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25 May Occoquan Bay NWR bobwhite, king rail [Marc Ribaudo ] 25 May Babies continue at Harrison Lake - Charles City [Barbara Houston ] 24 May Goatsuckers, Fauquier County 23 May 2013 [] 24 May Anhinga, Swallows in Newport News [] 24 May Sora, Joseph Bryan Park, Richmond [Susan Ridd ] 24 May Re: Shenandoah Co. Whimbrel [William Leigh ] 23 May Ninja Brown Thrasher takes on Rat Snake - Buchanan County ["Roger Mayhorn" ] 23 May Shenandoah Co. Whimbrel [EDWARD TRELAWNY ] 23 May Nominations to the Virginia Avian Records Committee (VARCOM) [Robert Ake ] 23 May Gala Wetlands ["Kent Davis" ] 23 May Dickcissel Photos from Grassdale Rd. near Remington (Fauquier Co.) ["David Boltz" ] 23 May Bird Walk, Blue Ridge Center, Loudoun Co, May 25 ["Joe Coleman" ] 23 May LEAST BITTERN & MARSH WRENS @ Dyke Marsh [Richard Rieger ] 22 May Audubon Society of Northern Virginia Bird Walk ["WILLIAM Brown" ] 22 May Voice: Greater Washington Area, May 21 ["Joe Coleman" ] 22 May Red-necked Phalarope, Farmville ["C. Michael Stinson" ] 22 May Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow, Willow Flycatcher in Clarke County ["David E. Carr" ] 22 May JRP 42 5/22 - s l o w, with Winter Wren [akb ] 22 May Babies at Harrison Lake [Barbara Houston ] 21 May Re: Cardinal and cat ["Nancy Young" ] 21 May Photos: Warblers Galore and More ["R. Bruce Richardson" ] 21 May Photos: Warblers Galore and More ["R. Bruce Richardson" ] 21 May No Olive-sided Flycatcher today [Wes Teets ] 21 May Fwd: [MDBirding] Ol' 95 (Red Knot). [Christine Huffman ] 21 May bird call ringtone apps? [Chris Norloff ] 20 May More Spring Migrants [Evan Spears ] 20 May Fwd: Huntley Meadows Monday Morning Birdwalk ["Walter L. Barrows" ] 20 May Huntley Meadows Monday Morning Birdwalk [Harry Glasgow ] 20 May Re: va-bird Digest, Vol 73, Issue 23 [Maryalyce Johnsen ] 21 May Birding around Lexington, VA [Rowe, Richard A., “Dick” ] 20 May Common Nighthawk [Peter Doherty ] 20 May NVBC Weekend Trip to Chincoteague and Saxis Marsh 5-17 to 5-19 [Larry Meade ] 20 May Bobolinks, Willow Fly, Dickcissels and a few more (longish) [Richard Rieger ] 20 May Eastern Shore & Dismal Swamp Field trip CANCELLED ["Herbert Larner" ] 20 May Great Dismal Swamp - Jericho Ditch - May 20, 2013 [Robert Ake ] 20 May Olive-sided Flycatcher still present at Natural Bridge [Wes Teets ] 20 May Re: Red-necked Phalarope in Berryville (Clarke County) [] 20 May (no subject) [Peter Ross ] 20 May good bird call ringtones? [Chris Norloff ] 19 May Re: Lincoln's Sparrow [] 19 May Re: Nighthawk at noon? [JJ Johnson ] 19 May Nighthawk at noon? ["Nancy Young" ] 19 May 5/17/13 Chincoteague Shorebird Survey [Joelle Buffa ] 19 May Merrimac Farm WMA [Parker ] 19 May Pectoral Sandpiper - Hampton [Bryan Barmore ] 19 May Great Falls National Park [] 19 May Cedar Waxwings in Fauquier ["Don & Susan Schupp" ] 19 May Highland County area: 82 species; 2 cuckoos; 7 flycatchers; 6 thrushes; 20 warblers + Brewster's [Gabriel Mapel ] 19 May Re: [shenvalbirds] re white rumped sandpipers [Gabriel Mapel ] 19 May Red-necked Phalarope in Berryville (Clarke County) ["David E. Carr" ] 19 May Migration slows in White Oaks Park ["Pam and Ben" ] 19 May Siskins in great falls continue [Christine Huffman ] 19 May Fwd: [MDBirding] Interesting Loon Encounter near Violette's Lock [Christine Huffman ] 19 May Campbell Co.-Concord area birding [Mark Johnson ] 19 May Forster's Tern Thursday (Amherst Co.) and yard migrants Saturday ["Sattler, Gene" ] 19 May Mississippi Kites- Dinwiddie Co. 5/19 [Adam D'Onofrio ] 19 May Re: Cedar waxwings & interesting behavior of baby house wren/female... [] 19 May BIRD ID needed by rehabber: IT IS A JUVENILE EASTERN TOWHEE! [Connie & Wilton Sale ] 19 May Cedar waxwings & interesting behavior of baby house wren/female cardinal [Renee Grebe ] 19 May Sedge Wren; Olive-sided Flycatcher continues--golf course trail [Wes Teets ] 19 May Re: BIRD ID needed by rehabber ["Nancy Young" ] 19 May Anhinga at College Creek Hawkwatch [] 19 May White-crowned Sparrow [Walter Hadlock ] 19 May re white rumped sandpipers [William Leigh ] 19 May BIRD ID needed by rehabber [Connie & Wilton Sale ] 18 May Approximately 30 nighthawks, Rockingham County ["Kevin Shank" ] 18 May Semipalmated Plovers (3) - Harrisonburg (Rockingham Co.) [Diane L ] 18 May Montane Specialties / Rockingham Co. ["Jon Little" ] 18 May Virginia Big Day - 189 Species [Tim Hodge ] 18 May MISSISSIPPI KITES and BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, Powhatan County 5/18/2013 [Wendy Ealding ] 18 May [va-bird] Pr. William Co. various locations [Scott Priebe ] 18 May Mourning Warbler and Olive-sided Flycatcher at Natural Bridge [Wes Teets ] 18 May BEAVERDAM PARK-MAIN, May 18, 2013 [G B Harris ] 18 May Magnificent Migration at Chincoteague Refuge [Joelle Buffa ] 18 May Eagle/Osprey James River Boat Trip [Troy McHenry ] 18 May Re: Shirley Plantation - Charles City [Barbara Houston ] Subject: Occoquan Bay NWR bobwhite, king rail From: Marc Ribaudo <moribaudo AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 25 May 2013 18:36:55 -0400 Twelve people attended the Northern Virginia Bird Club trip to Occoquan Bay NWR this morning. Few migrants were encountered but the many residents greatly entertained us. Highlights were a northern bobwhite calling from where the wildlife drive meets the first gate, a king rail along Easy Road, several willow flycatchers including one calling lustily from a bare branch, 2 warbling vireos, an almost-brilliant summer tanager (first year bird still had some brown feathers), a displaying chat, and a nicely posing male prothonotary warbler. We tallied 72 species. Here is the list: Occoquan Bay NWR, Prince William, US-VA May 25, 2013 7:00 AM - 11:15 AM Protocol: Traveling 3.8 mile(s) 72 species Canada Goose 6 Mallard 7 Northern Bobwhite 1 Wild Turkey 1 Double-crested Cormorant 2 Great Blue Heron 18 Great Egret 3 Black Vulture 6 Turkey Vulture 10 Osprey 18 Cooper's Hawk 1 Bald Eagle 9 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 King Rail 1 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Rock Pigeon 1 Mourning Dove 6 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 5 Chimney Swift 25 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 3 Downy Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Acadian Flycatcher 2 Willow Flycatcher 4 Great Crested Flycatcher 3 Eastern Kingbird 5 White-eyed Vireo 3 Warbling Vireo 2 Red-eyed Vireo 6 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 2 Fish Crow 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Purple Martin 3 Tree Swallow 12 Barn Swallow 7 Carolina Chickadee 8 Tufted Titmouse 6 House Wren 1 Carolina Wren 10 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8 Eastern Bluebird 3 Gray Catbird 1 Northern Mockingbird 4 Brown Thrasher 4 European Starling 15 Cedar Waxwing 40 Prothonotary Warbler 4 Common Yellowthroat 12 American Redstart 4 Northern Parula 2 Yellow Warbler 6 Blackpoll Warbler 2 Yellow-throated Warbler 1 Prairie Warbler 2 Yellow-breasted Chat 4 Eastern Towhee 2 Field Sparrow 2 Summer Tanager 2 Scarlet Tanager 1 Northern Cardinal 10 Blue Grosbeak 2 Indigo Bunting 14 Red-winged Blackbird 16 Common Grackle 12 Brown-headed Cowbird 4 Orchard Oriole 12 House Finch 4 American Goldfinch 8 Marc Ribaudo Woodbridge _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Babies continue at Harrison Lake - Charles City From: Barbara Houston <rinksyd AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 25 May 2013 07:42:43 -0400 I stopped by on the way home lat night and momm and the baby killdeer were still near the parking area. All three were bopping around and with the cold front that came through, must have been chilly. They kept all running up and getting under mom. They are 7 days old as of yesterday. Cute little things. Other bird activity was low and hard to see with the heavy clouds and dark coming. There are lots of 'blue' birds there. Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings and Bluebirds all over and I spotted a couple Cedar Waxwings way up in one of the pine trees. Down at the lake there are several families of Canadas with babies and more of the 'blue' birds. Pics start here: http://fynefoto.phanfare.com/6050250#imageID=187295570 Have a great Memorial Day weekend! Thanks to all our service people! Barbara Houston New Kent, VA _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Goatsuckers, Fauquier County 23 May 2013 From: BlkVulture AT aol.com Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 21:36:01 -0400 (EDT) Greetings, At around nine PM Thursday night, Perri Borowiecki and I followed up on a Chuck-will's-widow that I heard a week prior in southern Fauquier County. The location is Snake Castle Road, off of Sumerduck Road (Route 651; there's a link included in the eBird checklist below). Perri and I heard a total of at least three Chuck-will's-widows from multiple spots separated by a quarter-mile or so (at a couple of the locations we heard two birds). One bird was quite close to the road at six-tenths of a mile from Sumerduck Road. We were able to see this bird with it's long tail perched in a tree about twenty feet up. The sky was partly cloudy, with the nearly-full gibbous moon shining bright at times. This is not an easy bird in Fauquier County, though clearly it is easier than I realized. We also had at least six Eastern Whip-poor-wills singing from various spots along the road too. One quick word about this street for anyone that might head out that way; it is a quiet residential dead end, and I suspect that they don't see many people wandering around out there after dark. The road is about a mile-and-a-half long, and the houses are relatively spread out. We tried to be cautious about stopping and getting out of the car in front of people's houses. I couldn't help but put myself in their shoes to hear a car pull up, stop, and people get out when you live on a road in the middle of nowhere. It would be a bit spooky. Perri and I also checked Mount Ephraim and Curtis Roads which are the next turn south from Sumerduck Road a bit east of Snake Castle. We had a Whip-poor-will here too, and we were able to whistle up an Eastern Screech-Owl as well, but it was pretty quiet overall. We wrapped up birding a little over an hour after we started, as a proper line of thunderstorms was approaching. Cheers, Todd http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14222923 ------------------------------- Todd Michael Day Jeffersonton, Virginia Culpeper County blkvulture AT aol.com ------------------------------- _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Anhinga, Swallows in Newport News From: Youkerd AT aol.com Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 15:16:54 -0400 (EDT) Today I kayaked both Harwoods Mill and Lee Hall Reservoirs...mostly in the rain. Despite the weather, there was some nice birding to be had. I found the Anhinga at Harwoods. It was momentarily perched in a Bald Cypress, then flew circling the reservoir before disappearing over the tree line. Also of interest were two nest in Wood Duck boxes. One was a Carolina Wren with 5 eggs, and one belonged to a Prothonotary Warbler also with 5 eggs. The swallows were putting on a show at Lee Hall Reservoir. In one cove out of the wind, the swallows were picking insects (presumably flies) off the water. The group of 40 would start at one end and feed for about 25 yards before circling back and starting their run again. Species composition was 2 Bank, 3 Northern Rough-winged, 15 Barn, and 20 Tree Swallows. Dave Youker Yorktown, VA _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Sora, Joseph Bryan Park, Richmond From: Susan Ridd <susaneridd AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 14:31:09 -0400 Last night, May 23rd, under an almost full moon, a Sora called twice in the freshwater marsh area of Jordan's Branch. We looked for the bird but did not find it. Sue Ridd Glen Allen, VA _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Re: Shenandoah Co. Whimbrel From: William Leigh <leightern AT msn.com> Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 17:34:55 +0000 Ed, Great Bird for the Valley! best, William Leigh leightern AT msn.com Bridgewater, Virginia > Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 20:30:50 -0400 > From: etrelawn AT shentel.net > To: va-bird AT listserve.com > Subject: [Va-bird] Shenandoah Co. Whimbrel > > .Unbelievable,but one was feeding with other more common > shorebirds,including semi-palmated,spotted,solitary,and greater yellowlegs > .Also a ring-billed gull,rare for this time of year.Ijust got back from > California where I saw lots of whimbrels along Monterey Bay,and to come > home and see one in Shenandoah Co.is mind boggling. > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/96316588 AT N07/8795740677/ > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/96316588 AT N07/8806346176/ > _______________________________________________ > va-bird mailing list > http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird > > Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. > http://www.virginiabirds.net/ _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Ninja Brown Thrasher takes on Rat Snake - Buchanan County From: "Roger Mayhorn" <rmayhorn AT hughes.net> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 23:26:01 -0400 Yesterday, we watched a life and death drama unfold in our driveway here on Compton Mt in Buchanan County as a Brown Thrasher with young nearby fought valiantly to drive away a large Rat Snake that had come into the area. The bird came close to being killed by the snake as it darted in to peck at the snake's body, and would then quickly retreat. The snake made several strikes at the bird, but it was too fast. When the snake decided it had had enough and tried to leave, the thrasher renewed its attack even more vehemently. The whole story can be seen in blow by blow photos on my web site at http://www.pbase.com/mayhorn/snake_thrasher Roger Mayhorn Compton Mt Buchanan County _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Shenandoah Co. Whimbrel From: EDWARD TRELAWNY <etrelawn AT shentel.net> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 20:30:50 -0400 .Unbelievable,but one was feeding with other more common shorebirds,including semi-palmated,spotted,solitary,and greater yellowlegs .Also a ring-billed gull,rare for this time of year.Ijust got back from California where I saw lots of whimbrels along Monterey Bay,and to come home and see one in Shenandoah Co.is mind boggling. http://www.flickr.com/photos/96316588 AT N07/8795740677/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/96316588 AT N07/8806346176/ _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Nominations to the Virginia Avian Records Committee (VARCOM) From: Robert Ake <rake AT cox.net> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 15:37:09 -0400 As Chairman of the Virginia Avian Records Committee (VARCOM) I am soliciting nominations for voting members of the committee. In general voting committee members review records of bird sightings submitted to VARCOM and vote on their acceptance. As per the bylaws for VARCOM, any Virginia Society of Ornithology (VSO) member may nominate one person who has demonstrated expertise in the field identification of birds and their distribution, accepts VARCOM's rules, and is a member in good standing of the VSO. The duties of committee members are outlined in section III.c.3 of VARCOM's bylaws. http://www.virginiabirds.net/varcom_bylaws.html It is the responsibility of the nominator to obtain the approval of the nominee to be nominated prior to submitting the nomination. Each nomination should be sent to me and should include a paragraph of information supporting the nomination that can be used on the ballot sent to the current committee members. The period of nomination will end October 1, 2013. The new class of voting members of VARCOM will be elected by VARCOM and approved by the Board of the VSO. The current membership of the committee is given on the VARCOM website. http://www.virginiabirds.net/varcom_committee.html. This year two new members will be elected for four year terms. I look forward to receiving your nominations. Thank you, Robert L. Ake 6603 Catherine Street Norfolk VA 23505 rake AT cox.net _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Gala Wetlands From: "Kent Davis" <kedjr AT cox.net> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 14:37:46 -0400 Gala Wetlands will be closed next week 27 May - 31 May. Kent Davis per Barry Kinzie _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Dickcissel Photos from Grassdale Rd. near Remington (Fauquier Co.) From: "David Boltz" <david.boltz4 AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 12:30:44 -0400 I finally got around to processing the photos I took of the Dickcissels on Grassdale Rd. this past Monday with Rich Rieger. Included are 2 of a female with nesting material. http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveboltz/sets/72157633636803598/ Dave Boltz _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Bird Walk, Blue Ridge Center, Loudoun Co, May 25 From: "Joe Coleman" <joecoleman AT rstarmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 12:09:53 -0400 Please join the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy at 8 am on Sat., May 25, for the free monthly bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship (BRCES) in the northwestern corner of Loudoun County near Harpers Ferry. Everyone is welcome. The group meets in the parking lot between the Education Center and the organic farm. The entrance to BRCES is on the west side of Harper's Ferry Rd, Rte 671, about a 1/4 mile north of the Neersville Fire Station and about 5.5 miles north of the intersection of Rte 9 & Rte 671 and about 2 miles south of the intersection of Rte 340 & Rte 671. We hold the walk regardless of the weather unless it is dangerous but don't expect a lot of participants if the weather is lousy. Information on the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship can be found at www.blueridgecenter.org/. Information on the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy's many free programs and field trips can be found at www.loudounwildlife.org. Joe Coleman 540-554-2542 or jcoleman AT loudounwildlife.org _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: LEAST BITTERN & MARSH WRENS @ Dyke Marsh From: Richard Rieger <appleadayonsite AT aol.com> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 11:28:08 -0400 Were there this morning. LEAST BITTERN jumped up out of the Pickerel Weed and flew about 10 feet into the cattails just south of the wooden bridge going out to the peninsula. Did not see it again. MARSH WRENS - maybe two - were vocalizing on island across from the last platform. Rich Rieger Alexandria _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Audubon Society of Northern Virginia Bird Walk From: "WILLIAM Brown" <billbr50 AT msn.com> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 20:13:58 -0400 Six birders participated in the ASNV bird walk at Elizabeth Mills Riverfront Park in Loudoun County today. The big surprise of the walk was a Common Loon diving repeatedly in Potomac. Other highlights included excellent looks at a Prothonotary Warbler and at two Red-headed Woodpeckers that appeared to be investigating nesting cavities in a group of dead trees in the adjoining golf course. A complete list of the birds observed: Elizabeth Mills Riverfront Park, Loudoun, US-VA May 22, 2013 