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Voice of the Naturalist
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. Join online This is the Voice of the Naturalist, a service of the Audubon Naturalist Society. This report was completed Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7:30 am. Top birds this week are CALIFORNIA GULL* in MD and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* in DE Other birds of interest include waterfowl, RED-THROATED LOON, grebes, OSPREY, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE, MERLIN, SANDHILL CRANE, POMARINE JAEGER, PARASITIC JAEGER, gulls, SANDWICH TERN, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, LEAST FLYCATCHER, COMMON RAVEN, WOOD THRUSH, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, WESTERN TANAGER*, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, NELSON’S SPARROW, and SNOW BUNTING. A second year CALIFORNIA GULL* was seen near Great Oak Pond, Kent Co, MD on Nov 15. Another CALIFORNIA GULL was in Worcester Co, MD during the weekend. An ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER* was found on Prime Hook NWR, Sussex Co, DE on Nov 14, 15 and 16. The bird has been seen about two-thirds of the way out the Dike Trail and also in the woods behind the Headquarters building near the trailer. A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen at the Chestertown wastewater treatment plant, Kent Co, MD on Nov 15. Two ROSS’ GEESE and a CACKLING GOOSE were reported from Bombay Hook NWR, Kent Co, DE. A CACKLING GOOSE was at Piscataway Park, Prince Georges Co, MD on Nov 16. A HARLEQUIN DUCK and up to 17 COMMON EIDERS were found in the Ocean City inlet, Worcester Co, MD on Nov 13, 14, and 15. A COMMON EIDER was seen from Island 1 of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, Northampton Co, VA on Nov 14. Four SURF SCOTERS and two LONG-TAILED DUCKS were on the Potomac River between the 14th Street and Memorial Bridges, Washington, DC on Nov 11. Two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen there on Nov 12. Three WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS and 150-200 BLACK and SURF SCOTERS were at Thomas Point SP, Anne Arundel Co, MD on Nov 14. Small numbers of BLACK SCOTERS, SURF SCOTERS, and LONG-TAILED DUCKS were found on the Triadelphia Reservoir from the Montgomery Co, MD side on Nov 11. RED-THROATED LOON made several inland appearances in the last week. Up to two birds were on Triadelphia Reservoir on Nov 11, 12, and 13, seen from both Montgomery Co and Howard Co. A RED-THROATED LOON was spotted on Lake Shenandoah, Rockingham Co, VA on Nov 13 and another was at Claytor Lake SP, Pulaski Co, VA on Nov 13. An EARED GREBE was found bayside at 41st St in Ocean City, MD on Nov 14 and 15. Another EARED GREBE was in the cove near the boardwalk at Piscataway Park, Prince Georges Co, MD on Nov 16. A WESTERN GREBE* was seen in Claytor Lake SP on Nov 13. Late OSPREY were spotted at Ft Smallwood, Anne Arundel Co, MD on Nov 10 and at Piney Run Park, Carroll Co, MD on Nov 12. An immature light phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen near the north section of E A Vaughn WMA, Worcester Co, MD on Nov 12. An immature GOLDEN EAGLE flew over Centennial Park, Howard Co, MD on Nov 15 and another flew by Pickering Creek Audubon Center, Talbot Co, MD that day. Another possible GOLDEN EAGLE sighting came from Wooton’s Landing on the Patuxent River, Prince Georges Co, MD on Nov 14. Two GOLDEN EAGLES were reported from the Turkey Point hawk watch, Cecil Co, MD on Nov 16. An adult GOLDEN EAGLE was found in Harford Co on Nov 16. A MERLIN was seen in Difficult Run Stream Valley Park, Fairfax Co, VA on Nov 15. A SANDHILL CRANE flew over the West Ocean City pond, Worcester Co, MD on Nov 11. An adult POMARINE JAEGER and a PARASITIC JAEGER were seen from the causeway to Assateague Island, Worcester Co, MD on Nov 14. A fine collection of interesting gulls were seen this week in addition to the California Gulls. A first cycle BLACK-HEADED GULL was at the Ocean City inlet on Nov 13. A possible YELLOW-LEGGED GULL* was reported from Egypt Road near Blackwater NWR, Dorchester Co, MD on Nov 13. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen at several locations including Occoquan, VA on Nov 15 and Conowingo Dam, Harford Co, MD on that day. A first cycle GLAUCOUS GULL was found at the Ocean City inlet on Nov 15. A juvenile BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was seen at Cape Charles, VA on Nov 14. Twelve SANDWICH TERNS were spotted on Assateague Island, MD on Nov 10. A SHORT-EARED OWL was along Shorter’s Wharf Rd, Dorchester Co, MD on Nov 14. Fourteen RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS highlighted a walk at Algonkian Park, Loudoun Co, VA on Nov 10. A very late but probable LEAST FLYCATCHER was seen on Evans Rd near Cedar Lane, Worcester Co, MD on Nov 14 and 15. A WESTERN KINGBIRD was spotted near pump house 2 at Assateague SP, MD on Nov 15. A COMMON RAVEN was near the Beltway at Tyson’s Corner, VA on Nov 13. A WOOD THRUSH was found in Oakton, Fairfax Co, VA on Nov 15. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen at the Visitor’s Center, Assateague Island SP, MD on Nov 14 and 15. A WESTERN TANAGER* was seen again at the end of Shirley Plantation Rd (SR608), Charles City Co, VA on Nov 15. A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was observed near the tennis courts at Meadowbrook Park, Howard Co, MD from Nov 11 through 14. A NELSON’S SPARROW was found at Ragged Island WMA, Isle of Wight Co, VA on Nov 14. Six NELSON’S SPARROWS were seen at Bethel Beach, Mathews Co, VA on Nov 15. One SNOW BUNTING was near the Kiptopeke Pier, Northampton Co, VA Nov 15 and 16. A flock of 24 SNOW BUNTINGS were at the point in Cape Henlopen SP, Sussex Co, DE on Nov 14. Some of this week's reports have been gleaned from the MDOsprey, VA-Bird, and DE-Birds list servers. The Audubon Sanctuary Shop (301-652-3606, 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. Thank you for calling, and GOOD BIRDING. *Of interest to the records committee
Reporting Guidelines The Voice of the Naturalist is written and recorded on Tuesday mornings. If you email your reports, please post them to the Voice mailbox, voice@AudubonNaturalist.org, by Monday midnight to make sure they are received in time. If you wish to report non-electronically, leave your report on the ANS voice mail at 301-652-1088, option 2. Reports prior to the preceding Tuesday will not be considered. The area covered is (with rare exceptions) DC, MD, VA, and southern DE; all other reports should be sent to the appropriate rare-bird alert for the area in which the birds were observed. Be sure to report only those birds that you actually saw, not ones that someone else told you about. And please remember to include a phone number where you can be reached on Tuesday morning; if you can't be reached to verify a rare bird, your report will almost certainly not be used. There are two main circumstances in which a bird sighting will not be reported on the Voice as a matter of policy. The first is if the report would jeopardize the bird's welfare: Reports of species that are threatened or endangered at the state or federal level are generally not used, especially during nesting season--local Loggerhead Shrikes are an example; similarly, owls are not listed, with two exceptions--Snowy Owl and Short-eared Owl; and rails are also generally not mentioned; the rails at Huntley Meadows Park, VA, are an exception because birders stay on the boardwalk. The second circumstance concerns private property: If the property owner does not want birders, the sighting will not be reported--at least in a way that identifies the location. Please keep your reports concise (no lengthy trip reports, please), and provide the following information:
Thanks in advance for your reports. You can be sure that they will be read. Don't be disappointed if your sighting isn't mentioned; when there are a lot of reports, summary comments sometimes have to be made. There are times, however, when every report is used in writing the Voice, for example, during the hot days of summer. -- Voice of the Naturalist
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