Hotline:            Voice of the Naturalist=20
Date:               11/3/09
Coverage:           MD/DC/VA/DE=20
Telephone:          301-652-1088 option 1=20
Reports (voice):    301-652-1088 option 2=20
        (email):    voice@AudubonNaturalist.org=20
Compiler:           Joe Coleman
Sponsor:            Audubon Naturalist Society of the
                    Central Atlantic States (independent of NAS!)
Transcriber:        Steve Cordle (scordle@capaccess.org)=20

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.=20

This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon
Naturalist Society. This report was completed Tuesday, Nov. 3, at
11:00 am.

Top birds this week are grebe sp.* in VA, GREAT WHITE HERON* in VA and
DE, and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* in VA.

Other birds of interest include waterfowl, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN,
AMERICAN BITTERN, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE, COMMON MOORHEN,
shorebirds including HUDSONIAN GODWIT, PARASITIC JAEGER, gulls,
WESTERN KINGBIRD, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, COMMON RAVEN,
sparrows, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

A GREBE, either a CLARK'S*, virtually unheard of in our area, or a
WESTERN*, also very rare, was reported at a small pond at Atlantic
Shores, Virginia Beach, VA Nov 2.

A GREAT WHITE HERON*, a white morph of the GREAT BLUE HERON, was seen
and photographed Oct 31 in a field along Clifton Farms Rd near the
confluence of the Clinch and Little Rivers, Russell Co, VA. A GREAT
WHITE HERON* was also reported from Bethany Beach, DE on Nov 1. It was
found at a pond on the north side of the road close to where Fred
Hudson Rd intersects with Cedar Neck Rd just before the entrance to
the Bethany Lakes development.

An ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* was seen and heard for about an hour from
the Kiptopeke SP Hawkwatch, Northampton Co, VA on Nov 1.

A CACKLING GOOSE (RICHARDSON'S) was seen Oct 28 at the Boy Scout Camp
near Swoope, Augusta Co, VA. One was found Oct 29 at Cranberry
Reservoir, Carroll Co, MD and three were there on Oct 30.

A BRANT was found at Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, MD on Oct 28 and seen
through the first of Nov. Several BRANT were also found at Sandy Point
SP, Anne Arundel Co, MD throughout the week.

Waterfowl numbers swelled this past week and included seven COMMON
EIDERS on Oct 30 and a HARLEQUIN DUCK flying over Cape Henlopen on Oct
29. Five COMMON EIDERS and one juvenile HARLEQUIN DUCK were seen at
the Ocean City, MD inlet on Nov 1. Scoters showed up at a number of
locations including seven SURF SCOTERS reported Oct 30 from Lake Royal
in the Kings Park west area of Fairfax Co, VA. On Nov 1 there were two
BLACK SCOTERS on the Potomac River between the 14th St. Bridge and
Memorial Bridge in SW DC. Six BLACK SCOTERS were seen Nov 1 on ponds
in Augusta Co, VA. Four SURF SCOTERS and two BLACK SCOTERS were found
Nov 1 at Lapidum, Harford Co, MD. There was a single female SURF
SCOTER at Greenbelt Lake, PG Co, MD Nov 2. A LONG-TAILED DUCK was seen
at Cranberry Reservoir on Oct 30. There was a LONG-TAILED DUCK at the
Georgetown Reservoir, NW DC on Nov 1.

An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen at Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co,
MD on Oct 28.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen Oct 28 in the newly constructed wetlands
along the east side of Egypt Road, Dorchester Co, MD. The AMERICAN
BITTERN reported last week at the pond behind the Walmart on Rte 29 in
Madison Heights, Amherst Co, VA, was seen again on Oct 29 and Nov 2.
An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen flying over Little Island City Park,
Virginia Beach, VA on Oct 31.=20

A light-phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK flew over the Gardenville section of
Baltimore, MD Nov 2.

GOLDEN EAGLES were seen at a couple of different locations including
one on Oct 31 flying over Sky Meadows State Park, Fauquier Co, VA. Two
GOLDEN EAGLES as well as two SNOW GEESE and over 60 TUNDRA SWANS flew
over the Snickers Gap Hawkwatch, Clarke Co, VA on Nov 1.

A COMMON MOORHEN was found Nov 1 in the large pond along Elliott
Island Rd, Dorchester Co, MD.

A flock of SANDHILL CRANES flew over Calf's Mtn, Waynesboro, VA, Nov
1. A SANDHILL CRANE flew over Bombay Hook NWR, DE on Nov 2.

On Oct 28 six AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS flew over the Kiptopeke St Pk
Hawkwatch, Northampton Co, VA. There was an AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER at
Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, Prince George's Co, MD on both Nov 1 and
Nov 2.

The two HUDSONIAN GODWITS spotted in pool 5a of Blackwater NWR,
Dorchester Co, MD last week continued to be reported with reports from
every day of the week. Also present there on occasion were two
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. A LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was also found at the
ponds along Rte 3 in King George, King George Co, VA on Oct 31. A
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen at Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary the 28th
through the 31st of Oct. A WESTERN SANDPIPER and two LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHERS were seen during the trip to Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore
Co, MD on Oct 31. There was a STILT SANDPIPER at Leonard's Pond in
Rockingham Co, VA on Nov 1.

A juvenile PARASITIC JAEGER was seen Oct 31 at the Ocean City Inlet,
Worcester Co, MD, and three were seen there on Nov 1.

An adult FRANKLIN'S GULL was found Oct 31 on Hydes Rd off of Long
Green Pike in Baltimore Co, MD. Other gull sightings included LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULLS from several locations.

A WESTERN KINGBIRD was found Nov 2 at Cape Henlopen SP, DE.

Two LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES were reported Nov 2 at 4407 Ballenger Creek
Pike=20
=46rederick County, MD, which is between Cap Stine Rd and New Design Rd
just south of Elmer Derr Rd.

There was a late PHILADELPHIA VIREO in Lynchburg, VA on Oct 28.

COMMON RAVENS were seen near Tyson's Corners, Fairfax Co, VA on Oct
29.

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES continued to be reported from a variety of
locations.

A VESPER SPARROW was found Oct 27 at Loch Raven Reservoir, Baltimore
Co, MD. There was also a VESPER SPARROW at Sky Meadows SP on Nov 1. A
NELSON'S SPARROW was found in the marsh along Rumbly Point Rd,
Somerset Co, MD on Oct 29. A NELSON'S SPARROW was also seen along
George Island Landing Rd, east of Stockton, Worcester Co, MD on Oct
31. A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was seen Oct 30 along the C&O Canal west of
MD-61 where it crosses the Potomac River in South Cumberland, Allegany
Co, MD. Two SNOW BUNTINGS were seen at Little Island City Park,
Virginia Beach, VA on Oct 31.

On Oct 31 a male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, in full breeding plumage,
was found mixed in with flock of over 4,000 blackbirds in a field of
waste corn across Rte 3 from a pond to the right of the Aggregate
driveway in King George, King George Co, VA. A flock of RUSTY
BLACKBIRDS were seen nearby earlier in the morning.

Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey,
VA-Bird, and DE-Birds list servers.=20

The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606,
http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/default.asp?page=3D511) is an excellent
source for guidebooks and many other nature-related titles.=20

To report bird sightings, e-mail your report to
voice@AudubonNaturalist.org or call 301-652-1088 and select 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.=20

Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING.

*Of interest to the records committee

For Birdeast archives, and to join, leave, or change address, see:
http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdeast.html