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM Protocol: Traveling 2.0 mile(s) 52 species (+1 other taxa) Wood Duck 1 Mallard 2 Common Loon 1 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 1 Bald Eagle 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Rock Pigeon 3 Mourning Dove 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Chimney Swift 3 Red-headed Woodpecker 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 4 Downy Woodpecker 2 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 4 Acadian Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 5 Eastern Kingbird 3 Warbling Vireo 1 Red-eyed Vireo 2 Blue Jay 2 Fish Crow 3 crow sp. 5 Purple Martin 1 Tree Swallow 2 Barn Swallow 10 Carolina Chickadee 6 Tufted Titmouse 5 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Carolina Wren 5 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Eastern Bluebird 4 American Robin 5 Gray Catbird 1 Northern Mockingbird 5 European Starling 20 Cedar Waxwing 20 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Prothonotary Warbler 2 Common Yellowthroat 1 Chipping Sparrow 2 Field Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 6 Indigo Bunting 2 Red-winged Blackbird 6 Common Grackle 2 Brown-headed Cowbird 4 Orchard Oriole 2 (1 female; 1 first-spring male) Baltimore Oriole 1 House Sparrow 1 Bill Brown Herndon _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Voice: Greater Washington Area, May 21 From: "Joe Coleman" <joecoleman AT rstarmail.com> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 15:10:38 -0400 FYI - this report is for sightings from May 14 through May 20 and was compiled by Helen Patton & transcribed by Steve Cordle. Joe Coleman Hotline: Voice of the Naturalist Date: 5/21/2013 Coverage: MD/DC/VA/DE/WV panhandle Telephone: 301-652-1088 option 1 Reports, comments, questions: (e-mail): voice AT AudubonNaturalist.org (voice): 301-652-1088 option 2 Compiler: Helen Patton 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, May 21, at 3:30 PM. Top birds this week are: ANHINGA in VA and MISSISSIPPI KITE in MD and VA. Other birds of interest include: RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, GLOSSY IBIS, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, SANDHILL CRANE, BLACK-NECKED STILT, phalaropes, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, flycatchers, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, warblers and sparrows. An ANHINGA flew over the College Creek Hawk Watch, Surry Co, VA on May 19. A single MISSISSIPPI KITE flew over Annandale, VA, carrying nesting material on May 17. The Fort Smallwood Hawk Watch reported two MISSISSIPPI KITES on May 20. A RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was in the Potomac River near Swains Lock, Montgomery Co, MD on May 17 accompanied by 10 chicks. An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was at Willis Wharf, Northampton Co, VA on May 17. A flock of GLOSSY IBIS was at the Bitter Sweet Golf Course, Elkton, Cecil Co. MD on May 14 while six GLOSSY IBIS were at Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, on the same day. Two GLOSSY IBIS were at Shirley Plantation, New Kent Co, VA on May 16. The Fort Smallwood Hawk Watch recorded 69 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS on May 15, down to 11 on May 20. A SANDHILL CRANE was on Shuresville Road in Darlington, Harford Co, MD seen during the week. The property owners have asked that any observers respect their privacy. They have had numerous vehicles parked alongside the road in front of their house, in the neighbor's driveways and at the end of their driveway which has become VERY invasive for the family. Eight BLACK-NECKED STILTS were at Hart-Miller Island, Baltimore Co, MD on May 14. Two BLACK-NECKED STILTS paid a five minute visit to the Swan Creek dredge containment facility, Anne Arundel Co, MD on May 18. The weekly shorebird survey at Chincoteague NWR on May 17 recorded over 18,000 individuals of 20 species which is a record high count for the last 4 years. Noteworthy high counts included: 6095 Semi-palmated sandpiper, 4204 Dunlin and 2203 Semi-palmated Plover. A WILSON'S PHALAROPE was in Billingsley Marsh, Prince George's Co, MD on May 16. Three WILSON'S PHALAROPES were at Truitt's Landing, Worcester Co, MD on May 17. Also on May 17, A WILSON'S PHALAROPE was at Bombay Hook NWR and a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was on Newark Reservoir, north of Newark, both in DE, WILSON'S and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were at Chesapeake Farm, Kent Co, MD on May 18. A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was perched and calling at Susquehanna SP, Harford Co, MD on May 14. Another BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was at Schoolhouse Pond, Prince George's Co, MD on May 15. Fifty five+ COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were flying at Violette's Lock on the C&O Canal, Montgomery Co, MD on May 14 followed by even more on May 15. Two or three COMMON NIGHTHAWKS flew over Silver Spring, Montgomery Co, MD on May 19. Six COMMON NIGHTHAWKS buzzed the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, VA on May 20. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was at Battery Kemble Park, DC on May 15. Another OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER paid a series of short visits to a yard in Woodbine, Carroll Co, MD on May 18 and 19. An ALDER FLYCATCHER was singing at Accotink Bay WR, Fairfax Co, VA on May 16. Another ALDER FLYCATCHER was singing at Schoolhouse Pond, Prince George's Co, MD on May 17. A PHILDELPHIA VIREO was at Swan Creek dredge containment facility, Anne Arundel Co, MD on May 17. Migrating warblers abounded in the region this week. Venues with double-digit warbler counts included the Fredericksburg, VA, Soldier's Delight, Baltimore Co, MD, Rock Creek Park, DC, Susquehanna SP, Harford Co, MD, Wyman Park, Baltimore City, MD, Oxbow Lake, Anne Arundel CO, MD, Governor Bridge Natural Area, Prince George's Co, MD, Ft. DuPont, DC, Milford Mill Park, Randallstown, Baltimore Co, MD, Monticello Park, Alexandria, VA,. An amazing 29 warbler species were seen at Susquehanna SP on May 16. The HENSLOW'S SPARROW reported last week off Jennings Chapel Road in Howard Co, MD was heard again on May 15. Seven WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were on Hart-Miler Island on May 14. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS visited a yard in Herndon, Fairfax Co, VA on May 19. More than 100 BOBOLINKS were on Harford Creamery Road, Harford Co, MD on May 14 while 11 BOBOLINKS were at the Staunton River Battlefield SP, Halifax, VA on the same day. Twenty BOBOLINKS were at Kenilworth Park, DC on May 19. Most of this week's reports have been gleaned from the VA-Bird, West Virginia Birding List, and DE-Birds list servers, and the mdbirding web site. 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 voice AT AudubonNaturalist.org 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. *Of interest to the records committee _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Red-necked Phalarope, Farmville From: "C. Michael Stinson" <myrmecocichla AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 10:41:00 -0400 A Red-necked Phalarope is on the west end of Wilck's Lake, Farmville, Prince Edward County, now. Near the causeway to the island. Mike Stinson _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow, Willow Flycatcher in Clarke County From: "David E. Carr" <dec5z AT cms.mail.virginia.edu> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 10:40:35 -0400 I heard and saw a male Bobolink along Red Gate Rd. in Clarke County (near the Warren County line) early this morning. There may have been a couple more birds in the tall grass, but I saw only one. I heard (but did not see) a Grasshopper Sparrow at Blandy Experimental Farm. The bird was singing from a recently hayed field along Blandy Farm Lane near the old farm house on the back side of the property. Willow Flycatchers are singing in the shrubby areas along the Loop Road. I also saw a pair of Northern Bobwhite in the Native Plant Meadow two days ago. David Carr _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: JRP 42 5/22 - s l o w, with Winter Wren From: akb <arun1bose AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 09:30:23 -0400 Very slow morning on the migration front in the James River Park. However a late Winter Wren was a nice find. Seen well by Lewis Barnet and myself we heard it sing several times which first alerted me to it's presence. Also Blue Grosbeak today as well as other park breeders. Arun Bose Richmond _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Babies at Harrison Lake From: Barbara Houston <rinksyd AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 06:31:38 -0400 I swung by on the way home yesterday and wanted to check on the migrants and see if there was any activity. Not much activity that I could see, lots I could hear and off in the distance. Did see an Orchard Oriole pair and lots of Bluebirds and Killdeer. I was heading out and a Killdeer caught my eye off to the left in the gravel. Then I saw something else move and it was a baby....maybe only a day or two old. There were three of them. I stopped and they walked all around the truck. The momma stayed about ten feet away and just watched. They are maybe three inches tall and so cute. The swallows in the box near the platform have babies and there are Canada Goose babies as well. I love spring. A couple pics at: http://fynefoto.phanfare.com/6050250#imageID=187295570 Barbra Houston New Kent, VA _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Re: Cardinal and cat From: "Nancy Young" <nanjyoung AT juno.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 21:43:05 -0400 I am happy to report that the Cardinal that lost his tail feathers on May 4 is doing fine and has been coming to the feeders daily. Then yesterday I noticed the tail was already growing back. The new feathers are about an inch long Nancy Young Blue Ridge _____ From: Nancy Young [mailto:nanjyoung AT juno.com] Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2013 11:36 PM To: 'va-bird AT listserve.com' Subject: Cardinal and cat This morning I discovered a half dozen or more large red feathers and a few small ones on the ground below the feeders. Prime suspect was the neighbor's cat. But this evening just as it was getting dark I saw a Cardinal on the feeder outside the kitchen window. Something looked odd so I got the binoculars for a closer look. The bird was fine except that he was missing ALL his tail feathers. Cat is now the only suspect. I've noticed that she has been getting quite fat so maybe is a bit slower too. (The neighbors told me they would keep her inside when they adopted her but.) Nancy Young Blue Ridge _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Photos: Warblers Galore and More From: "R. Bruce Richardson" <rbrucegrp AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 21:16:53 -0400 Greetings all. I was fortunate enough to get up to the Biggest Week in American Birding in north western OH and stretched the biggest week into two weeks. It was an incredible time with wonderful people and excellent birds. I highly recommend it. I have posted a set of the photos on my flickr here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/40090747 AT N05/sets/72157633552147488/ Lots of Warblers including Blackburnian, Wilson's, Kirtland's, some mediocre shots of Mourning, some decent shots of Magnolia, Cape May and more and more. Also Screech, Great-horned and Long-eared owls are represented as well as Common Nighthawk and Whip-poor-will. Have a look around. I hope you enjoy them. Cheers for now, R. Bruce Richardson Oxford, NC South Boston, VA Torquay, VIC, AUS Subject: Photos: Warblers Galore and More From: "R. Bruce Richardson" <rbrucegrp AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 21:16:53 -0400 Greetings all. I was fortunate enough to get up to the Biggest Week in American Birding in north western OH and stretched the biggest week into two weeks. It was an incredible time with wonderful people and excellent birds. I highly recommend it. I have posted a set of the photos on my flickr here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/40090747 AT N05/sets/72157633552147488/ Lots of Warblers including Blackburnian, Wilson's, Kirtland's, some mediocre shots of Mourning, some decent shots of Magnolia, Cape May and more and more. Also Screech, Great-horned and Long-eared owls are represented as well as Common Nighthawk and Whip-poor-will. Have a look around. I hope you enjoy them. Cheers for now, R. Bruce Richardson Oxford, NC South Boston, VA Torquay, VIC, AUS _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: No Olive-sided Flycatcher today From: Wes Teets <wesrtx AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 18:13:54 -0400 For those who asked about the Olive-sided Flycatcher that was seen here at Natural Bridge, it looks like the bird may have headed north. Indeed it appears spring migration is coming to close. Aside from a good number of CEDAR WAXWINGS, which were literally spilling over the Bridge yesterday to ransack the honeysuckles, not a single migrant was present on the Songbird Trail--not even a Blackpoll Warbler. So while there's still a chance for more late migrants, such as Olive-sided Flycatchers and Mourning Warblers, the bulk of the spring migrants have already passed through. Wes Teets Buchanan, VA Natural Bridge Songbird Trail (Private), Rockbridge, US-VA May 21, 2013 7:31 AM - 9:39 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.25 mile(s) 45 species Turkey Vulture 2 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Mourning Dove 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2 Chimney Swift 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 2 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Yellow-throated Vireo 2 Red-eyed Vireo 3 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 1 Common Raven 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Barn Swallow 1 Carolina Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse 3 Carolina Wren 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Wood Thrush 2 Cedar Waxwing 100 Ovenbird 1 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Blue-winged Warbler 4 Kentucky Warbler 3 Common Yellowthroat 2 American Redstart 1 Northern Parula 1 Prairie Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 6 Eastern Towhee 10 Chipping Sparrow 1 Field Sparrow 6 Scarlet Tanager 2 Northern Cardinal 10 Indigo Bunting 10 Red-winged Blackbird 1 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Baltimore Oriole 1 American Goldfinch 4 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14194488 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Fwd: [MDBirding] Ol' 95 (Red Knot). From: Christine Huffman <crhuff55 AT aol.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:56 -0400 Christine Huffman Great Falls,VA Begin forwarded message: > From: "Mike Hudson" > Date: May 21, 2013, 4:21:24 PM EDT > To: "Paul Noell" , "MdBirding" > Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Ol' 95 (Red Knot). > > For Paul and all of you following this story, B95 WAS seen again yesterday! That make about four times in a little under a week. Moonbird was found last Thursday at Mispillion, and then the next morning was in New Jersey were he has been seen on-and-ff at various beaches since then. Yesterday he was photographed at Fortescue, a banding sight just outside Cape May County by New Jersey Shorebird Project team members. > > B95 was banded as an adult in Argentina in 1995 (this puts him at likely being 20/21 years old). He has been captured several times and spotted at various locations between southern Canada and Tierra del Fuego at least 50 times. > > I have attached the better of the two photos that I received from Larry Niles, the team leader. > > Good Birding! > > Mike H. > Baltimore City > > From: Paul Noell > Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 7:58 PM > To: MdBirding > Subject: [MDBirding] Ol' 95 (Red Knot). > > A birding trip to Delaware Bay, led by Walter Ellison, in admittedly dim hopes of spotting this doughty bird banded some 20 years ago. It's estimated it has flown over the years the equivalent of the distance to the moon and half way back. By my rough calculations (approx. 240,000 mi. avg. dist.) that comes out to 360,000 miles! > > Of course, we did see Red Knots and all were highly prized. Who knows? Maybe we DID see ol' 95, but the attached pic at Mispillion Light will have to suffice. At the other end of the spectrum, there were TONS of Osprey, among lots of birds. Well done, Walter. > Paul Noell > Balto MD > -- > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'. > To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com > Posts can be sent to the group by sending an email to mdbirding AT googlegroups.com > > > -- > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'. > To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com > Posts can be sent to the group by sending an email to mdbirding AT googlegroups.com > > _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: bird call ringtone apps? From: Chris Norloff <0404toward AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 12:47:24 -0400 Any recommendations for good iPhone apps with bird call ringtones? Thanks Chris On May 20, 2013, at 5:35 AM, Chris Norloff <0404toward AT gmail.com> wrote: > Hi, any recommendations for good bird call ringtones for iPhones? > > I'd like real bird calls, something that sounds more realistic than the included duck ringtone, for example. > > Thanks! > Chris > _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: More Spring Migrants From: Evan Spears <e3spears AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 23:48:50 -0400 David and I had lots of warblers in the yard Sunday morning here in eastern Buckingham. We saw and heard MAGNOLIA, CHESTNUT-SIDED, and BLACKPOLL WARBLERS, with a few AMERICAN REDSTARTS mixed in here and there. The highlight of the morning was a female BAY-BREASTED WARBLER in our spruce tree. Field marks on this lifer included two prominent wing bars along with red-brown cap and flanks. The usual Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, and Louisiana Waterthrush were also seen and heard. A Red-breasted Nuthatch was also heard. (I've also been seeing a few Northern Harriers passing through Farmville and Dillwyn in the past few days.) Other migrants included a female ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK and a molting male BALTIMORE ORIOLE who continued his beautiful song all day. Evan Spears _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Fwd: Huntley Meadows Monday Morning Birdwalk From: "Walter L. Barrows" <wbarrows AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 22:23:27 -0400 Some photos from this morning's Birdwalk: http://wlb3.smugmug.com/photos/swfpopup.mg?AlbumID=8722382&AlbumKey=BgRkJ6. Thanks, Harry. *Walt* Walter L. Barrows ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Harry Glasgow Date: Mon, May 20, 2013 at 9:58 PM Subject: [Va-bird] Huntley Meadows Monday Morning Birdwalk To: VA Bird Listserv While this week's Huntley Meadows Monday Morning Birdwalk was not quite as exciting as last week, we did spot nearly 50 species. Our highlights included more Hooded Merganser and Wood Duck chicks scampering around; a very cooperative Ruby-throated Humingbird posing on a leafless branch very near the observation tower, allowing many exciting photographs as he turned his head exposing the gorget quite dramatically; and a pair of Bald Eagles flying overhead - a sight that never fails to excite. Canada Goose 21 Wood Duck 8 Mallard 6 Hooded Merganser 13 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 6 Bald Eagle 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Spotted Sandpiper 3 Mourning Dove 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 5 Downy Woodpecker 5 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 2 Pileated Woodpecker 5 Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Acadian Flycatcher 8 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Crested Flycatcher 6 White-eyed Vireo 1 Red-eyed Vireo 10 Blue Jay 2 crow sp. 