Les Willis From: Les Willis Sent: Monday, October 26, 1998 9:59 AM To: BirdEast (E-mail); Jane Hill (E-mail); Jim Stasz (E-mail); birder6@juno. com (E-mail); 'Miliff@aol.com'; Wallace Coffey (E-mail) Subject: Virginia Birdline 10/26/98 - RBA * Virginia * Statewide *10/26/98 9:50:43 AM *VA98010.26 Birds mentioned: Northern Gannet American White Pelican Great Cormorant Anhinga Magnificent Frigatebird White Ibis Cinnamon Teal Mississippi Kite Bald Eagle Northern Goshawk Common Moorhen American Avocet Marbled Godwit Baird's Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Curlew Sandpiper Sedge Wren Yellow-breasted Chat Vesper Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Le Conte's Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Northern Gannet 10/18/98 Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, VA Reported from the islands (note - number 2 was closed). Great Cormorant 10/18/98 Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, VA Reported from the islands (note - number 2 was closed). Purple Sandpiper 10/18/98 Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, VA Reported from the islands (note - number 2 was closed). Sedge Wren 10/12/98 Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, VA 2 reported, 1 each on islands 3 & 4. Yellow-breasted Chat 10/12/98 Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, VA 1 on island #4. Vesper Sparrow 10/12/98 Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, VA 1 on island #4. Grasshopper Sparrow 10/12/98 Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, VA 1 on island #3. American White Pelican 10/3/98 Chincoteague NWR, VA 1 seen off the beach. Magnificent Frigatebird 10/3/98 Chincoteague NWR, VA 1 ad. Male reported just offshore. It circled around for about 6 minutes and headed toward south. This was seen 1-2 miles south of parking lot #3 on the oceanside of Tom's Cove. Baird's Sandpiper 10/3/98 Chincoteague NWR, VA 1 seen at Swan's Cove. Curlew Sandpiper 10/3/98 Chincoteague NWR, VA 1 seen at Swan's Cove. Cinnamon Teal 10/4/98 Fairfax Co., VA The male in partial eclipse plumage that has been hanging out with a flock of Blue-winged Teal in Accotink Bay, at the Accotink Wildlife Refuge, Ft Belvoir, Fairfax Co, VA [ADC No. VA Map 32, B1], was seen again. The bird is still in partial eclipse plumage, but the characteristic cinnamon color is showing more on the flanks and underbelly. It was observed from vantage points near the archery range. The flock of teal is usually near the Osprey nesting platform and an old pier. To reach this site from the DC Beltway, take I-95 south to Exit 166, Fairfax Co Pkwy South (Rt 7100). Go east about 2.75 mi on the Pkway to Rt 1. Turn left. Go about 0.25 mi and turn right onto Pohick Rd (Tulley Gate). Then go a little more than a mile to the intersection of Pohick with Gunston Rd. Go right on Gunston and proceed for almost 3/4 mi, then make a right on Warren Rd. Follow Warren as it descends a hill towards the Tompkins Basin, bends to the right, and follows the shoreline to the archery range. You can park in the lot adjacent to the archery range. If the ducks are not close, try the duck blind: take the trail from the end of the lot and walk 1/2-3/4 mi; go left at the sign for the blind. Try to go at low tide, which is 54 minutes prior to DC's low tide. (DC tides are listed in the Washington Post Metro section each day.) Morning light provides the best viewing conditions, and a scope is essential. Cinnamon Teal 10/6/98 Fairfax Co., VA Eclipse male spotted around noon at Ft. Belvoir on Accotink Creek near the Archery Range. Cinnamon Teal 10/9/98 Fairfax Co., VA The male that has been at Accotink Bay, Accotink Wildlife Refuge, Ft Belvoir, was reported again. The bird, which is becoming redder as it comes out of eclipse plumage, is with a flock of other teal that is usually in the vicinity of an Osprey nesting platform and an old pier, as seen from near the archery range. Accotink Refuge is open to the public. Directions from the DC Beltway [see ADC No. VA Map Pgs. 28-29; & 32(B1)]: Take I-95 south to Exit 166, Fairfax Co Pkwy South (Rt 7100). Go east about 2.75 mi on the Pkway to Rt 1. Turn left. Go about 0.25 mi and turn right onto Pohick Rd (Tulley Gate). Then go a little more than a mile to the intersection of Pohick with Gunston Rd. Go right on Gunston and proceed for almost 3/4 mi, then make a right on Warren Rd. Follow Warren as it descends a hill towards the Tompkins Basin, bends to the right, and follows the shoreline to the archery range. Park in the lot adjacent to the archery range. If the ducks are not close, try the duck blind: take the trail from the end of the lot and walk 1/2-3/4 mi; go left at the sign for the blind. Try to go at low tide, which is 54 minutes prior to DC's low tide. (DC tides are listed in the Washington Post Metro section each day.) Morning light provides the best viewing conditions. Cinnamon Teal 10/17/98 Fairfax Co., VA The bird now has the bright cinnamon color