MIDDLE ATLANTIC 
Probably an annual autumn visitor to Virginia in small numbers, this Franklin's 
Gull at Cape Charles beach, Northampton County 28 November 2008 is one of very 
few documented by photograph in the state. Photograph by Edward S. Brinkley. 
Broad-winged Hawk at Blackwater N.W.R., 
Dorchester 9 Nov (PNo, JBo) was quite late. A 
dark-morph Swainsons Hawk was a nice find 
at Bull’s Landing, Northampton 1 Oct (HTA, 
SR) and again at Fisherman’s Island N.W.R. 
the next day (B'W). One was at Cromwell Val- 
ley Park, Baltimore, MD 23 Nov (p.a., ASm, 
RN), and another at Kipt. 18 Oct (BT) in- 
creased the species total for that site to 33 
birds since 1995, when full-time monitoring 
commenced. Three Rough-legged Hawks at 
Kipt. this season increased the site’s total for 
this species to 28 birds (fide HTA). One at 
Dulles Airport, Loudon, VA 20 Nov (MR) was 
unexpected; another over King George, VA 23 
Nov (FA) made a first county record. The 
third-year female Golden Eagle fitted with a 
radio telemetry collar in Highland, VA in Mar 
2008 departed the Mountains & Valleys in 
Apr, summered in the Canadian Maritimes 
and Maine, returned to Virginia in early Oct, 
wandering between Highland, Grayson, and 
Augusta before flying into West Virginia 9 Nov. 
RAILS THROUGH SKIMMERS 
A Black Rail flushed at Blackwater N.W.R. , 
Dorchester 30 Oct (ME, fide HTA) during a 
Nutria control program was a nice discovery. 
A Clapper Rail was found dead below a build- 
ing in Baltimore, Baltimore City, MD 9 Sep 
(WO), only the 2nd city record; the first was 
17 May 1893, when 3 birds were shot in the 
city’s Patapsco marshes. Four King Rails at 
Occoquan N.W.R., Prince William 27 Sep (MR 
et al.) were at a reliable site for this very local 
species. A Virginia Rail at 960 m elevation was 
unexpected in Highland 20 Aug (ABr). Com- 
mon Moorhens successfully bred at Henricus 
Park, Chesterfield, VA; an ad. and an imm. 
were reported 4-17 Sep (ph. BH, JK). Twenty- 
three American Coots with 3 young were a 
surprise at Hart 16 Aug (EJS, MW). A Sand- 
hill Crane at Cromwell Valley Park, Baltimore 
25 Nov (MSc) provided the season’s sole 
crane report. 
Late American Golden- 
Plover reports included 2 birds 
each at Logtown Rd., Worcester 
9 Nov (ML) and at Hurlock, 
Dorchester 11 Nov 0LS> MBu). 
Two Semipalmated Plovers at 
Felgates Creek, York, VA 22 
Nov (BW) represented only the 
2nd local Nov record and the 
first since 1949. Concentra- 
tions totaling 220 Semipalmat- 
ed Plovers were at Rumbly Pt. 
(PB, MRo) and Deal Island 
W.M.A., Somerset, MD 24 Aug 
(BHu et al). Uncommon away 
from Chine, and Assat., single 
Piping Plovers were nice finds at Grandview 
Beach Park, Hampton, VA 7 Sep (MN), at Hart 
8 Sep (EJS et al.), and at Ocean City, Worcester 
9 Sep (RFR). One at Assat. 15 Nov QBr, ML) 
was late. Thirty-one American Avocets repre- 
sented the high fall count at Craney 4 Sep 
(NF); 28 were at Hart 2 Aug, with at 
least one remaining 27 Oct (EJS et 
al.). Spotted Sandpipers lingered 
unusually late at Magotha Rd., W 
Northampton 2 & 9 Nov (ABo, SB) 
and Newport News, VA 14-28 Nov 
(NF). A Solitary Sandpiper at Fore- 
man’s Branch 14 Oct was late (JGr). 