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Tree Swallow 15 Barn Swallow 7 Carolina Chickadee 7 Tufted Titmouse 10 White-breasted Nuthatch 4 Carolina Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 Eastern Bluebird 5 Wood Thrush 1 American Robin 5 Northern Mockingbird 1 Ovenbird 1 Prothonotary Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 13 Eastern Towhee 2 Song Sparrow 5 Northern Cardinal 8 Indigo Bunting 1 Red-winged Blackbird 51 Common Grackle 17 House Finch 2 American Goldfinch 1 The Monday Morning Birdwalk has been a weekly event at Huntley Meadows since 1985. It takes place every week, rain or shine, at 7AM (8AM from November through March), is free of charge, requires no reservation, and is open to all. Birders meet in the parking lot at the Park's entrance at 3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria, VA. Questions should be directed to Park staff during normal business hours at (703)768-2525. Harry Glasgow Friends of Huntley Meadows Park _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Huntley Meadows Monday Morning Birdwalk From: Harry Glasgow <harry.glasgow AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 18:58:16 -0700 (PDT) While this week's Huntley Meadows Monday Morning Birdwalk was not quite as exciting as last week, we did spot nearly 50 species.  Our highlights included more Hooded Merganser and Wood Duck chicks scampering around; a very cooperative Ruby-throated Humingbird posing on a leafless branch very near the observation tower, allowing many exciting photographs as he turned his head exposing the gorget quite dramatically; and a pair of Bald Eagles flying overhead - a sight that never fails to excite.    Canada Goose 21 Wood Duck 8 Mallard 6 Hooded Merganser 13 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 6 Bald Eagle 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Spotted Sandpiper 3 Mourning Dove 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 Belted Kingfisher 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 5 Downy Woodpecker 5 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 2 Pileated Woodpecker 5 Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Acadian Flycatcher 8 Eastern Phoebe 2 Great Crested Flycatcher 6 White-eyed Vireo 1 Red-eyed Vireo 10 Blue Jay 2 crow sp. 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Tree Swallow 15 Barn Swallow 7 Carolina Chickadee 7 Tufted Titmouse 10 White-breasted Nuthatch 4 Carolina Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 Eastern Bluebird 5 Wood Thrush 1 American Robin 5 Northern Mockingbird 1 Ovenbird 1 Prothonotary Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 13 Eastern Towhee 2 Song Sparrow 5 Northern Cardinal 8 Indigo Bunting 1 Red-winged Blackbird 51 Common Grackle 17 House Finch 2 American Goldfinch 1   The Monday Morning Birdwalk has been a weekly event at Huntley Meadows since 1985. It takes place every week, rain or shine, at 7AM (8AM from November through March), is free of charge, requires no reservation, and is open to all. Birders meet in the parking lot at the Park's entrance at 3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria, VA. Questions should be directed to Park staff during normal business hours at (703)768-2525. Harry Glasgow Friends of Huntley Meadows Park _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Re: va-bird Digest, Vol 73, Issue 23 From: Maryalyce Johnsen <maryalyce AT kaballero.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 18:55:54 -0400 Sent from my iPad On May 19, 2013, at 8:24 PM, va-bird-request AT listserve.com wrote: > Send va-bird mailing list submissions to > va-bird AT listserve.com > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > va-bird-request AT listserve.com > > You can reach the person managing the list at > va-bird-owner AT listserve.com > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of va-bird digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. BIRD ID needed by rehabber (Connie & Wilton Sale) > 2. re white rumped sandpipers (William Leigh) > 3. White-crowned Sparrow (Walter Hadlock) > 4. Anhinga at College Creek Hawkwatch (Taberzz AT aol.com) > 5. Re: BIRD ID needed by rehabber (Nancy Young) > 6. Sedge Wren; Olive-sided Flycatcher continues--golf course > trail (Wes Teets) > 7. Cedar waxwings & interesting behavior of baby house > wren/female cardinal (Renee Grebe) > 8. BIRD ID needed by rehabber: IT IS A JUVENILE EASTERN TOWHEE! > (Connie & Wilton Sale) > 9. Re: Cedar waxwings & interesting behavior of baby house > wren/female... (MARLENECONDON AT aol.com) > 10. Mississippi Kites- Dinwiddie Co. 5/19 (Adam D'Onofrio) > 11. Forster's Tern Thursday (Amherst Co.) and yard migrants > Saturday (Sattler, Gene) > 12. Campbell Co.-Concord area birding (Mark Johnson) > 13. Fwd: [MDBirding] Interesting Loon Encounter near Violette's > Lock (Christine Huffman) > 14. Siskins in great falls continue (Christine Huffman) > 15. Migration slows in White Oaks Park (Pam and Ben) > 16. Red-necked Phalarope in Berryville (Clarke County) (David E. Carr) > 17. Re: [shenvalbirds] re white rumped sandpipers (Gabriel Mapel) > 18. Highland County area: 82 species; 2 cuckoos; 7 flycatchers; 6 > thrushes; 20 warblers + Brewster's (Gabriel Mapel) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 08:26:36 -0500 (CDT) > From: Connie & Wilton Sale > To: va-bird AT listserve.com > Subject: [Va-bird] BIRD ID needed by rehabber > Message-ID: <1243970.281995.1368969996987.JavaMail.root AT vms170031> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > > Bird admitted yesterday with wing injury from wndow strike. I'm stumped....at first I thought a thrush, but now I'm not so sure. Long tail with white feather tips, big eyes, streaked breast. Good sized bird. > http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj193/humnchirp/WhatamI51913_zps3edc00f4.jpg > http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj193/humnchirp/WhatamI_251913_zps59614389.jpg > > Anyone out there that can ID this guy for me? > > As always, thanks! > > Connie & Wilton Sale > Chesapeake,VA 23322 > humnchirp AT verizon.net > Hummingbirds and Songbirds > State and Federal Permits > NWRA, IWRC > WildLife Response, Inc. > http://www.wildliferesponse.org/ > Member, Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge > http://www.evelynswildliferefuge.org/ > Member, Sacred Friends Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc. > http://www.sacredfriend.org/ > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 13:59:47 +0000 > From: William Leigh > To: , > Subject: [Va-bird] re white rumped sandpipers > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > 5 white rumped sandpipers and 2 semipalmated sandpipers at pond on oakwood (704) rockingham county near rt 11. > Lesa and spotted also present > >> To: va-bird AT listserve.com; shenvalbirds AT yahoogroups.com >> From: birds AT naturefriendmagazine.com >> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 22:55:02 -0400 >> Subject: [shenvalbirds] Approximately 30 nighthawks, Rockingham County >> >> Last evening, several of the boys watched approximately 30 nighthawks go >> past the Union Springs Dam. >> >> >> >> Also, one of the boys got photos of a Bay-breasted Warbler along our lane >> here at the dam. One photo is at this link: >> >> >> >> http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=141 >> >> >> >> Kevin Shank >> >> Union Springs Dam >> >> Rockingham County >> >> >> >> >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------ >> >> > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 10:15:17 -0400 > From: Walter Hadlock > To: VABird VABird , jayBoid8 AT gmail.com > Subject: [Va-bird] White-crowned Sparrow > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Good morning, > > We had a White-crowned Sparrow in our backyard on Saturday, May 18. It was here off and on for the rest of the afternoon. > > Jay Hadlock > Herndon, VA (Fairfax County) > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 12:54:36 -0400 (EDT) > From: Taberzz AT aol.com > To: va-bird AT listserve.com > Subject: [Va-bird] Anhinga at College Creek Hawkwatch > Message-ID: <135e20.4f603b7a.3eca5dcb AT aol.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > > At about 11:20, an Anhinga flew right over the Hawkwatch, heading south > across the river...last seen circling over Hog Island WMA. > > Brian Taber > Coastal VA Wildlife Observatory > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 13:23:51 -0400 > From: "Nancy Young" > To: "'Connie & Wilton Sale'" > Cc: va-bird AT listserve.com > Subject: Re: [Va-bird] BIRD ID needed by rehabber > Message-ID: <966169D4D8B84473B60D562F0257F9C9 AT ownerd39c50d73> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > I am no expert but I will venture a guess: juvenile Eastern Towhee. > > I will be very interested to hear what you find out. > > Nancy Young > Blue Ridge > > -----Original Message----- > From: va-bird [mailto:va-bird-bounces AT listserve.com] On Behalf Of Connie & > Wilton Sale > Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2013 9:27 AM > To: va-bird AT listserve.com > Subject: [Va-bird] BIRD ID needed by rehabber > > > Bird admitted yesterday with wing injury from wndow strike. I'm > stumped....at first I thought a thrush, but now I'm not so sure. Long tail > with white feather tips, big eyes, streaked breast. Good sized bird. > http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj193/humnchirp/WhatamI51913_zps3edc00f4. > jpg > http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj193/humnchirp/WhatamI_251913_zps5961438 > 9.jpg > > Anyone out there that can ID this guy for me? > > As always, thanks! > > Connie & Wilton Sale > Chesapeake,VA 23322 > humnchirp AT verizon.net > Hummingbirds and Songbirds > State and Federal Permits > NWRA, IWRC > WildLife Response, Inc. > http://www.wildliferesponse.org/ > Member, Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge > http://www.evelynswildliferefuge.org/ > Member, Sacred Friends Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc. > http://www.sacredfriend.org/ > _______________________________________________ > va-bird mailing list > http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird > > Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of > Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. > http://www.virginiabirds.net/ > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 6 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 14:01:41 -0400 > From: Wes Teets > To: Rockbridge Birds , Roanoke Birds > , VA-Bird > Subject: [Va-bird] Sedge Wren; Olive-sided Flycatcher continues--golf > course trail > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > This morning on the old golf course trail at Natural Bridge, I again had an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, this time just sitting in a bare treetop, preening. I also had a SEDGE WREN farther up the trail, which sang several times before coming into view. > > For those who don't already know, the trail is on private property (owned by Natural Bridge). So if you would like to bird here, send me an email with a preferred date and I'll put you on the schedule and give you directions so I can take you in with me that morning. > > Also, "Old Natural Bridge Golf Course Trail" is getting tired and cumbersome. We need a fresher, friendlier name. "Songbird Trail [at Natural Bridge]" is both elegant and fitting. But if anyone has other suggestions, email them to me so I can pitch them to management. (For reference, the main trail at the Bridge is called "Cedar Creek Trail.") > > Wes Teets > Buchanan, VA > > > Natural Bridge "Songbird Trail" (Private), Rockbridge, US-VA > May 19, 2013 6:50 AM - 8:40 AM > Protocol: Traveling > 1.0 mile(s) > 44 species > > Wild Turkey 1 > Mourning Dove 1 > Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2 > Chimney Swift 3 > Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 > Downy Woodpecker 1 > Hairy Woodpecker 1 > Pileated Woodpecker 1 > Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 > Eastern Phoebe 1 > White-eyed Vireo 2 > Red-eyed Vireo 3 > Blue Jay 1 > American Crow 1 > Carolina Chickadee 2 > Tufted Titmouse 4 > Sedge Wren 1 > Carolina Wren 2 > Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 > Swainson's Thrush 1 > Wood Thrush 2 > Gray Catbird 1 > Brown Thrasher 1 > Cedar Waxwing 84 > Worm-eating Warbler 1 > Louisiana Waterthrush 1 > Blue-winged Warbler 3 > Kentucky Warbler 4 > Common Yellowthroat 4 > Hooded Warbler 2 > American Redstart 2 > Northern Parula 1 > Magnolia Warbler 1 > Blackpoll Warbler 1 > Prairie Warbler 1 > Yellow-breasted Chat 5 > Eastern Towhee 10 > Field Sparrow 7 > Grasshopper Sparrow 1 > Scarlet Tanager 2 > Northern Cardinal 11 > Indigo Bunting 8 > Orchard Oriole 2 > American Goldfinch 6 > > View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14166739 > > This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 7 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 11:11:11 -0700 (PDT) > From: Renee Grebe > To: va-bird > Subject: [Va-bird] Cedar waxwings & interesting behavior of baby house > wren/female cardinal > Message-ID: > <1368987071.79832.YahooMailNeo AT web142303.mail.bf1.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > Friday morning I was sitting in a large field next to Loftridge Park watching the bluebird boxes (and the parents coming and going feeding the babies) when I heard a flock of about a dozen cedar waxwings fly over. ?I didn't recognize what they were at first, but the same flock flew over about 3 times and on that 3rd time I got them in my?binoculars?around the same time that I remembered their sound. ?While I know they're technically labeled as "year round" in VA, we rarely see them here - usually only early spring or once in the winter. ?Another nice sighting in that same area has been a pair of brown thrashers - an also "hard to find" bird here. ?Swainson's thrushes have been singing all week in the woods - they're almost common here at the moment. ?What a nice common song to hear! > > Bird behavior wise, yesterday while doing some invasive plant removal, I heard a "chip" over and over again for several minutes. ?I finally decided I had to know what was making the sound and found a clearly fledgling bird sitting in a tree. ?There didn't seem to be a mother around, though I had heard a house wren once and the baby bird was about the right size, so I'm assuming that's what it was. ?Interestingly though, I watched a female cardinal come over and jump around the baby bird a few times, checking it out. ?Not sure if it was trying to help it, or had just come to hear what all the noise was about. ?But, I observed her near the baby a handful of times after that - she seemed to leave and then come back. ?Ultimately, after about a half hour, the fledgling move elsewhere. > > The wonders of the bird world! > -Renee Grebe > ?Alexandria, VA > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 8 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 13:27:18 -0500 (CDT) > From: Connie & Wilton Sale > To: va-bird AT listserve.com > Subject: [Va-bird] BIRD ID needed by rehabber: IT IS A JUVENILE > EASTERN TOWHEE! > Message-ID: <22900706.412881.1368988038193.JavaMail.root AT vms170025> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > The consensus is that it is a Juvenile Eastern Towhee and it matches a picture of a juvie towhee perfectly. > Thanks to everyone that weighed in on this ID. You all are awesome! > > > Connie & Wilton Sale > Chesapeake,VA 23322 > humnchirp AT verizon.net > Hummingbirds and Songbirds > State and Federal Permits > NWRA, IWRC > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 9 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 14:28:31 -0400 (EDT) > From: MARLENECONDON AT aol.com > To: grebebird AT yahoo.com, va-bird AT listserve.com > Subject: Re: [Va-bird] Cedar waxwings & interesting behavior of baby > house wren/female... > Message-ID: <9c46e.6f0e9426.3eca73cf AT aol.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > > This year I've had a male bluebird going to the chickadee nest box as the > young chickadees inside make sounds. > > Several years ago a female phoebe visited a Carolina Wren nest in my > carport as the chicks chirped. > > Sincerely, > Marlene > > > > In a message dated 5/19/2013 2:11:19 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > grebebird AT yahoo.com writes: > > Friday morning I was sitting in a large field next to Loftridge Park > watching the bluebird boxes (and the parents coming and going feeding the > babies) when I heard a flock of about a dozen cedar waxwings fly over. I didn't > recognize what they were at first, but the same flock flew over about 3 > times and on that 3rd time I got them in my binoculars around the same time > that I remembered their sound. While I know they're technically labeled as > "year round" in VA, we rarely see them here - usually only early spring or > once in the winter. Another nice sighting in that same area has been a > pair of brown thrashers - an also "hard to find" bird here. Swainson's > thrushes have been singing all week in the woods - they're almost common here at > the moment. What a nice common song to hear! > > Bird behavior wise, yesterday while doing some invasive plant removal, I > heard a "chip" over and over again for several minutes. I finally decided I > had to know what was making the sound and found a clearly fledgling bird > sitting in a tree. There didn't seem to be a mother around, though I had > heard a house wren once and the baby bird was about the right size, so I'm > assuming that's what it was. Interestingly though, I watched a female > cardinal come over and jump around the baby bird a few times, checking it out. > Not sure if it was trying to help it, or had just come to hear what all the > noise was about. But, I observed her near the baby a handful of times > after that - she seemed to leave and then come back. Ultimately, after about a > half hour, the fledgling move elsewhere. > > The wonders of the bird world! > -Renee Grebe > Alexandria, VA > _______________________________________________ > va-bird mailing list > http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird > > Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of > Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. > http://www.virginiabirds.net/ > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 10 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 19:50:24 +0000 (UTC) > From: Adam D'Onofrio > To: Virginia Birds , Richmond Birds > > Subject: [Va-bird] Mississippi Kites- Dinwiddie Co. 5/19 > Message-ID: > <1754979711.162627.1368993024759.JavaMail.root AT sz0155a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Just saw 2 MISSISSIPPI KITES fly over the house heading northwest. My sightings of this species in Dinwiddie has definitely been increasing over the last several years. Hoping there will be more to come this summer. > > > Adam D'Onofrio > Dinwiddie Co. > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 11 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 20:45:26 +0000 > From: "Sattler, Gene" > To: "VA-BIRD (va-bird AT listserve.com)" > Subject: [Va-bird] Forster's Tern Thursday (Amherst Co.) and yard > migrants Saturday > Message-ID: > <6C48DC1B980D69478698CE0B54DEBDA424BD0F5D AT LUEMSMAIL04.University.liberty.edu> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > On Thursday my Ornithology class stopped along the James River in Amherst County on Galts Mill Road and encountered a single Forster's Tern. This is only the fourth record for Amherst County, although Mark Johnson found two at Mill Creek Lake just nine days previously during the rains that brought Phalaropes inland. During the 45 minutes or more that we watched it this individual was hunting predominantly by hawking flying insects above the river, although Lynchburg Bird Club members Rexanne Bruno, Jim Elder, Mark Johnson, Jerry Hampton , and Peggy Lyons who came by to see it saw it make a few unsuccessful dives for fish. > > Yesterday morning in the drizzly weather, migrants seen in the backyard featured several Blackpoll Warblers, at least a few American Redstarts and Red-eyed Vireos, an Eastern Wood-Pewee, a Swainson's Thrush, a Northern Waterthrush, a Common Yellowthroat, a Cape May Warbler, a Chestnut-sided Warbler, and a Black-throated Green Warbler. > > Gene Sattler > Lynchburg > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 12 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:45:50 -0400 > From: Mark Johnson > To: va-bird > Subject: [Va-bird] Campbell Co.