were still 8 species of warbler Oct 9. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was spotted at the UMd Central Farm, Howard Co, MD, Oct 8. A CONNECTICUT WARBLER was reported Oct 7 at Ft Belvoir, Fairfax Co; it was on the archery trail, between the two wooden bridges 30 yards apart. LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were moving through, with reports from Layhill Park, Montgomery Co, Oct 4; Rock Creek Park Oct 7 and 9; Sandy Spring, Montgomery Co, Oct 7; The Plains, Oct 8--and a high of at least 10 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS at Mount Pleasant, Howard Co, Oct 9. On Oct 9 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were seen at Mount Pleasant as well as in Fauquier Co, VA. Sparrows were also in evidence at Assateague Island, with a LARK SPARROW Oct 7 in the ORV zone, a LINCOLN'S SPARROW Oct 7 at the Bayside Campground, and a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW Oct 8 near the National Seashore Visitor Center. The seven species of sparrow tallied in the Cape Charles area included CLAY-COLORED and both NELSON'S and SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS. For a list of upcoming ANS birding trips, visit www.AudubonNaturalist.org/birding.htm#Birdingtrips To report bird sightings, you can e-mail your report to voice@capaccess.org You may also report by calling 301-652-1088 and selecting menu option 2. Please post e-mail reports before midnight Monday, and be sure to include your name and a Tuesday morning phone number. Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING. * Of interest to the MD/DC Records Committee. For more information, visit http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcreview.html DIRECTIONS For the Kelp Gull: Take Md Rt 5 south from the Washington Beltway. About 20 miles south of Waldorf, Rt 5 becomes Rt 235. Continue south on 235 about 4.5 miles, then turn left (east) on Md Rte 472 (Sandgates Road). In about 2.5 miles you will reach the river and the restaurant. For Terrapin Point Park: Take Rte 50 east across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and take the first exit (exit 37) on Kent Island. Turn left to cross over Rte 50, drive .25 mile to the first possible left turn, and turn left into the business park. Terrapin Point Park is on the loop road that encircles the business park, so you can turn either right or left at the T intersection. The Ridgely WWTP is open weekdays from 7:30 to 4:00; please check in with plant personnel. From MD 404, take MD 480 northwest toward Ridgely; turn left on Sunset Blvd and drive 0.5 mile, turn left on Cow Barn Rd, cross the railroad tracks, and take an immediate left on Ball Rd. The plant entrance is 0.5 mile ahead on the right. To reach the Hurlock sewage ponds: Take 331 southeast from Hurlock, turn left (east) on Skeet Club Rd, and take the first right to the ponds. Remember to seek permission to enter. To look for the shorebirds in Montgomery Co: from White's Ferry, take River Rd south (downstream); a series of turf fields-- separated by small stretches of woods--begins in about a mile. This is private property; observe from the road only, please. Directions: Take MD 611 south past the airport to Eagle's Nest Road; go to the end and stop at the campground office to ask permission to bird. Continue a short way to the picnic/camping area, where you can scope the flats off Assateague Island. Assateague Vireo Grove: The open grassy area I referred to before is immediately north of the intersection of Bayside Rd. and the Life of the Marsh Rd. There are some scattered clumps of bushes/trees in the open area here (which hosted a Clay-colored Sparrow today). The woods edge is about 50 feet east of the intersection, and the "indentation" in the woods is along this edge. Bywater Rd, Ann Arundel Co: Ih Annapolis on Rt 665 (Aris T. Allen Blvd), pass Chinquapin Round Rd, and turn right at the second light, Bywater Rd. Follow Bywater past the Safeway and the development, and turn left onto the paved road immediately after the last house on the left, just before the enclosed drainage pond. Go one block and park on the right. Walk down Bywater to the second path into the field on the left. The Connecticut Warblers were seen near this intersection of road and path, and also in a cherry tree 30 feet in from the road.] For Birdeast archives, and to join, leave, or change address, see: http://listserv.arizona.edu/lsv/www/birdeast.html