The 21 Western Willets at Poplar 2 
Aug QR) represented a high count 
away from the coast. Chesapeake 
Bay Environmental Center, Queen 
Anne's hosted 140 Lesser Yellowlegs 
23 Sep (RFR). Regrettably consis- 
tent with a long decline in the Re- 
gion, only 16 Upland Sandpipers 
were reported 3-16 Aug at Salisbury 
Airport, Wicomico, and maximum 
daily counts were just 5 birds on 5 & 16 Aug 
(SHD). Rather late Upland Sandpipers were at 
Craney 13 Sep (DC, RyB, AM), at Hurlock, 
Dorchester 1 Sep (MHo), and at Charles City 1 
Sep (ph. ABr). A Whimbrel transmitter-tagged 
by the Center for Conservation Biology near 
Brownsville, Northampton 14 Aug flew from 
the Eastern Shore into two hurricanes in the 
Bahamas before stopping in Guyana, where it 
remained through season’s end (fide FS). A 
Long-billed Curlew returned, presumably to 
winter, at the n. end of the Elkins Marsh, 
Northampton by 16 Nov (AW, BTr). Typically 
scarce in recent years, a lone Hudsonian God- 
wit was at Poplar 9 Aug QR); one or 2 were at 
Craney 31 Aug-12 Sep (MA et al, BW, NF, 
MB); and 2 were at Poplar 16-23 Aug QR)- 
Two Marbled Godwits were at Ocean City, 
Worcester 20 Aug-7 Sep (DP et al.) and Eagle’s 
Nest Campground, Worcester 9 Nov (ML, 
MWa). Four Ruddy Turnstones at North 
Branch, Allegany, MD 28 Aug (ML et al.) were 
unusually far inland; one remained through 10 
Sep. The season’s meager total of six Red Knot 
reports spanned 19 Aug-17 Nov; the highest 
count for this drastically declining species was 
just 3 at Ocean City, Worcester 7 Sep (W&LS et 
al.). Two Sanderlings at Youghiogheny Res., 
Garrett 11-13 Sep (ML) was a nice inland 
record. Five Semipalmated Sandpipers at Hart 
27 Oct (EJS et al.) were unusually late. A 
White-rumped Sandpiper at Leonard’s Pond, 
Rockingham, VA 11-16 Oct (ph. GM, WL, AL) 
was a rare inland record; another at Logtown 
^ A Ben Copeland, Michael Lowry, Jane Frigo, James Harrison, and Marc Nichols visited Craney 9 Aug and made an ex- 
traordinary discovery among the thousands of migrant shorebirds: a Terek Sandpiper. The bird was first noted by 
Copeland at 0815 on a sand and gravel beach on Craney's w. side and was scrutinized by the group for 30 minutes as it for- 
aged alone in moist sand at the water's edge. At 1 230, just prior to their departure from Craney, Copeland and crew relocat- 
ed the bird very near where they had found it. Unfortunately, it was not relocated by others who searched later in the day 
and on succeeding days. 
This Palearctic breeder nests primarily in the taiga of northern Russia and winters along the tropical coasts of Africa, In- 
dia, the Malayan peninsula, and Australia. It is a very rare migrant to western Europe and the outer Aleutians and has been 
recorded once each in British Columbia, Manitoba, California, and Mexico (Galindo et a!., 2004. North American Birds 58: 454- 
455). Vagrants have also been recorded from Trinidad, Barbados, and French Guiana and two times each from Brazil and Ar- 
gentina. The only previous record for this species in e. North America was of an ad. in breeding plumage 23 Jun 1990 at Plum 
I., MA (0. Stemple et al., 1 991 . American Birds 45; 397-398). 
Maryland's sixth White-winged Dove was only present for a few minutes 
on 17 August 2008 at Truitt's Landing, Worcester County. Photograph by 
James L Stasz. 
56 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