-Concord area birding > Message-ID: > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Hello all, > I went birding this morning with Peggy > Lyons in the Concord area for about 7 hrs. > We had a great day. We ended up with 66 > species. When I arrived I heard a N. Waterthrush > in one her shrubs. It sang for about 10 min. > Peggy was shocked that it was in her yard. > It was still singing when we left to go birding. > Some of the highlights were: > N. Waterthrush- 2 more. Got great looks > at one at the marsh.Saw it singing > N. Bobwhite- Heard > Horned Lark- Got great looks and heard > singing. > Swainson's Thrush- Heard 2 sing at marsh. > Magnolia Warbler- Saw 1 > Cape May Warbler- Saw 1 in pines at marsh. > Kentucky Warbler- Heard 1 > Bobolink- Saw 2 females > Dickcissel- Saw 1 male and 2 females- Saw them > copulating. > > Mark Johnson > Madison Heights, Va > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 13 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:56:22 -0400 > From: Christine Huffman > To: VA-BIRD > Subject: [Va-bird] Fwd: [MDBirding] Interesting Loon Encounter near > Violette's Lock > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > > Christine Huffman > Great Falls, VA > > > > > Begin forwarded message: > >> From: Christine Huffman >> Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Interesting Loon Encounter near Violette's Lock >> Date: May 19, 2013 4:54:07 PM EDT >> To: Bill Hubick >> Cc: MDBirds , Bill Sherman >> >> unfortunately that loon will not survive if it doesn't get to enough water to take off and fly. as a bird rehabber, i have had many times when a loon needed to be moved to the river or a large pond in order for it to continue it's journey. they land by mistake somewhere like a wet black topped parking lot or in a stream to o small for take off by running along. the parking ot birds often have scrapped up feet. >> to attempt the relocation, you need to cover it with a towel and grab the beak to hold it shut and keep it from lunging at you. once you get the beak under control, it is doable. >> you cold also call animal control to help or net it if you can locate the bird again. >> i am posting this in hopes that someone can find it again and manage to move it to a pond or the canal or whatever. they can move around with wings and feet, but not very well . >> >> Christine Huffman >> Great Falls, VA >> >> >> >> >> On May 19, 2013, at 4:20 PM, Bill Hubick wrote: >> >>> Hi Everyone, >>> >>> Bill Sherman shared this interesting encounter with a Common Loon near Violette's Lock: >>> >>> I thought you would enjoy hearing about a strange encounter that I experienced today. Jim MacConnell and I were birding this morning on the C&O canal starting at Pennyfield Lock and ending up at Riley's Lock (Seneca). We reached Violette's lock and were heading toward Riley's and were about 500 yards or so from Violettes. I was walking on the towpath, noticing that the canal on my right was filled with tall grass and just a little bit of water. All of a sudden a large bird came shooting out of the grass in the canal directly toward me on the towpath. I thought at first it might have been a Canada Goose trying to protect its nest, but as I backtracked to get away from whatever it was, I saw that it was a Common Loon in full breeding plumage. I was quickly moving backwards and the bird was coming at me moving using its wings and feet. I must have backed up about 25 feet when it finally stopped. It then began to vocalize while sitting on the towpath, making that Loon > sound that I have only heard before in the movie On Golden Pond. The Loon stayed on the path calling and as we got closer to it, it began coming at us again. Because it was standing between us and our final destination, Riley's Lock, we needed to do something to get by and not get poked by its long sharp bill. Jim found a leafy branch and held the Loon at bay while we both passed. It then disappeared back into the canal grass. >>> >>> First, I have never seen a Common Loon in breeding plumage and have never heard it call. Second, I would have thought that all of the Loons would already be on nest much further north than here. The bird did not seem to be injured because it was very good at moving quickly using both its wings and feet. Would you have any thoughts as to why this bird might be behaving this way. It was almost as if it was trying to protect a nest, but I know they don't nest here. >>> >>> I have attached a couple of photos of the Loon. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of it attacking me because -- it was attacking me!!! >>> >>> Now I know where the phrase CRAZY AS A LOON comes from!! >>> >>> Bill Sherman >>> >>> Photos are posted here: >>> http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?tmpl=3&action=viewalbum&user_id=31821&album_id=1385854&event=. >>> >>> Regards, >>> >>> Bill >>> >>> Bill Hubick >>> Pasadena, Maryland >>> bill_hubick AT yahoo.com >>> http://www.billhubick.com >>> http://www.marylandbiodiversity.com >>> http://www.facebook.com/MarylandBiodiversity >>> >>> -- >>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'. >>> To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com >>> Posts can be sent to the group by sending an email to mdbirding AT googlegroups.com >> >> >> -- >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'. >> To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com >> Posts can be sent to the group by sending an email to mdbirding AT googlegroups.com > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 14 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 17:58:43 -0400 > From: Christine Huffman > To: Va-Bird > Subject: [Va-bird] Siskins in great falls continue > Message-ID: <78FBD4C4-ED4A-4D1E-AE78-9B28523ADEA5 AT aol.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Just had 8 pine siskins on the thistle feeders next to each other. While watching them , a female redstart was in the adjacent birdbath. > > Sent from my iPad > Christie Huffman > Great Falls, VA > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 15 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 18:04:07 -0400 > From: "Pam and Ben" > To: "Va-Bird" > Subject: [Va-bird] Migration slows in White Oaks Park > Message-ID: <007a01ce54dc$c9297a00$5b7c6e00$ AT com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Since my last report (Thursday), there was one more good morning. On > Friday, the BAY-BREASTED remained, and I also found a LINCOLN'S SPARROW (the > third that I've had in the park in about 15 years). After a ripsnorting 10 > days, passage migrants largely vacated the Park Friday night. Saturday was > slow, and Sunday dead. > > > > Also of note, at Huntley Meadows this morning I saw an instance of > gnatcatcherus interruptus: just as a pair of blue grosbeaks began mating, a > gnatcatcher dive bombed the male, driving him off (literally). > > > > And yet another excerpt from The Dictionary of American Bird Names: > > > > Oystercatcher. Coues says, "Oyster opener would be a better name, as > oysters do not run fast." > > > > Ben Jesup > > Alexandria > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 16 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 18:13:09 -0400 > From: "David E. Carr" > To: va-bird AT listserve.com > Subject: [Va-bird] Red-necked Phalarope in Berryville (Clarke County) > Message-ID: > Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1; format="flowed" > > > At 3:15 this afternoon my wife and I saw a male Red-necked Phalarope > swimming in the catchment pond at the new Clarke County High School in > Berryville, VA. > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/89922350 AT N06/8754533487/in/photostream > > A pair of Killdeer with two chicks was also hanging out at the little pond. > > > David Carr > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 17 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:02:01 -0700 (PDT) > From: Gabriel Mapel > To: "shenvalbirds AT yahoogroups.com" , > "va-bird AT listserve.com" > Subject: Re: [Va-bird] [shenvalbirds] re white rumped sandpipers > Message-ID: > <1369004521.23401.YahooMailNeo AT web121104.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Thanks to William for the great finds. ?At 6:15pm today at least 2 White-rumped, 1 Semipalmated, and 1 Spotted Sandpipers continued, the others may have been present but it was hard to look with the scope through a herd of begging cows looking for food along the fence line! ? > > Gabriel Mapel > > > ________________________________ > From: William Leigh > To: shenvalbirds AT yahoogroups.com; va-bird AT listserve.com > Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2013 9:59 AM > Subject: [shenvalbirds] re white rumped sandpipers > > > > ? > 5 white rumped sandpipers and 2 semipalmated sandpipers at pond on oakwood (704) rockingham county near rt 11. > Lesa and spotted also present > >> To: va-bird AT listserve.com; shenvalbirds AT yahoogroups.com >> From: birds AT naturefriendmagazine.com >> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 22:55:02 -0400 >> Subject: [shenvalbirds] Approximately 30 nighthawks, Rockingham County >> >> Last evening, several of the boys watched approximately 30 nighthawks go >> past the Union Springs Dam. >> >> >> >> Also, one of the boys got photos of a Bay-breasted Warbler along our lane >> here at the dam. One photo is at this link: >> >> >> >> http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=141 >> >> >> >> Kevin Shank >> >> Union Springs Dam >> >> Rockingham County >> >> >> >> >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------ >> >> Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > __._,_.___ > Reply via web post Reply to sender Reply to group Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (2) > Recent Activity: * New Photos 1 > Visit Your Group > > Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest ? Unsubscribe ? Terms of Use ? Send us Feedback > . > > __,_._,___ > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 18 > Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 17:24:40 -0700 (PDT) > From: Gabriel Mapel > To: "shenvalbirds AT yahoogroups.com" , > "va-bird AT listserve.com" > Subject: [Va-bird] Highland County area: 82 species; 2 cuckoos; 7 > flycatchers; 6 thrushes; 20 warblers + Brewster's > Message-ID: > <1369009480.41576.YahooMailNeo AT web121106.mail.ne1.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > Hi all, > > Despite threatening rain and fog Eve Gaige and I embarked on a trip to Highland County today. ?We had quite a successful day logging in a total of 82 species in the Highland area plus the Rockingham County sandpipers and other valley birds my mom and I saw this evening, my day total came out to 88 species. ?Of 82 Highland area species we had quite a few highlights including 20 warbler species plus Brewster's hybrid. ? > > Our first stop at the Confederate Breastworks yielded Wood Thrush, and warblers Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Black-and-white, Cerulean. ?In the heart of Highland County, along Wimer Mtn Rd including Margaret O'Bryan's property highlights included Black-billed Cuckoo (great look, just before Margaret's property on Wimer Rd), Willow Flycatcher (near cemetery, along creek, calling), Cliff Swallow, warblers (3 Golden-winged, 1 Brewster's..Golden-winged x Blue-winged hybrid on Margaret's property, 3 Common Yellowthroat, 1 Hooded, 9 Redstart, 7 Yellow, 3 Chestnut-sided, 2 BT Green, and 1 YB Chat), 3 RB Grosbeaks, and 2 Bobolinks. ? > > Along Hardscrabble Rd we had 11 more Bobolinks. ?Along Hevener Ln an adult Red-headed Woodpecker gave great looks and photo opportunities on roadside fence posts. ?Other highlights here included 4 more Bobolinks and 2 Vesper Sparrows. ?Working our way from Hevener Ln to the WV state line at Allegheny Rd with a stop at the Beaver Ponds on Laurel Fork Rd highlights included: YB Cuckoo, YB Sapsucker, Acadian Flycatchers, Alder Flycatcher (at the house with the boat..Beaver Ponds..calling), Least Flycatcher, both vireos, thrushes (3 Veery, 2 Swainson's, 1 Hermit, 4 Wood, plus Bluebird and Robin), and warblers (12 Ovenbird, 1 Worm-eating, 9 Black-and-white, 3 C. Yellowthroat, 3 Hooded, 8 Redstart, 2 Cape May, 2 Magnolia, 1 Yellow, 3 Chestnut-sided, 1 Blackpoll, 7 BT Blue, 8 BT Green, 1 Canada). ? > > Along Allegheny Rd we dipped on the Mourning Warbler and didn't find much of note. ?In Pocahontas Co. West Virginia along the road (not sure the name) from Allegheny Rd-Hwy 28 via Buffalo Lake highlights included 1 Least Flycatcher, 3 Veery and 1 Wood Thrush, and warblers (Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-and-white, Mourning, C. Yellowthroat, Hooded, Redstart, Parula, Chestnut-sided, BT Blue, and BT Green). ?The Mourning was approximately 1 mile west of Buffalo Lake along a long straightaway with a small gravel pullout on the south side of the road on the west part of the straight away. > > Thanks to Eve for a very fun and productive day! ?Good birding to all, > > Gabriel Mapel > New Hope, Va > > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > va-bird mailing list > va-bird AT listserve.com > http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird > > > ------------------------------ > > End of va-bird Digest, Vol 73, Issue 23 > *************************************** _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Birding around Lexington, VA From: Rowe, Richard A., “Dick” <RoweRA AT vmi.edu> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 00:46:22 +0000 All – I’ve been birding around and north of the Lexington area the past few days. Wes Teets has the southern part of the county covered pretty well. Recently, I’ve turned up the following things: Willow Lake – near Raphine – Warbling Vireo, Great Egret, Osprey (2), Purple Martin (10 or so), Spotted Sandpiper (4), Orchard Oriole (imm. Male) Ponds Housing development outside of Lexington – Least Sandpiper (3), Semipalmated Sandpiper (1, photos on Flickr), Killdeer (2) Lexington – fledgling Screech-Owl (see photo on Flickr, it is precious) VMI property near Lexington – Tree Swallow nests with babies, Yellow-breasted Chat, Red-eyed Vireo Old Farm Rd Pond (private property) – Spotted Sandpiper (4) Here’s the link to the Flickr photostream. Flickr has changed the format of its site and as a result the Photostream thumbnails are larger. http://www.flickr.com/photos/vmibiology/ Dick Rowe VMI Biology Dept. _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Common Nighthawk From: Peter Doherty <leasttern AT hotmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 20:36:12 -0400 Greetings. One, FOS common nighthawk seen and heard on the wing above Fort Story and over 84th Street in Virginia Beach at ~2000 this evening. Peter Doherty leastternathotmail.com Virginia Beach, VA 23451 _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: NVBC Weekend Trip to Chincoteague and Saxis Marsh 5-17 to 5-19 From: Larry Meade <uberlarry AT aol.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 18:58:48 -0400 (EDT) 25 member of the Northern Virginia Bird Club ventured to Chincoteague this past weekend. The trip was led by Elton Morel and Larry Meade. Elton deserves special thanks for organizing the trip and keeping the trip running smoothly. As a group, we tallied a total of 118 species for the weekend We started our trip Friday afternoon a little after 3:00 PM at the Wildlife Loop where there were a good number of shorebirds to study We watched a young Bald Eagle on the eagle nest exercising its wings probably preparing to fledge. We then watched an aerial dual between an adult Bald Eagle and a young Herring Gull. It looked like the eagle was trying to grab the gull as they tussled for almost a full minute. The gull was too agile and the Bald Eagle tired itself out and gave up. Another highlight was a resplendent male Blue Grosbeak who hopped around in the bushes near the road. Later on Beach Road, we found a couple of Black-crowned Night-Herons. Later that evening we gathered at the Wildlife Loop parking lot at 8:00 PM in hopes of hearing and maybe even seeing Chuck-wills-widows. We were rewarded by hearing several birds calling and by witnessing two of them flying across the road into the woods. One bird even briefly perched on a small snag for our viewing enjoyment. There was still enough light to see some color on the bird which was larger than we thought it would be. On Saturday we headed over to the Woodland Trail ( AKA mosquito-palooza) Here we found a Red-headed Woodpecker, a female Blackpoll Warbler, many Brown-headed Nuthatches and Pine Warblers, a flyover Common Loon and a brief glimpse of a Magnolia Warbler We then took the bus to the Washflats. Here we found many shorebirds and some Gull-billed Terns. Some Wild Turkeys were strolling down the road including a humongous tom turkey. We also found some Red Knots, Whimbrels and a Field Sparrow. Later, down near the beach we found several Piping Plovers, Marbled Godwits and a variety of terns including Caspian and Royal. A flock of Brown Pelicans flew by and a Northern Gannet was noted in the distance over the ocean. A late Yellow-rumped Warbler was also hanging around On Sunday a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was found in the town of Chincoteague along with a Red-throated Loon near the bridge to the the causeway. At the boat launch on Queen Sound Flats we saw a breeding plumage Horned Grebe who dove before I could photograph him. We were also surprised to find three Brant and a few more Gull-billed Terns. Common Terns, Black Skimmers and American Oystercatchers were on their breeding grounds here. Our final stop was Saxis Marsh where we found March Wrens, Seaside Sparrows, Clapper Rails, Yellow Warblers, Orchard Orioles, a Northern Harrier Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and our only Song Sparrow. A Great Horned Owl flew out of the trees and over the marsh with several smaller birds in hot pursuit. I have included our lists for the trip below. Some numbers may be on the conservative side. Apologies for the length, but I thought some might be interested. Larry Meade Vienna, VA Chincoteague NWR - CES18, Accomack, US-VA May 17, 2013 3:00 PM - 6:30 PM Protocol: Traveling 6.0 mile(s) Comments: NVBC Trip to Chincoteague with leaders Elton Morel and Larry Meade. Wildlife Loop Drive, Beach Road, Wildlife Loop parking lot. 68 species Canada Goose 8 Mallard 4 Northern Bobwhite 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 10 Snowy Egret 40 Little Blue Heron 3 Tricolored Heron 6 Cattle Egret 6 Green Heron 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron 2 Glossy Ibis 3 Black Vulture 3 Turkey Vulture 10 Osprey 2 Bald Eagle 2 Clapper Rail 4 Black-bellied Plover 4 Semipalmated Plover 15 Killdeer 3 American Oystercatcher 4 Greater Yellowlegs 6 Willet 7 Lesser Yellowlegs 6 Whimbrel 1 Marbled Godwit 1 Ruddy Turnstone 6 Semipalmated Sandpiper 150 Least Sandpiper 8 Dunlin 300 Short-billed Dowitcher 60 Laughing Gull 40 Herring Gull 15 Great Black-backed Gull 5 Least Tern 14 Caspian Tern 1 Forster's Tern 20 Black Skimmer 2 Mourning Dove 8 Chuck-will's-widow 4 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 3 Peregrine Falcon 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 8 Eastern Kingbird 2 Red-eyed Vireo 3 Fish Crow 4 Purple Martin 5 Tree Swallow 8 Barn Swallow 2 Carolina Chickadee 2 Brown-headed Nuthatch 6 House Wren 2 Carolina Wren 1 American Robin 6 European Starling 4 Pine Warbler 3 Chipping Sparrow 1 Swamp Sparrow 1 Seen by Elton Morel at Tom's Cove Scarlet Tanager 1 Northern Cardinal 30 Blue Grosbeak 1 Red-winged Blackbird 25 Common Grackle 6 Boat-tailed Grackle 3 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Orchard Oriole 1 Chincoteague, Accomack County, VA, US, Accomack, US-VA May 17, 2013 Protocol: Incidental Comments: Various incidental sightings near hotel and Chincoteague Island. 