of full breeding plumage. When last reported, it was in a flock of Green-winged Teal that was to the left of an Osprey nesting platform and an old pier, as seen from near the archery range. Two other reports of CINNAMON TEALs that were not breeding-plumage males were also received from this location, on Oct 17 and 19. Accotink Bay Refuge is open to the public. Directions from the DC Beltway [see ADC No. VA Map Pgs. 28-29; & 32(B1)]: Take I-95 south to Exit 166, Fairfax Co Pkwy South (Rt 7100). Go east about 2.75 mi on the Pkway to Rt 1. Turn left. Go about 0.25 mi and turn right onto Pohick Rd (Tulley Gate). Then go a little more than a mile to the intersection of Pohick with Gunston Rd. Go right on Gunston and proceed for almost 3/4 mi, then make a right on Warren Rd. Follow Warren as it descends a hill towards the Tompkins Basin, bends to the right, and follows the shoreline to the archery range. Park in the lot adjacent to the archery range. If the ducks are not close, try the duck blind: take the trail from the end of the lot and walk 1/2-3/4 mi; go left at the sign for the blind. Try to go at low tide, which is 54 minutes prior to DC's low tide. (DC tides are listed in the Washington Post Metro section each day.) Morning light provides good viewing conditions. Cinnamon Teal 10/17/98 Fairfax Co., VA Possible juvenile coming into adult plumage at Accotink Bay refuge. Cinnamon Teal 10/21/98 Fairfax Co., VA Seen from the duck blind (a short walk up a trail from the archery range) about 7:30 a.m. , a male in breeding plumage (if it was still transitioning from eclipse plumage, it was not readily noticeable) - unmistakable. Cinnamon Teal 10/25/98 Fairfax Co., VA Reported again from one of the parking lots (the second lot away from the hiking trail), at about 8:45 without hiking in to the duck blind. The male is definitely in breeding plumage, and was with a group of green-winged teal. He was courting another teal which we could only say was not a green-winged. (The blue wing patches were visible when she flapped but other coloring on the body was very hard to tell because of the distance.) The courting consisted of head bobbing and circling around her. Then, mated with her. Le Conte's Sparrow 10/17/98 Fairfax Co., VA 1 was reported in an old landfill area at Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge. Park in the lot on the right side of Pohick Rd, about 1/2 mi from the entrance to the refuge from Rt 1; take Beaver Pond Trail and cross the suspension bridge; go up Accotink Creek Trail to Mound Trail, which connects with McCarty Farm Trail. Off McCarty Farm Trail, you'll see a grassland area, which is the old landfill. White Ibis 10/17/98 Fisherman's Island NWR, VA Around 20 reported. American Avocet 10/17/98 Fisherman's Island NWR, VA 1 reported. Cinnamon Teal 10/14/98 Hog Island - Surry Co., VA Up to six possible males reported by the refuge manager, some coming out of eclipse with reddish on the heads. The birds were seen with 300-500 Green-wings in the pool opposite the tower on the main road, which is near the end of the road. (fide Brian Taber) Cinnamon Teal 10/17/98 Hog Island - Surry Co., VA 1 reported (eclipse male). Common Moorhen 10/10/98 Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax Co., VA 1 imm seen. Common Moorhen 10/10/98 Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax Co., VA 1 imm. Seen about 30 feet after the first boardwalk split, seen on the right. Anhinga 10/10/98 Kiptopeke SP, VA 1 female seen soaring east of the hawkwatch. Marbled Godwit 10/17/98 Northampton Co., VA 1 reported from Oyster. White-crowned Sparrow 10/25/98 Prince William Co., VA On a side road off-of Arden road near Dusty Lane Farms, a group of about 10 were found singing beautifully. Mississippi Kite 10/17/98 Rockfish Gap, VA Observers reported a "well-seen Mississippi Kite" that morning; the detailed descriptions of the bird that Irvine requested from them have not yet reached him, and until they do we are calling this a possible (rather late) and also the first ever of that species at Rockfish Gap. Northern Goshawk 10/6/98 Russell Co., VA 1 adult seen at Mendota Firetower. Bald Eagle 10/10/98 Snickers Gap, VA 3 reported. Bald Eagle 10/18/98 Snickers Gap, VA 7 reported. Northern Goshawk 10/9/98 Snickers Gap, VA 1 reported. Northern Goshawk 10/10/98 Snickers Gap, VA 2 reported. Thanks this week go to: Dave Abbott Tony Castillo Todd Day Paul DuMont Chris French Kevin Graff Stan Gray Jane Hill John Irvine Bev Leeuwenberg Larry Lynch Jim Pearson Bob Riggs Bob Schutsky Sherrie Siers Brian Taber Joanna Taylor If you have any sightings or information that may be of interest to birders, you can leave a message at the tone or you can call me, Les Willis, at (757) 238-9935 during the day. You can also fax your sightings to (757) 238-9145. My E-Mail address is CWillis@INFI.NET. If you have any questions as to directions you are also welcome to call me. Until next time, Good Birding! Les Willis Suffolk, VA