19 species Canada Goose 6 Great Egret 1 Tricolored Heron 1 Glossy Ibis 6 Laughing Gull 8 Black Skimmer 1 Rock Pigeon 5 Mourning Dove 2 Blue Jay 1 Fish Crow 5 Barn Swallow 2 House Wren 1 American Robin 2 Northern Mockingbird 2 European Starling 8 Red-winged Blackbird 3 Common Grackle 2 House Finch 2 House Sparrow 4 Chincoteague NWR - CES18, Accomack, US-VA May 18, 2013 7:40 AM - 3:10 PM Protocol: Traveling 10.0 mile(s) Comments: Woodland Trail Loop, Beach Road to the beach parking lots, Washflats Bus Tour, Wildlife Loop Drive. 89 species Canada Goose 20 Mallard 10 Wild Turkey 5 Common Loon 2 Northern Gannet 1 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Brown Pelican 18 Great Egret 12 Snowy Egret 30 Little Blue Heron 3 Tricolored Heron 2 Cattle Egret 8 Green Heron 2 Glossy Ibis 7 Black Vulture 5 Turkey Vulture 6 Osprey 6 Cooper's Hawk 1 Bald Eagle 3 Clapper Rail 1 Black-bellied Plover 12 Semipalmated Plover 60 Piping Plover 6 Killdeer 8 American Oystercatcher 10 Greater Yellowlegs 12 Willet 25 Whimbrel 6 Marbled Godwit 2 Ruddy Turnstone 12 Red Knot 6 Sanderling 6 Semipalmated Sandpiper 800 Least Sandpiper 30 Dunlin 700 Short-billed Dowitcher 250 Laughing Gull 50 Ring-billed Gull 8 Herring Gull 30 Great Black-backed Gull 6 Least Tern 15 Gull-billed Tern 8 Caspian Tern 1 Common Tern 20 Forster's Tern 18 Royal Tern 14 Black Skimmer 10 Mourning Dove 8 Chimney Swift 4 Red-headed Woodpecker 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 3 Eastern Wood-Pewee 3 Great Crested Flycatcher 8 Eastern Kingbird 10 White-eyed Vireo 1 Red-eyed Vireo 5 Blue Jay 1 Fish Crow 6 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Tree Swallow 10 Barn Swallow 8 Carolina Chickadee 4 Brown-headed Nuthatch 20 House Wren 5 Carolina Wren 6 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 American Robin 10 Gray Catbird 2 Northern Mockingbird 2 European Starling 4 Common Yellowthroat 3 Magnolia Warbler 1 Blackpoll Warbler 1 Pine Warbler 10 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Tom's Cove Eastern Towhee 1 Chipping Sparrow 3 Field Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 30 Blue Grosbeak 10 Indigo Bunting 6 Red-winged Blackbird 30 Eastern Meadowlark 2 Common Grackle 25 Boat-tailed Grackle 8 Brown-headed Cowbird 26 American Goldfinch 2 Chincoteague, Accomack County, VA, US, Accomack, US-VA May 19, 2013, 7:30AM Protocol: Incidental Comments: Tidal estuary near The Village Restaurant. 5 species Great Egret 1 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 Clapper Rail 1 Laughing Gull 5 Red-winged Blackbird 4 Queen Sound Flats, Accomack, US-VA May 19, 2013, 8:00AM Protocol: Incidental 18 species Brant 3 At the Boat Launch pulloff. Red-throated Loon 1 Near bridge into Chincoteague in nonbreeding plumage. Horned Grebe 1 At the Boat Launch pulloff in breeding plumage. Snowy Egret 8 Glossy Ibis 4 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Clapper Rail 4 Black-bellied Plover 5 American Oystercatcher 4 Black-necked Stilt 8 Willet 3 Dunlin 12 Laughing Gull 200 Gull-billed Tern 4 Common Tern 25 Black Skimmer 30 Rock Pigeon 2 Red-winged Blackbird 6 Saxis WMA - CES16, Accomack, US-VA May 19, 2013 9:30 AM - 11:45 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.0 mile(s) 42 species Mallard 3 Common Loon 1 Great Egret 2 Northern Harrier 1 Bald Eagle 1 Clapper Rail 8 Willet 1 Laughing Gull 6 Herring Gull 1 Forster's Tern 2 Mourning Dove 4 Great Horned Owl 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3 Northern Flicker 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Eastern Kingbird 1 White-eyed Vireo 1 American Crow 2 Fish Crow 1 Purple Martin 4 Barn Swallow 10 Carolina Chickadee 1 Tufted Titmouse 1 House Wren 1 Marsh Wren 3 Carolina Wren 1 Eastern Bluebird 2 Gray Catbird 2 European Starling 6 Common Yellowthroat 7 Yellow Warbler 2 Eastern Towhee 1 Chipping Sparrow 1 Seaside Sparrow 14 Song Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 4 Blue Grosbeak 1 Indigo Bunting 3 Red-winged Blackbird 10 Eastern Meadowlark 3 Boat-tailed Grackle 6 Orchard Oriole 2 _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Bobolinks, Willow Fly, Dickcissels and a few more (longish) From: Richard Rieger <appleadayonsite AT aol.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 18:24:43 -0400 Dave Boltz and I headed west this morning as all young men should... we were headed for Upper Thompson WMA w. Ceruleans and RB Grosbeaks on our wish list. As it was pretty heavy cloud cover, we decided to take the long way around, stopping on Harrison Road first to look for Bobolinks. We did not find any - However! Heading north on Rectortown Road (710) out of Marshall, we stopped at a pretty big field just as you see a sign that says you are entering Rectortown. Thanks to Dave's finely tuned ear, we were able to locate BOBOLINKS flying about the field (private property - but a gate to pull off at) on the north side of 710. GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were heard on the south side of the road, which is marked "Land Conservation" and has some horsey playground things in the field. We headed toward Sky Meadows along Carr Road, picking up our only C RAVEN of the day. At Sky Meadows, we checked the fishing pond, hoping for a Phalarope, since we knew the one in Berryville was gone - (Thanks to Todd Day for not only checking on that, but posting early on and saving us a trip!) No Phalarope at Sky Meadows, but at least one, maybe two, vocalizing WILLOW FLYCATCHERS, along the creek as you pull into the bridal trail parking lot. Dave got his scope on one and we were able to watch it sing. We finally had to move on to Thompson even tho we could see the AT was covered in clouds. It was pretty thick when we parked at the Trillium Trail, but the birds obliged. We had CERULEAN, HOODED, WORM EATING, OVENBIRD and REDSTARTS. Dave was able to get on one KENTUCKY WARBLER that was carrying nesting material. A ROSE -BREASTED GROSBEAK finally sang and we were able to get good looks. There were WOOD TRUSH a'plenty and a few SCARLET TANAGERS. Our revised end game had us heading south on Rt 17 to the sod farms around Remington and Grassland Road for Dickcissels. We scored big on the DICKCISSELS along Grassland Road. We saw at least 4 singing males and while Dave was taking some pictures, he was able to photograph a female who was gathering nesting material. If you go looking, you need to travel on Grassland Road until you come to the fields w. taller grass (not far). Birds were on the wire, on the fence, in a tree in front of one house... lots of good looks. GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS were singing about every 50 yards. Woodland Sod farms, just over the line in Culpeper Co. yielded PRAIRIE WARBLERS, our only CHAT of the day and a few HORNED LARKS and more GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS. Enjoy! Rich Rieger Alexandria _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Eastern Shore & Dismal Swamp Field trip CANCELLED From: "Herbert Larner" <larnersky AT mindspring.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 16:34:50 -0400 Hello all As of this date I have not received any interest in going to the Eastern Shore & Dismal Swamp Field trip scheduled for May 22 to May 24th . At this time the trip has been cancelled . Allen Larner Staunton _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Great Dismal Swamp - Jericho Ditch - May 20, 2013 From: Robert Ake <rake AT cox.net> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:11 -0400 The weather was much better than expected this morning in the swamp with no rain, no wind, and few bugs. I got an early start with a slow drive into the swamp along Jericho Ditch Lane. The gate was already open prior to my arrival at 6:30am. No one joined me at the parking lot. I walked north along Jericho Ditch where I was greeted by a coyote out for his morning constitutional. He left a deposit which on my return trip I noticed was being visited by a Red-spotted Purple. Nothing like fresh scat to attract butterflies. It was quite clear this morning that no migratory movement was on display. Still great looks were had of several of the species and the chorus of song was impressive. For those interested in the Swainson's Warbler report, there was one on the entrance road and one just below the powerline cut on north Jericho, but their singing frequency seems to have declined. The Red-shouldered Hawks were calling from overhead and many Yellow-billed Cuckoos were calling back and forth with two flying past in tight formation. The Summer Tanagers put on quite a show. The big butterflies were certainly out and about as the morning wore on. However, I didn't see a single small butterfly. But those big ones really put on a show particularly at the muddy spots, of which there were many following last night's rain. I estimated more than 70 Palamedes Swallowtails and you could see them through binoculars down the road for a long way. I counted 18 Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and 8 Red-spotted Purples plus one Cabbage White. My last swamp walk for this year will be next Tuesday, May 28. We'll meet at the parking lot at the Headquarters on Desert Rd at 7:15am. We'll bird around that area until the Railroad Ditch gate opens at 7:30am. I plan to take my car down Railroad Ditch which now uses a self-service permit system. We can carpool for the ride to Lake Drummond with frequent stops along the way for birding. I want to get to the burn area early enough to get a representative feeling of what's happening birdwise there. I hope you will join me. No reservation is needed; just show up. See you next week. The complete list for the birds recorded today is given below. Dismal Swamp NWR Jericho Ditch, Suffolk, US-VA May 20, 2013 6:30 AM - 9:50 AM Protocol: Traveling 3.0 mile(s) 37 species Wild Turkey 2 Great Blue Heron 1 Green Heron 3 Turkey Vulture 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 9 Barred Owl 1 Chimney Swift 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 5 Downy Woodpecker 3 Hairy Woodpecker 2 Pileated Woodpecker 3 Eastern Wood-Pewee 5 Acadian Flycatcher 3 Great Crested Flycatcher 6 White-eyed Vireo 5 Red-eyed Vireo 2 Carolina Chickadee 3 Tufted Titmouse 3 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Carolina Wren 10 Wood Thrush 1 Gray Catbird 2 Ovenbird 3 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Prothonotary Warbler 8 Swainson's Warbler 2 Common Yellowthroat 8 Hooded Warbler 2 Pine Warbler 1 Prairie Warbler 3 Eastern Towhee 2 Summer Tanager 3 Northern Cardinal 6 Indigo Bunting 1 Common Grackle 4 Brown-headed Cowbird 3 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14184188 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Olive-sided Flycatcher still present at Natural Bridge From: Wes Teets <wesrtx AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 12:45:35 -0400 This morning, Barry Kinzie and I got good looks at the OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER on the Golf Course Road trail. This is the fourth day in a row the bird has been here. Not much else here aside from the usual, though we did hear a lingering RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. I should mention that yesterday at the Bridge, more than a thousand CEDAR WAXWINGS came over in one half-hour period in the afternoon. This is the most I've ever seen. I'm sure they were feeding on the abundant European Fly Honeysuckle berries. We've also gathered that Cedar Creek must be part of a migration "microcorridor," with both the topography and diversity of resources along the ridgeline making an excellent stopover site for these birds. Wes Teets Buchanan, VA Natural Bridge "Songbird Trail", Rockbridge, US-VA May 20, 2013 7:31 AM - 9:46 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.25 mile(s) 43 species Black Vulture 1 Mourning Dove 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3 Chimney Swift 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1 Pileated Woodpecker 2 Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Yellow-throated Vireo 3 Red-eyed Vireo 2 Blue Jay 4 American Crow 2 Barn Swallow 1 Carolina Chickadee 1 Tufted Titmouse 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Eastern Bluebird 1 Wood Thrush 1 American Robin 2 Gray Catbird 1 European Starling 1 Cedar Waxwing 80 Worm-eating Warbler 1 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Blue-winged Warbler 5 Kentucky Warbler 2 Common Yellowthroat 4 American Redstart 2 Blackpoll Warbler 1 Prairie Warbler 2 Yellow-breasted Chat 6 Eastern Towhee 5 Field Sparrow 10 Grasshopper Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 7 Indigo Bunting 7 Orchard Oriole 1 American Goldfinch 3 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14183125 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Re: Red-necked Phalarope in Berryville (Clarke County) From: blkvulture AT aol.com Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 07:20:25 -0400 Greetings, I checked the pond for the phalarope this morning at about six-thirty AM. Nice little mudflat and pond, but not enough to keep the phalarope around as it was gone when I got there. The big and little Killdeer were still there, and a Blackpoll was singing nearby. Cheers, Todd Todd Michael Day blkvulture AT aol.com Jeffersonton, VA Sent from my iPhone On May 19, 2013, at 6:13 PM, "David E. Carr" wrote: > > At 3:15 this afternoon my wife and I saw a male Red-necked Phalarope swimming in the catchment pond at the new Clarke County High School in Berryville, VA. > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/89922350 AT N06/8754533487/in/photostream > > A pair of Killdeer with two chicks was also hanging out at the little pond. > > > David Carr > _______________________________________________ > va-bird mailing list > http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird > > Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. > http://www.virginiabirds.net/ _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: (no subject) From: Peter Ross <psross AT verizon.net> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 06:25:42 -0400 14 birders, including Chief Inspector Larry Cartwright of the Birding Bird Bureau, participated in the weekly survey (Every Sunday at 08:00 except during Christmas Bird Counts and occasional local road races) of Belle Haven picnic area and Dyke Marsh, sponsored by Friends of Dyke Marsh, and free to all. The predicted rain showers held off, but heavy fog shrouded bird life on the Potomac. Passage migrants were sparse, and there were too many misses to mention. Highlight was a (breeding plumage) Common Loon that was first sighted in Dead Beaver Beach cove and later fished its way over to the marina. The list: Dyke Marsh - CMN02, Fairfax, US-VA May 19, 2013 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.5 mile(s) 46 species Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 12 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 6 Common Loon (Gavia immer) 1 Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 18 Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 4 Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 8 Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 1 Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 4 Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 80 Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 3 Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 2 Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 1 Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 3 Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 4 Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 2 Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 6 American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 2 Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) 8 Purple Martin (Progne subis) 10 Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 6 Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 2 Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 3 Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 1 White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1 Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 6 American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 10 Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 2 European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 40 Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) 1 Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 1 Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 5 American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 1 Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 3 Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 6 Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 1 Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 3 Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 1 Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 12 Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 1 Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 60 Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 4 Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) 8 Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 6 American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 5 House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 4 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14179822 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Peter Ross Arlington _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: good bird call ringtones? From: Chris Norloff <0404toward AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 05:35:48 -0400 Hi, any recommendations for good bird call ringtones for iPhones? I'd like real bird calls, something that sounds more realistic than the included duck ringtone, for example. Thanks! Chris On May 18, 2013, at 3:37 PM, Scott Priebe wrote: > The day started out well, two E. Whip-poor-wills on Joplin Rd. One in the trees right by the road before the VFW and the 2nd across Joplin Rd. in the Marine Base property. > > Went to Possum Pt. next - basically Summer residents. Highlights were at least 6 Wood Thrushes singing along Cockpit Rd. and a male hummer harassing an Indigo Bunting perched in a dead tree - perhaps trying to chase the Bunting from a preferred perch. The Bunting was unmoved, the hummer gave up. > > Next to Leesylvania - pretty much just Summer residents. Highlights here were Waxwings and a Bluebird feasting on cicadas across from the Powell Cr. Trail parking area and mating Y.-billed Cuckoos at Bushy Pt. The male would bring a cicada then get his reward. The rain started and that was it for Leesylvania. > > A brief stop along the north side of Neabsco Cr. turned up a Spotted Sandpiper. > > Veteran's Park was full of soccer players and rain drops, but sparse on birds. > > Occoquan NWR was the last and final stop - again, pretty mush just Summer residents. Rain let up briefly. Several each of Prairie Warblers, Y. Warblers, and Y.-breasted Chats to brighten a dreary day, and a Tom Turkey in the field near the back exit. > > > Scott D. Priebe > > Springfield, VA > _______________________________________________ > va-bird mailing list > http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird > > Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. > http://www.virginiabirds.net/ _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Re: Lincoln's Sparrow From: SPWeigand AT aol.com Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 23:16:41 -0400 (EDT) Jim, I will try to remember to come tomorrow around 8:30 a.m. Have to drop my grandchildren off at the middle and high schools and then come back that 2 miles. I keep my old pair of binocs in the car. Thanks, Sandra In a message dated 5/19/2013 7:56:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, jim_elder AT msn.com writes: A Lincoln's Sparrow has been hanging around the back yard for 2 days. If anyone wants to try to see it, you probably should come tomorrow. 8 am would be a good time. Noon is ok, or in the evening. Let me know if you are coming. I have an eye appointment at 9:15, should be back by 11:00 We have seen it early, at noon and in the evening. Jim = _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Re: Nighthawk at noon? From: JJ Johnson <byrdnyrd33 AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 22:58:20 -0400 I enjoyed one in daytime at Huntley Meadows a few years ago. Jan Frye Richmond On May 19, 2013 10:48 PM, "Nancy Young" wrote: > Last Wednesday around noon I saw a small hawk-like bird flying over > Troutville Elementary in Botetourt County. I had never seen a nighthawk > before but later when I checked my books I was convinced that's what it > was. > It had all the right markings and shape except that it was out in the > middle > of the day. Has anyone else witnessed this behavior? > > This afternoon we saw a Brown Thrasher and a chipmunk on the ground > together > under one of the feeders. They seemed to be ignoring each other until the > thrasher decided the chipmunk was too close and lunged at him. But the > chipmunk merely hopped aside and continued searching for seeds. > > Nancy Young > Blue Ridge > > _______________________________________________ > va-bird mailing list > http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird > > Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of > Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. > http://www.virginiabirds.net/ > _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Nighthawk at noon? From: "Nancy Young" <nanjyoung AT juno.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 22:48:08 -0400 Last Wednesday around noon I saw a small hawk-like bird flying over Troutville Elementary in Botetourt County. I had never seen a nighthawk before but later when I checked my books I was convinced that's what it was. It had all the right markings and shape except that it was out in the middle of the day. Has anyone else witnessed this behavior? This afternoon we saw a Brown Thrasher and a chipmunk on the ground together under one of the feeders. They seemed to be ignoring each other until the thrasher decided the chipmunk was too close and lunged at him. But the chipmunk merely hopped aside and continued searching for seeds. Nancy Young Blue Ridge _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: 5/17/13 Chincoteague Shorebird Survey From: Joelle Buffa <clyde_joelle AT verizon.net> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 19:29:04 -0700 (PDT) Below are the results of our weekly shorebird/gull survey conducted at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Friday May 17, 2013. All water areas (impoundments and beach areas) were covered in a 13 hour survey. All individuals are counted for the target species; other birds seen or heard on the survey are followed by a dash.   It was a shorebird survey to remember!! A "perfect calm" of ideal observation conditions, no bugs, and lots of birds! Over 18,000 individuals of 20 species which we believe is a record high count for our tenure (last 4 years). The numbers and timing of the peak spring migration matches that of the past 3 years.  High number of the following were noteworthy: Semi-palmated sandpiper (6095), dunlin (4204) and Semipalmated plover (2203). Four white-rumped sandpipers were scattered throughout 3 impoundments, and there could have been more in the "peep" category. One black-necked stilt on Old Fields impoundment was a surprise since they are usually confined to the causeway, and sometimes seen in F-Pool. Thanks to Joanne Laskowski, who co-led the survey - she's fantastic at shorebird ID, data recording, bird song, and is so dedicated to completing the survey that she missed a dinner date. Our next survey is Friday May 24. Joelle Buffa Canada Goose -- Gadwall -- American Black Duck -- Mallard -- Black Scoter -- Red-breasted Merganser -- Common Loon 10 Northern Gannet 1 Double-crested Cormorant 189 Brown Pelican 26 Great Blue Heron -- Great Egret -- Snowy Egret -- Little Blue Heron -- Tricolored Heron -- Cattle Egret -- Green Heron -- Glossy Ibis -- Turkey Vulture -- Osprey -- Bald Eagle -- Black-bellied Plover 110 Semipalmated Plover 2,203 Piping Plover 20 Killdeer 4 American Oystercatcher 20 Black-necked Stilt 1 Spotted Sandpiper 3 Greater Yellowlegs 29 Willet 56 Lesser Yellowlegs 3 Whimbrel 147 Ruddy Turnstone 149 Red Knot 3 Sanderling 1,161 Semipalmated Sandpiper 6,095 Least Sandpiper 144 White-rumped Sandpiper 4 peep sp. 2,293 Dunlin 4,196 Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 1,654 Laughing Gull 117 Ring-billed Gull 15 Herring Gull 222 Great Black-backed Gull 79 Least Tern 73 Gull-billed Tern 9 Caspian Tern 1 Common Tern 8 Forster's Tern 73 Royal Tern 5 Black Skimmer 3 Mourning Dove -- Yellow-billed Cuckoo -- Downy Woodpecker -- Northern Flicker -- American Kestrel -- Eastern Phoebe -- Great Crested Flycatcher -- Eastern Kingbird -- White-eyed Vireo -- Fish Crow -- crow sp. -- Tree Swallow -- Barn Swallow -- Carolina Chickadee -- Brown-headed Nuthatch -- House Wren -- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher -- American Robin -- Gray Catbird -- Northern Mockingbird -- Brown Thrasher -- European Starling -- Common Yellowthroat -- Yellow Warbler -- Chestnut-sided Warbler -- Pine Warbler -- Prairie Warbler -- Yellow-breasted Chat -- Eastern Towhee -- Field Sparrow -- Song Sparrow -- Northern Cardinal -- Blue Grosbeak -- Indigo Bunting -- Red-winged Blackbird -- Eastern Meadowlark -- Common Grackle -- Boat-tailed Grackle -- Brown-headed Cowbird -- Orchard Oriole -- _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Merrimac Farm WMA From: Parker <kparkerone AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 22:15:59 -0400 I birded the enterance road to the stone house at Merrimac Farm along the border of Quantico today. Spent a lot of time looking for a Yellow-Throated Vireo. Also a plainer toned down Red-eye Vireo that turned out to be a Philadelphia Vireo. I guess toned down to me is lack of bold black eyebrow lines. Good looks at a Prairie Warbler and Indigo buntings. Heard Wood Thrush, Acadian Flycatcher, Barred Owl, Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, Blackpoll Warbler, Chat, Field Sparrow and Meadowlark in the distance. First Ruby-Throated Hummingbird of the year for me. The road is Forest on one side and scrub and open field on the other, nice mix. Yesterday I birded the entrance road to Leesylvania State Park. I got a Bay-breasted Warbler neat the Powells Creek trail parking. Also in the woods on the left after going under the rail tracks I saw and heard a Yellow-Bellied Fly Catcher, a life bird and the last empid of the east that I not seen. Nice couple of Baltimore Orioles in the picnic area. Kevin Parker Woodbridge ebird lists: Merrimac Farm Black Vulture 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Barred Owl 1 Chimney Swift 2 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Acadian Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 7 Great Crested Flycatcher 2 White-eyed Vireo 4 Yellow-throated Vireo 1 Philadelphia Vireo 1 Got a long look at this confusing Vireo on Deepwood Lane near the far entrance to Merrimac farm. I decided it couldn't be a Warbling Vireo to it must be a different looking Red-Eyed Vireo. It was later when checked with the field guides that I saw it must have been a Philadelphia Vireo. It appeared to have yellow in the area going up to the nape and also towards the under-tail coverts but whiter flanks in between. Blackish eye line and olive wings by seeming not as dark as the Red-Eyed. Red-eyed Vireo 6 Purple Martin 1 Carolina Chickadee 2 House Wren 2 Carolina Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5 Eastern Bluebird 3 Wood Thrush 1 Northern Mockingbird 1 Ovenbird 1 Ear Common Yellowthroat 5 Northern Parula 3 Seen Prairie Warbler 4 Seen Yellow-breasted Chat 5 Ear Eastern Towhee 4 Chipping Sparrow 3 Field Sparrow 3 Indigo Bunting 5 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Ear Brown-headed Cowbird 7 American Goldfinch 2 Leesylvania State Park Osprey 2 Mourning Dove 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 5 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1 Near the train underpass on the lower side across the street from the Bushy point trail/camping/car top boat launch area. With a rounded head and a simple call I saw a Least Flycatcher at first. Upon review I decided the small flycatcher was much to olive/yellow to be the Least. I check sound/song and I was sure that it was a Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher. Exact match of song. Great Crested Flycatcher 2 Red-eyed Vireo 8 Blue Jay 3 Purple Martin 1 Tree Swallow 5 Carolina Chickadee 3 Tufted Titmouse 4 Carolina Wren 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 Eastern Bluebird 4 Wood Thrush 4 American Robin 6 Northern Mockingbird 1 European Starling 2 Cedar Waxwing 10 Prothonotary Warbler 2 American Redstart 1 Northern Parula 6 Bay-breasted Warbler 1 Yellow Warbler 2 Blackpoll Warbler 3 Ear Black-throated Blue Warbler 1 Ear Chipping Sparrow 2 Scarlet Tanager 3 Northern Cardinal 4 Indigo Bunting 1 Common Grackle 16 Orchard Oriole 4 Baltimore Oriole 3 American Goldfinch 2 _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Pectoral Sandpiper - Hampton From: Bryan Barmore <gbheron25 AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 22:14:18 -0400 We added a Pectoral Sandpiper to our yard's life list today. While out in the marsh behind our yard we saw a medium-sized sandpiper land in muddy patch. We have had a few Spotted Sandpipers the last week or so, so we first thought it was a Spotted. But it had a very distinct break between the streaked breast and clear belly, had black down the center of the tail and white on the outsides, a very scalloped white marks on the feathers plus a faintish eye stripe. Also no bobbing or pumping. After looking in several field guides and suspecting a Pectoral, we went back and and was able to study it better with the scope. I was able to get a few photos. Pretty poor shots but I think they give a reasonable representation. (http://www.pbase.com/gbheron/image/150286041; http://www.pbase.com/gbheron/image/150286042) Had pretty other birds throughout the weekend. A pair a Blackpoll Warblers have been around; a House Wren is singing its little heart out and a baby Brown Thrasher is about. Cheers, Bryan _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Great Falls National Park From: mnr2 AT aol.com Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 21:35:21 -0400 (EDT) Our group of five tallied 51 species. The day's highlight was a nighthawk resting in a tree on a small island in the Potomac. We had good looks at aLouisiana Waterthrush in a stream. All are welcome to join this informal Sunday walk that meets 8:00 am in the parking lot and proceeds through the visitor's center courtyard to the second overlook. -- Marshall Rawson, McLean VA Canada Goose 12 Mallard 4 Common Merganser 1 Double-crested Cormorant 6 Great Blue Heron 20 Black Vulture 5 Turkey Vulture 25 Bald Eagle 3 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Common Nighthawk 1 Chimney Swift 25 Red-bellied Woodpecker 4 Pileated Woodpecker 2 Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 Acadian Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 8 Eastern Kingbird 1 Yellow-throated Vireo 2 Warbling Vireo 6 Red-eyed Vireo 5 Blue Jay 2 American Crow 2 Fish Crow 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1 Tree Swallow 20 Carolina Chickadee 6 Tufted Titmouse 4 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Carolina Wren 10 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Eastern Bluebird 2 American Robin 6 Cedar Waxwing 40 Louisiana Waterthrush 3 Northern Parula 3 Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 Blackpoll Warbler 8 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Chipping Sparrow 3 Song Sparrow 1 Scarlet Tanager 3 Northern Cardinal 8 Indigo Bunting 1 Red-winged Blackbird 10 Common Grackle 15 Brown-headed Cowbird 6 Orchard Oriole 1 Baltimore Oriole 4 American Goldfinch 20 _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Cedar Waxwings in Fauquier From: "Don & Susan Schupp" <schuppds AT hughes.net> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 20:45:58 -0400 I had a small flock of cedar waxwings in my backyard this evening. There were about 4 or 5 of them in a Shad Bush eating berries this evening. In the 15 years I have been here, it was the first time I had seen waxwings in my back yard. After just a few minutes, they left, not to be seen again. Don Schupp, Warrenton, VA _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Highland County area: 82 species; 2 cuckoos; 7 flycatchers; 6 thrushes; 20 warblers + Brewster's From: Gabriel Mapel <birdmangabriel AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 17:24:40 -0700 (PDT) Hi all, Despite threatening rain and fog Eve Gaige and I embarked on a trip to Highland County today.  We had quite a successful day logging in a total of 82 species in the Highland area plus the Rockingham County sandpipers and other valley birds my mom and I saw this evening, my day total came out to 88 species.  Of 82 Highland area species we had quite a few highlights including 20 warbler species plus Brewster's hybrid.   Our first stop at the Confederate Breastworks yielded Wood Thrush, and warblers Ovenbird, Worm-eating, Black-and-white, Cerulean.  In the heart of Highland County, along Wimer Mtn Rd including Margaret O'Bryan's property highlights included Black-billed Cuckoo (great look, just before Margaret's property on Wimer Rd), Willow Flycatcher (near cemetery, along creek, calling), Cliff Swallow, warblers (3 Golden-winged, 1 Brewster's..Golden-winged x Blue-winged hybrid on Margaret's property, 3 Common Yellowthroat, 1 Hooded, 9 Redstart, 7 Yellow, 3 Chestnut-sided, 2 BT Green, and 1 YB Chat), 3 RB Grosbeaks, and 2 Bobolinks.   Along Hardscrabble Rd we had 11 more Bobolinks.  Along Hevener Ln an adult Red-headed Woodpecker gave great looks and photo opportunities on roadside fence posts.  Other highlights here included 4 more Bobolinks and 2 Vesper Sparrows.  Working our way from Hevener Ln to the WV state line at Allegheny Rd with a stop at the Beaver Ponds on Laurel Fork Rd highlights included: YB Cuckoo, YB Sapsucker, Acadian Flycatchers, Alder Flycatcher (at the house with the boat..Beaver Ponds..calling), Least Flycatcher, both vireos, thrushes (3 Veery, 2 Swainson's, 1 Hermit, 4 Wood, plus Bluebird and Robin), and warblers (12 Ovenbird, 1 Worm-eating, 9 Black-and-white, 3 C. Yellowthroat, 3 Hooded, 8 Redstart, 2 Cape May, 2 Magnolia, 1 Yellow, 3 Chestnut-sided, 1 Blackpoll, 7 BT Blue, 8 BT Green, 1 Canada).   Along Allegheny Rd we dipped on the Mourning Warbler and didn't find much of note.  In Pocahontas Co. West Virginia along the road (not sure the name) from Allegheny Rd-Hwy 28 via Buffalo Lake highlights included 1 Least Flycatcher, 3 Veery and 1 Wood Thrush, and warblers (Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-and-white, Mourning, C. Yellowthroat, Hooded, Redstart, Parula, Chestnut-sided, BT Blue, and BT Green).  The Mourning was approximately 1 mile west of Buffalo Lake along a long straightaway with a small gravel pullout on the south side of the road on the west part of the straight away. Thanks to Eve for a very fun and productive day!  Good birding to all, Gabriel Mapel New Hope, Va _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Re: [shenvalbirds] re white rumped sandpipers From: Gabriel Mapel <birdmangabriel AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:02:01 -0700 (PDT) Thanks to William for the great finds.  At 6:15pm today at least 2 White-rumped, 1 Semipalmated, and 1 Spotted Sandpipers continued, the others may have been present but it was hard to look with the scope through a herd of begging cows looking for food along the fence line!   Gabriel Mapel ________________________________ From: William Leigh To: shenvalbirds AT yahoogroups.com; va-bird AT listserve.com Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2013 9:59 AM Subject: [shenvalbirds] re white rumped sandpipers   5 white rumped sandpipers and 2 semipalmated sandpipers at pond on oakwood (704) rockingham county near rt 11. Lesa and spotted also present > To: va-bird AT listserve.com; shenvalbirds AT yahoogroups.com > From: birds AT naturefriendmagazine.com > Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 22:55:02 -0400 > Subject: [shenvalbirds] Approximately 30 nighthawks, Rockingham County > > Last evening, several of the boys watched approximately 30 nighthawks go > past the Union Springs Dam. > > > > Also, one of the boys got photos of a Bay-breasted Warbler along our lane > here at the dam. One photo is at this link: > > > > http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=141 > > > > Kevin Shank > > Union Springs Dam > > Rockingham County > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] __._,_.___ Reply via web post Reply to sender Reply to group Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (2) Recent Activity: * New Photos 1 Visit Your Group Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use • Send us Feedback . __,_._,___ _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Red-necked Phalarope in Berryville (Clarke County) From: "David E. Carr" <dec5z AT cms.mail.virginia.edu> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 18:13:09 -0400 At 3:15 this afternoon my wife and I saw a male Red-necked Phalarope swimming in the catchment pond at the new Clarke County High School in Berryville, VA. http://www.flickr.com/photos/89922350 AT N06/8754533487/in/photostream A pair of Killdeer with two chicks was also hanging out at the little pond. David Carr _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Migration slows in White Oaks Park From: "Pam and Ben" <breep AT aol.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 18:04:07 -0400 Since my last report (Thursday), there was one more good morning. On Friday, the BAY-BREASTED remained, and I also found a LINCOLN'S SPARROW (the third that I've had in the park in about 15 years). After a ripsnorting 10 days, passage migrants largely vacated the Park Friday night. Saturday was slow, and Sunday dead. Also of note, at Huntley Meadows this morning I saw an instance of gnatcatcherus interruptus: just as a pair of blue grosbeaks began mating, a gnatcatcher dive bombed the male, driving him off (literally). And yet another excerpt from The Dictionary of American Bird Names: Oystercatcher. Coues says, "Oyster opener would be a better name, as oysters do not run fast." Ben Jesup Alexandria _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Siskins in great falls continue From: Christine Huffman <crhuff55 AT aol.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 17:58:43 -0400 Just had 8 pine siskins on the thistle feeders next to each other. While watching them , a female redstart was in the adjacent birdbath. Sent from my iPad Christie Huffman Great Falls, VA _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Fwd: [MDBirding] Interesting Loon Encounter near Violette's Lock From: Christine Huffman <crhuff55 AT aol.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:56:22 -0400 Christine Huffman Great Falls, VA Begin forwarded message: > From: Christine Huffman > Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Interesting Loon Encounter near Violette's Lock > Date: May 19, 2013 4:54:07 PM EDT > To: Bill Hubick > Cc: MDBirds , Bill Sherman > > unfortunately that loon will not survive if it doesn't get to enough water to take off and fly. as a bird rehabber, i have had many times when a loon needed to be moved to the river or a large pond in order for it to continue it's journey. they land by mistake somewhere like a wet black topped parking lot or in a stream to o small for take off by running along. the parking ot birds often have scrapped up feet. > to attempt the relocation, you need to cover it with a towel and grab the beak to hold it shut and keep it from lunging at you. once you get the beak under control, it is doable. > you cold also call animal control to help or net it if you can locate the bird again. > i am posting this in hopes that someone can find it again and manage to move it to a pond or the canal or whatever. they can move around with wings and feet, but not very well . > > Christine Huffman > Great Falls, VA > > > > > On May 19, 2013, at 4:20 PM, Bill Hubick wrote: > >> Hi Everyone, >> >> Bill Sherman shared this interesting encounter with a Common Loon near Violette's Lock: >> >> I thought you would enjoy hearing about a strange encounter that I experienced today. Jim MacConnell and I were birding this morning on the C&O canal starting at Pennyfield Lock and ending up at Riley's Lock (Seneca). We reached Violette's lock and were heading toward Riley's and were about 500 yards or so from Violettes. I was walking on the towpath, noticing that the canal on my right was filled with tall grass and just a little bit of water. All of a sudden a large bird came shooting out of the grass in the canal directly toward me on the towpath. I thought at first it might have been a Canada Goose trying to protect its nest, but as I backtracked to get away from whatever it was, I saw that it was a Common Loon in full breeding plumage. I was quickly moving backwards and the bird was coming at me moving using its wings and feet. I must have backed up about 25 feet when it finally stopped. It then began to vocalize while sitting on the towpath, making that Loon sound that I have only heard before in the movie On Golden Pond. The Loon stayed on the path calling and as we got closer to it, it began coming at us again. Because it was standing between us and our final destination, Riley's Lock, we needed to do something to get by and not get poked by its long sharp bill. Jim found a leafy branch and held the Loon at bay while we both passed. It then disappeared back into the canal grass. >> >> First, I have never seen a Common Loon in breeding plumage and have never heard it call. Second, I would have thought that all of the Loons would already be on nest much further north than here. The bird did not seem to be injured because it was very good at moving quickly using both its wings and feet. Would you have any thoughts as to why this bird might be behaving this way. It was almost as if it was trying to protect a nest, but I know they don't nest here. >> >> I have attached a couple of photos of the Loon. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of it attacking me because -- it was attacking me!!! >> >> Now I know where the phrase CRAZY AS A LOON comes from!! >> >> Bill Sherman >> >> Photos are posted here: >> http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?tmpl=3&action=viewalbum&user_id=31821&album_id=1385854&event=. >> >> Regards, >> >> Bill >> >> Bill Hubick >> Pasadena, Maryland >> bill_hubick AT yahoo.com >> http://www.billhubick.com >> http://www.marylandbiodiversity.com >> http://www.facebook.com/MarylandBiodiversity >> >> -- >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'. >> To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com >> Posts can be sent to the group by sending an email to mdbirding AT googlegroups.com >> >> > > > -- > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Group 'Maryland & DC Birding'. > To view group guidelines or change email preferences, visit this group on the web at http://www.mdbirding.com > Posts can be sent to the group by sending an email to mdbirding AT googlegroups.com > > _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Campbell Co.-Concord area birding From: Mark Johnson <birdmanj61 AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:45:50 -0400 Hello all, I went birding this morning with Peggy Lyons in the Concord area for about 7 hrs. We had a great day. We ended up with 66 species. When I arrived I heard a N. Waterthrush in one her shrubs. It sang for about 10 min. Peggy was shocked that it was in her yard. It was still singing when we left to go birding. Some of the highlights were: N. Waterthrush- 2 more. Got great looks at one at the marsh.Saw it singing N. Bobwhite- Heard Horned Lark- Got great looks and heard singing. Swainson's Thrush- Heard 2 sing at marsh. Magnolia Warbler- Saw 1 Cape May Warbler- Saw 1 in pines at marsh. Kentucky Warbler- Heard 1 Bobolink- Saw 2 females Dickcissel- Saw 1 male and 2 females- Saw them copulating. Mark Johnson Madison Heights, Va _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Forster's Tern Thursday (Amherst Co.) and yard migrants Saturday From: "Sattler, Gene" <edsattle AT liberty.edu> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 20:45:26 +0000 On Thursday my Ornithology class stopped along the James River in Amherst County on Galts Mill Road and encountered a single Forster's Tern. This is only the fourth record for Amherst County, although Mark Johnson found two at Mill Creek Lake just nine days previously during the rains that brought Phalaropes inland. During the 45 minutes or more that we watched it this individual was hunting predominantly by hawking flying insects above the river, although Lynchburg Bird Club members Rexanne Bruno, Jim Elder, Mark Johnson, Jerry Hampton , and Peggy Lyons who came by to see it saw it make a few unsuccessful dives for fish. Yesterday morning in the drizzly weather, migrants seen in the backyard featured several Blackpoll Warblers, at least a few American Redstarts and Red-eyed Vireos, an Eastern Wood-Pewee, a Swainson's Thrush, a Northern Waterthrush, a Common Yellowthroat, a Cape May Warbler, a Chestnut-sided Warbler, and a Black-throated Green Warbler. Gene Sattler Lynchburg _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Mississippi Kites- Dinwiddie Co. 5/19 From: Adam D'Onofrio <bigadfromlb AT comcast.net> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 19:50:24 +0000 (UTC) Just saw 2 MISSISSIPPI KITES fly over the house heading northwest. My sightings of this species in Dinwiddie has definitely been increasing over the last several years. Hoping there will be more to come this summer. Adam D'Onofrio Dinwiddie Co. _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Re: Cedar waxwings & interesting behavior of baby house wren/female... From: MARLENECONDON AT aol.com Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 14:28:31 -0400 (EDT) This year I've had a male bluebird going to the chickadee nest box as the young chickadees inside make sounds. Several years ago a female phoebe visited a Carolina Wren nest in my carport as the chicks chirped. Sincerely, Marlene In a message dated 5/19/2013 2:11:19 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, grebebird AT yahoo.com writes: Friday morning I was sitting in a large field next to Loftridge Park watching the bluebird boxes (and the parents coming and going feeding the babies) when I heard a flock of about a dozen cedar waxwings fly over. I didn't recognize what they were at first, but the same flock flew over about 3 times and on that 3rd time I got them in my binoculars around the same time that I remembered their sound. While I know they're technically labeled as "year round" in VA, we rarely see them here - usually only early spring or once in the winter. Another nice sighting in that same area has been a pair of brown thrashers - an also "hard to find" bird here. Swainson's thrushes have been singing all week in the woods - they're almost common here at the moment. What a nice common song to hear! Bird behavior wise, yesterday while doing some invasive plant removal, I heard a "chip" over and over again for several minutes. I finally decided I had to know what was making the sound and found a clearly fledgling bird sitting in a tree. There didn't seem to be a mother around, though I had heard a house wren once and the baby bird was about the right size, so I'm assuming that's what it was. Interestingly though, I watched a female cardinal come over and jump around the baby bird a few times, checking it out. Not sure if it was trying to help it, or had just come to hear what all the noise was about. But, I observed her near the baby a handful of times after that - she seemed to leave and then come back. Ultimately, after about a half hour, the fledgling move elsewhere. The wonders of the bird world! -Renee Grebe Alexandria, VA _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: BIRD ID needed by rehabber: IT IS A JUVENILE EASTERN TOWHEE! From: Connie & Wilton Sale <humnchirp AT verizon.net> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 13:27:18 -0500 (CDT) The consensus is that it is a Juvenile Eastern Towhee and it matches a picture of a juvie towhee perfectly. Thanks to everyone that weighed in on this ID. You all are awesome! Connie & Wilton Sale Chesapeake,VA 23322 humnchirp AT verizon.net Hummingbirds and Songbirds State and Federal Permits NWRA, IWRC _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Cedar waxwings & interesting behavior of baby house wren/female cardinal From: Renee Grebe <grebebird AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 11:11:11 -0700 (PDT) Friday morning I was sitting in a large field next to Loftridge Park watching the bluebird boxes (and the parents coming and going feeding the babies) when I heard a flock of about a dozen cedar waxwings fly over.  I didn't recognize what they were at first, but the same flock flew over about 3 times and on that 3rd time I got them in my binoculars around the same time that I remembered their sound.  While I know they're technically labeled as "year round" in VA, we rarely see them here - usually only early spring or once in the winter.  Another nice sighting in that same area has been a pair of brown thrashers - an also "hard to find" bird here.  Swainson's thrushes have been singing all week in the woods - they're almost common here at the moment.  What a nice common song to hear! Bird behavior wise, yesterday while doing some invasive plant removal, I heard a "chip" over and over again for several minutes.  I finally decided I had to know what was making the sound and found a clearly fledgling bird sitting in a tree.  There didn't seem to be a mother around, though I had heard a house wren once and the baby bird was about the right size, so I'm assuming that's what it was.  Interestingly though, I watched a female cardinal come over and jump around the baby bird a few times, checking it out.  Not sure if it was trying to help it, or had just come to hear what all the noise was about.  But, I observed her near the baby a handful of times after that - she seemed to leave and then come back.  Ultimately, after about a half hour, the fledgling move elsewhere. The wonders of the bird world! -Renee Grebe  Alexandria, VA _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Sedge Wren; Olive-sided Flycatcher continues--golf course trail From: Wes Teets <wesrtx AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 14:01:41 -0400 This morning on the old golf course trail at Natural Bridge, I again had an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, this time just sitting in a bare treetop, preening. I also had a SEDGE WREN farther up the trail, which sang several times before coming into view. For those who don't already know, the trail is on private property (owned by Natural Bridge). So if you would like to bird here, send me an email with a preferred date and I'll put you on the schedule and give you directions so I can take you in with me that morning. Also, "Old Natural Bridge Golf Course Trail" is getting tired and cumbersome. We need a fresher, friendlier name. "Songbird Trail [at Natural Bridge]" is both elegant and fitting. But if anyone has other suggestions, email them to me so I can pitch them to management. (For reference, the main trail at the Bridge is called "Cedar Creek Trail.") Wes Teets Buchanan, VA Natural Bridge "Songbird Trail" (Private), Rockbridge, US-VA May 19, 2013 6:50 AM - 8:40 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.0 mile(s) 44 species Wild Turkey 1 Mourning Dove 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2 Chimney Swift 3 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 White-eyed Vireo 2 Red-eyed Vireo 3 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 1 Carolina Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse 4 Sedge Wren 1 Carolina Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Swainson's Thrush 1 Wood Thrush 2 Gray Catbird 1 Brown Thrasher 1 Cedar Waxwing 84 Worm-eating Warbler 1 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 Blue-winged Warbler 3 Kentucky Warbler 4 Common Yellowthroat 4 Hooded Warbler 2 American Redstart 2 Northern Parula 1 Magnolia Warbler 1 Blackpoll Warbler 1 Prairie Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 5 Eastern Towhee 10 Field Sparrow 7 Grasshopper Sparrow 1 Scarlet Tanager 2 Northern Cardinal 11 Indigo Bunting 8 Orchard Oriole 2 American Goldfinch 6 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14166739 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Re: BIRD ID needed by rehabber From: "Nancy Young" <nanjyoung AT juno.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 13:23:51 -0400 I am no expert but I will venture a guess: juvenile Eastern Towhee. I will be very interested to hear what you find out. Nancy Young Blue Ridge -----Original Message----- From: va-bird [mailto:va-bird-bounces AT listserve.com] On Behalf Of Connie & Wilton Sale Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2013 9:27 AM To: va-bird AT listserve.com Subject: [Va-bird] BIRD ID needed by rehabber Bird admitted yesterday with wing injury from wndow strike. I'm stumped....at first I thought a thrush, but now I'm not so sure. Long tail with white feather tips, big eyes, streaked breast. Good sized bird. http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj193/humnchirp/WhatamI51913_zps3edc00f4. jpg http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj193/humnchirp/WhatamI_251913_zps5961438 9.jpg Anyone out there that can ID this guy for me? As always, thanks! Connie & Wilton Sale Chesapeake,VA 23322 humnchirp AT verizon.net Hummingbirds and Songbirds State and Federal Permits NWRA, IWRC WildLife Response, Inc. http://www.wildliferesponse.org/ Member, Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge http://www.evelynswildliferefuge.org/ Member, Sacred Friends Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc. http://www.sacredfriend.org/ _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Anhinga at College Creek Hawkwatch From: Taberzz AT aol.com Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 12:54:36 -0400 (EDT) At about 11:20, an Anhinga flew right over the Hawkwatch, heading south across the river...last seen circling over Hog Island WMA. Brian Taber Coastal VA Wildlife Observatory _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: White-crowned Sparrow From: Walter Hadlock <jaybirdncarol AT verizon.net> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 10:15:17 -0400 Good morning, We had a White-crowned Sparrow in our backyard on Saturday, May 18. It was here off and on for the rest of the afternoon. Jay Hadlock Herndon, VA (Fairfax County) _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: re white rumped sandpipers From: William Leigh <leightern AT msn.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 13:59:47 +0000 5 white rumped sandpipers and 2 semipalmated sandpipers at pond on oakwood (704) rockingham county near rt 11. Lesa and spotted also present > To: va-bird AT listserve.com; shenvalbirds AT yahoogroups.com > From: birds AT naturefriendmagazine.com > Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 22:55:02 -0400 > Subject: [shenvalbirds] Approximately 30 nighthawks, Rockingham County > > Last evening, several of the boys watched approximately 30 nighthawks go > past the Union Springs Dam. > > > > Also, one of the boys got photos of a Bay-breasted Warbler along our lane > here at the dam. One photo is at this link: > > > > http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=141 > > > > Kevin Shank > > Union Springs Dam > > Rockingham County > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: BIRD ID needed by rehabber From: Connie & Wilton Sale <humnchirp AT verizon.net> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 08:26:36 -0500 (CDT) Bird admitted yesterday with wing injury from wndow strike. I'm stumped....at first I thought a thrush, but now I'm not so sure. Long tail with white feather tips, big eyes, streaked breast. Good sized bird. http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj193/humnchirp/WhatamI51913_zps3edc00f4.jpg http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj193/humnchirp/WhatamI_251913_zps59614389.jpg Anyone out there that can ID this guy for me? As always, thanks! Connie & Wilton Sale Chesapeake,VA 23322 humnchirp AT verizon.net Hummingbirds and Songbirds State and Federal Permits NWRA, IWRC WildLife Response, Inc. http://www.wildliferesponse.org/ Member, Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge http://www.evelynswildliferefuge.org/ Member, Sacred Friends Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc. http://www.sacredfriend.org/ _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Approximately 30 nighthawks, Rockingham County From: "Kevin Shank" <birds AT naturefriendmagazine.com> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 22:55:02 -0400 Last evening, several of the boys watched approximately 30 nighthawks go past the Union Springs Dam. Also, one of the boys got photos of a Bay-breasted Warbler along our lane here at the dam. One photo is at this link: http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=141 Kevin Shank Union Springs Dam Rockingham County _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Semipalmated Plovers (3) - Harrisonburg (Rockingham Co.) From: Diane L <dianelep1 AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 17:31:59 -0700 (PDT) A small pond on Osceola Springs Rd, outside Harrisonburg, hosted three Semipalmated Plovers this afternoon -- they were still there at 7:30 PM.   This species is a rare visitor for us, so naturally we hope the birds stay a while!  Joining them were Killdeer, Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers, and a Greater Yellowlegs.   Diane Lepkowski Harrisonburg, VA _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Montane Specialties / Rockingham Co. From: "Jon Little" <littlejon48 AT comcast.net> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 19:52:07 -0400 We birded FR 818 (Little Dry River Rd) plus FR 85.2 (Hall Spring Rd) today and found a good number of target birds. This is W of Fulks Run/Hwy 259. Altitude ranges from 1180 ft. to over 3600 ft. The best birds, as always, were above 3200 ft. We were particularly looking for high altitude breeders and were not disappointed. All along, the leaves were barely out and everything appeared as it usually does in April. Temp hung at 60; fog set in up there at Noon and most birds stopped calling. Broad-winged Hawk YB Cuckoo Pileated WP E. Wood Pewee E. Phoebe GC Flycatcher E. Kingbird Yellow-throated Vireo BLUE-HEADED VIREO - 10+ singing (fewer than other years) Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Raven RB NUTHATCH - 3 VEERY - VERY Quiet! Only 3 or 4; none doing their signature call Wood Thrush - also, very few Scarlet Tanager DE JUNCO - 3 (less than usual) Warblers: Parula Yellow MAGNOLIA - 1 BLACK-THROATED BLUE- 8 YELLOW-RUMPED - 6-8 Black-throated Green - 3 BLACKBURNIAN - 6 or more (most males we've ever had up there) PINE - 6 singing males Prairie - 4 Blackpoll - 3 or 4 Black-and-white - 4 Redstart Worm-eating - 5 Ovenbird - good numbers Common Yellowthroat Hooded - 4 Jon & BJ Little Winchester _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Virginia Big Day - 189 Species From: Tim Hodge <tanagertim AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 19:24:22 -0400 Kurt Gaskill, Russ Taylor and I did a big day on Thursday (5/16). Starting with a long walk down to Bentivar Marsh, in Albemarle county, we heard Field Sparrow, Chat, Least Bittern, and King Rail. I had located a Common Moorhen at the marsh on Wednesday, we could not find it. Our next stop we King Family Vineyard where we listened to a Sora. We did not even have to get out of our cars to hear the Barn Owl on Guthrie Road. The wind began to pick up, making it nearly impossible to hear anything at Cattleman Road, where we hoped for a Dickcissel. We drove directly to Highland County were I had staked out a Saw-whet Owl, Barred Owl, Whip-poor-will, and American Woodcock. We found them all, though the Whip-poor-will proved difficult with no moon. We easily found all the target species at Locust Springs (Purple Finch, Ruffed Grouse at the pick-nick area, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-rumped Warbler) Alleghany Road was rife with Black-throated Green, Magnolia, and Blackbrnian Warblers, and Veery. At the old clear-cut we heard the Mourning Warbler singing. It must have just arrived in the previous migrant wave, as I did not hear it during the scouting. Heading east on route 642 we managed to hear Louisiana Waterthrush, Canada Warbler, and a late Ruby-crowned Kinglet singing. Straight Creek had both Willow and Alder Flycatchers. As soon as we emerdged from the woods into Blue Grass Valley we heard a Vesper singing. Probably due to the hot weather, there was very little swallow activity so we had to work hard to find the Northern Rough-winged and Cliff Swallows. Somehow we missed Savannah Sparrow altogether. At Margaret O'Brian's house, we saw Golden-winged Warbler, and a flyby Merlin, probably the most unexpected bird of the day. We also heard a Black-billed Cuckoo. The Warbling Vireo was singing in its usual location at Forks of Water. Ramey's Draft contained a Bay-breasted Warbler singing in one of the trees in the open area by the pick-nick area. Thankfully missing the construction, we made it to Afton Mountain around noon. Driving off the highway onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, we heard Cerulean, and Hooded Warbler. My Kentucky Warbler stake out was silent. At King Family Vineyard we spotted the only Pectoral Sandpiper of the day. The long drive to Newport News City Park produced nothing new. Once at the park we heard Prothonotary Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher, and Swainson's Thrush. We all spotted a Gull-billed Tern over the Hampton-Roads Bridge. South Thimble Island on the CBBT had the usual Ruddy Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers. Kurt spotted a Sandwich Tern, but the rest of us missed it. Picking up the last field birds at ESVNWR we heard Blue Grosbeak, Northern Bobwhite, and Wild Turkey. In a field north of the refuge we heard Horned Lark. We missed the Eurasian Collared-Doves at Magotha. Ned Brinkley had mentioned that there was some lingering waterfowl at a lake in downtown Cape Charles. Surprisingly we saw a Bufflehead at the north end of the lake and six Ruddy Ducks at the south end. Due to time constraints we had to skip Oyster, and Willis Wharf, costing us three species. By the time we got to Chincoteague we had only an hour left before sunset. We found most of the shorebirds including White-rumped and Stilt Sandpiper. A Horned Grebe was ten feet off the coast of Queen Sound Landing. We brought out some chairs and sat down to listen at Saxis for the remaining two hours. We heard a flyover Gray-cheeked Thrush. Singing from the marsh Nelson's, Saltmarsh, and Seaside Sparrow, along with Clapper and Virginia Rail and Marsh Wren. The biggest misses were American Kestrel, Red-shouldered and Cooper's Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Savannah Sparrow, Tricolored Heron, and the night-herons. The species list is as follows. Common Loon Horned Grebe Brown Pelican Double-crested Cormorant Least Bittern Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Green Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Tim) Glossy Ibis White Ibis Canada Goose Wood Duck American Black Duck Mallard Gadwall Bufflehead Red-breasted Merganser (Tim/Kurt) Ruddy Duck Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Sharp-shinned Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Merlin Ruffed Grouse (Tim/Kurt) Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Clapper Rail King Rail Virginia Rail Sora Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Killdeer American Oystercatcher Black-necked Stilt Greater Yellowlegs Solitary Sandpiper Willet Spotted Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Dunlin Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Snipe (Tim/Kurt) American Woodcock Laughing Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Gull-billed Tern Royal Tern Sandwich Tern (Kurt) Common Tern Forster's Tern Least Tern Black Skimmer Mourning Dove Rock Pigeon Black-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo Barn Owl Eastern Screech-Owl Barred Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl (Tim/Kurt) Chuck-will's-widow Whip-poor-will (Tim/Kurt) Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher (Tim) Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Wood-Pewee Acadian Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Horned Lark Purple Martin Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Cliff Swallow Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Common Raven Carolina Chickadee Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Carolina Wren Winter Wren House Wren Marsh Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird Veery Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing European Starling White-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Golden-winged Warbler Northern Parula Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Pine Warbler Prairie Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Cerulean Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Prothonotary Warbler Worm-eating Warbler Ovenbird Louisiana Waterthrush Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Canada Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Blue Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Nelson's Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow Seaside Sparrow Song Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Boat-tailed Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Purple Finch House Finch American Goldfinch House Sparrow _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: MISSISSIPPI KITES and BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, Powhatan County 5/18/2013 From: Wendy Ealding <wealding AT aol.com> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 19:16:03 -0400 (EDT) Highlights of today's BioBlitz at Belmead in Powhatan County included a Black-billed Cuckoo and three MISSISSIPPI KITES. The Kites were found during the early afternoon by VCU student Ben Duke and his BioBlitz partner Liza Kate Walter, shortly after a heavy rain storm centered slightly north across the river in Goochland County. Kudos to Ben and Liza Kate! Note that the location is on private property Wendy Ealding Powhatan County _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: [va-bird] Pr. William Co. various locations From: Scott Priebe <falco57 AT msn.com> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 15:37:30 -0400 The day started out well, two E. Whip-poor-wills on Joplin Rd. One in the trees right by the road before the VFW and the 2nd across Joplin Rd. in the Marine Base property. Went to Possum Pt. next - basically Summer residents. Highlights were at least 6 Wood Thrushes singing along Cockpit Rd. and a male hummer harassing an Indigo Bunting perched in a dead tree - perhaps trying to chase the Bunting from a preferred perch. The Bunting was unmoved, the hummer gave up. Next to Leesylvania - pretty much just Summer residents. Highlights here were Waxwings and a Bluebird feasting on cicadas across from the Powell Cr. Trail parking area and mating Y.-billed Cuckoos at Bushy Pt. The male would bring a cicada then get his reward. The rain started and that was it for Leesylvania. A brief stop along the north side of Neabsco Cr. turned up a Spotted Sandpiper. Veteran's Park was full of soccer players and rain drops, but sparse on birds. Occoquan NWR was the last and final stop - again, pretty mush just Summer residents. Rain let up briefly. Several each of Prairie Warblers, Y. Warblers, and Y.-breasted Chats to brighten a dreary day, and a Tom Turkey in the field near the back exit. Scott D. Priebe Springfield, VA _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Mourning Warbler and Olive-sided Flycatcher at Natural Bridge From: Wes Teets <wesrtx AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 15:01:54 -0400 This morning a group from South Carolina joined me for the walk on the old Natural Bridge golf course. We spent a good part of the morning searching for the source of a song that had us baffled for a while. At first it sounded like an alternate Hooded Warbler song. No, Magnolia. Then it started sounding an awful lot like Common Yellowthroat. We were eventually able to coax the bird into view, and the singer revealed himself to be a MOURNING WARBLER after giving a few distinctive call notes and song phrases more typical of that species. We now have 31 warbler species for the property. We also got great views of another silent OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. And a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO flew in front of us, eventually singing parts of his song. At work (Cedar Creek Trail at Natural Bridge) this morning, I had a SPOTTED SANDPIPER and a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, the latter being the 31st warbler species recorded this year at Natural Bridge. Wes Teets Buchanan, VA Old Natural Bridge Golf Course, Rockbridge, US-VA May 18, 2013 7:42 AM - 9:48 AM Protocol: Traveling 1.0 mile(s) 50 species Turkey Vulture 1 Mourning Dove 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Black-billed Cuckoo 1 Chimney Swift 3 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Eastern Phoebe 2 White-eyed Vireo 1 Yellow-throated Vireo 2 Red-eyed Vireo 2 Blue Jay 1 American Crow 2 Barn Swallow 1 Carolina Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Eastern Bluebird 1 Wood Thrush 1 Brown Thrasher 2 European Starling 2 Cedar Waxwing 43 Ovenbird 1 Worm-eating Warbler 2 Blue-winged Warbler 4 Mourning Warbler 1 Kentucky Warbler 3 Common Yellowthroat 3 Hooded Warbler 1 American Redstart 2 Blackpoll Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 4 Eastern Towhee 6 Chipping Sparrow 2 Field Sparrow 6 Grasshopper Sparrow 1 Scarlet Tanager 2 Northern Cardinal 4 Indigo Bunting 5 Brown-headed Cowbird 1 Orchard Oriole 2 American Goldfinch 5 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14155927 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: BEAVERDAM PARK-MAIN, May 18, 2013 From: G B Harris <gbhrlh AT cox.net> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 12:41:06 -0400 Twelve birders ventured forth in the face of expected thundershowers and were rewarded with a very nice morning and no rain. Finding six Ruddy Ducks at this time of year was especially nice. One of them was getting a blue bill. Watching a Killdeer fend off a squirrel that was getting too close to her chicks was interesting George Harris Gloucester, VA > > > > BEAVERDAM PARK-MAIN, Gloucester, US-VA > May 18, 2013 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM > Protocol: Traveling > 1.5 mile(s) > Comments: George & Rosemarie Harris plus 10 birders from Williamsburg BC & Hampton Roads BC > 50 species (+1 other taxa) > > Canada Goose 34 > Mallard 2 > Greater/Lesser Scaup 1 > Ruddy Duck 6 observed at close range with binoculars and scopes > Common Loon 1 > Pied-billed Grebe 1 > Great Blue Heron 1 > Great Egret 1 > Osprey 2 > Bald Eagle 2 > Killdeer 2 with 4 chicks > Laughing Gull 4 > Mourning Dove 2 > Belted Kingfisher 1 > Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 > Downy Woodpecker 1 > Pileated Woodpecker 2 > Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 > Acadian Flycatcher 2 > Great Crested Flycatcher 2 > Eastern Kingbird 2 > White-eyed Vireo 3 > Red-eyed Vireo 5 > Blue Jay 2 > American Crow 3 > Tree Swallow 5 > Barn Swallow 2 > Carolina Chickadee 1 > Tufted Titmouse 1 > Carolina Wren 4 > Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 > Eastern Bluebird 2 > Wood Thrush 1 > American Robin 2 > Gray Catbird 1 > Northern Mockingbird 4 > Brown Thrasher 2 > Cedar Waxwing 7 > Ovenbird 2 > Louisiana Waterthrush 1 > Prothonotary Warbler 3 > American Redstart 1 > Blackpoll Warbler 4 > Pine Warbler 2 > Yellow-throated Warbler 1 > Eastern Towhee 1 > Chipping Sparrow 3 > Summer Tanager 2 > Northern Cardinal 3 > Brown-headed Cowbird 1 > American Goldfinch 2 > > View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14155767 > > This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org/VA) _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Magnificent Migration at Chincoteague Refuge From: Joelle Buffa <clyde_joelle AT verizon.net> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 07:08:16 -0700 (PDT) We just completed the weekly shorebird survey on the Refuge and, since it will take us awhile to compile and post the results from our 13-hr. survey Friday 5/17, we wanted to get the word out for people contemplating a trip to the Refuge this weekend: DO IT!. Shorebird numbers are at their spring peak with thousands of Semi-Palmated Sandpipers and Plovers, Dunlins, Dowitchers. Least, Whimbrels, and others in lesser numbers. We even saw a few White-Rumped Sandpipers mixed in but you might see more since we are counting large numbers, not looking for rareties. All godwits, including the Black-tailed, seem to have moved on. Joelle Buffa _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Eagle/Osprey James River Boat Trip From: Troy McHenry <hitroy AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 09:09:52 -0400 Did a wonderful boat tour of the James River, east of Richmond last weekend. Lots of Bald Eagles and Osprey along with a fairly solid contingent of Great Blue Herons. Also saw some Sandpipers and a pair of Belted Kingfishers. Not as many Swallows as I was expecting. Pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hitroy/sets/72157633498928486/ Thanks, -Troy _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/ Subject: Re: Shirley Plantation - Charles City From: Barbara Houston <rinksyd AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 09:08:02 -0400 So they consensus is that the bird with the black patch is a Dunlin in breeding plumage. Thanks for the responses. I did get a couple decent pics including a gorgeous flycatcher and a new for me Bobolink. I had to ask what it was.....pretty bird. The last three on this page are from yesterday. http://fynefoto.phanfare.com/6050250#imageID=186898992 Have a great weekend...stay dry. Barbara Barbara Houston wrote: > I swung through this afternoon on the way home to see what was still > there. The birds were still there and even more than yesterday. They > are far away and not for good pic taking, but I took a couple to have > proof... ;-) > > The first pic, the pharalope is on the far right at about 3 o'clock. > http://fynefoto.phanfare.com/6067750#imageID=186897447 > > The second picture, i am interested in the bird at about 9 o'clock on > the left, the bigger of the two. It has a large black patch on it's > chest. > http://fynefoto.phanfare.com/6067750#imageID=186897450 > > The pictures are bad, but it was need to see some of these locally. > Thanks for help in ID'ing them. > > The pics are not protected, so you should be able to click it to > download so you can enlarge on your computer to view better. > > Barbara _______________________________________________ va-bird mailing list http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird Thank you for subscribing to Va-bird, a service of the Virginia Society of Ornithology. Please consider joining the VSO. http://www.virginiabirds.net/