MIDDLE ATLANTIC 
A "Rarity Roundup" In Worcester County, Maryland 1 5 Movember 2008 pro- 
duced this Ash-throated Flycatcher in Ocean City. This represents the third 
record of the species for this coastal county, the first having been found on the 
first"Rarity Roundup" on 11 November 2000. Photograph by Tom FeU. 
was 8 at Ocean City, Worcester 9 Sep (RFR). 
Rare outside Worcester in Maryland, a Black 
Skimmer at Poplar 20 Nov was late and out of 
place (KGr et al). The highest reported Black 
Skimmer count in Virginia was 450 birds at 
Fisherman Island N.W.R. 16 Oct (RLA). 
DOVES THROUGH THRUSHES 
Eurasian Collared-Doves continued to ex- 
pand their range and numbers in the Region. 
In Virginia, the lower Northampton popula- 
tion included 17 birds on 10 Oct (HFD, MP); 
an impressive 18 were near the New River 
Valley Airport, Pulaski 17 Nov (SBe); and one 
was at Faughts Rd., Rockingham 10 Aug (ph. 
J&BJL), a new location. In Maryland, 2 con- 
tinued through the season at South Pt., 
Worcester (m.ob.). The season’s only White- 
winged Dove was at Truitt’s Landing, Worces- 
ter 17 Aug (ph. JLS), Maryland’s 6th record. 
Among 9 Eastern Screech-Owls captured in 
Northampton was a bird that had been banded 
Oct 2000 (SE). The season’s first Snowy Owl 
was at Assat. 7 Nov+ (m.ob.), and another ar- 
rived at Poplar 10 Nov-^ (m.ob.). A Snowy 
Owl was seen briefly in the 1-81 median s. of 
Winchester, Frederick, VA 23 Nov (fide CBu); 
and one that had been hit by a car was admit- 
ted to Wildlife Response, Inc. in Chesapeake, 
VA 28 Nov but perished (CS, LB). The 15th 
annual Center for Conservation Biology 
Northern Saw-whet Owl migration study 
commenced 25 Oct. Captures through 30 Nov 
included 55 new birds and 8 that had been 
banded elsewhere, including one in the Cana- 
dian province of Prince Edward Island (SE). 
Virginia’s first verified Calliope Humming- 
bird, a hatch-year male, visited a feeder just 
outside the Lynchburg limits, Bedford mid- 
Oct-h (MP & JM, m.ob.). Its iden- 
tification was first determined by 
Bruce Peterjohn, who banded the 
bird 6 Dec. The Morrises, who 
kindly hosted the bird and hun- 
dreds of birders over the winter, 
observed the Calliope through 13 
Feb. Another Calliope was re- 
ported at North Beach, Calvert 9 
Oct (JLS), the 2nd for this loca- 
tion and the 4th Maryland 
record. The latest photographi- 
cally documented Rufous Hum- 
mingbirds were at Churchville, 
Augusta 14-24 Nov (FSl,_/ide YL) 
and Waynesboro, VA 21-22 Nov 
(DW, fide YL); a female present 
10 Nov+ was banded at Lynch- 
burg 6 Dec (fide TDa). Some 
1512 Northern Flickers flew past 
Kipt. 30 Sep (HTA), a good count 
by recent standards. 
An Olive-sided Flycatcher at Sunset Beach, 
Northampton 3 Sep (HTA) was locally rare, 
and an unidentified wood-pewee at Assat. 16 
Nov (JLS) was very late. A Yellow-bellied Fly- 
catcher at Caney Island Branch, Buchanan, VA 
14 Sep (MT) was possibly a county first. An 
Ash-throated Flycatcher at Ocean City, 
Worcester 15 Nov continued this species’ pat- 
tern of late fall visits to the Region (ph. TF,JL, 
PNo). Five Western Kingbirds were reported 
from across the Region 23 Aug-26 Nov, all 
one-day records other than a bird at Eastern 
Neck N.W.R., Kent 23-26 Nov (PD et al). 
Loggerhead Shrike was noted 
in Virginia at Baywood, 
Grayson 28 Sep-12 Oct 
(B&MD); Sky Meadows S.P., 
Fauquier 10 Nov (ph. DM); 
Little River Farm, Fairfax 11 
Nov (LWe); and Grassdale Rd., 
Fauquier 7 Oct (TD). An ad. 
Northern Shrike was at Chino 
Farms, Queen Anne’s 4 Nov-t 
(MG, DSm), near where one 
spent last winter. 
A White-eyed Vireo at Stan- 
ton Woods Park, Fairfax 21 
Nov (’WB) was notably late for 
n. Virginia. The 9 Warbling 
Vireos banded at Foreman’s 
Branch 17 Aug-11 Sep QGr) 
was an impressive number of 
this scarce migrant for the Maryland Eastern 
Shore. One at Mariner’s Museum Park, New- 
port News 18 Sep (NF) was also a good find. 
A 15-year high of 5 Philadelphia Vireos was 
banded at Kipt. 17 Sep-1 Oct OR)- Late Red- 
eyed Vireos visited Turkey Pt., Cecil, MD 1 
Nov (S&EA) and Great Falls, Fairfax 4 Nov 
(RW). A House Crow (Corvus splendens) 
along Terminal Blvd. in Norfolk, VA 13 Aug 
(ESB) was observed being attacked by Ameri- 
can Crows. The bird was certainly of ship-as- 
sisted provenance, given its proximity to a 
large naval base and commercial port. This 
species, native to s. Asia, frequently hitches 
rides on ships and has colonized port cities 
well outside its range; other North American 
records are from South Carolina and 
Louisiana. A Common Raven at Queenstown, 
Queen Anne’s 21 Aug (JLS) furnished a 2nd 
modern Maryland Eastern Shore record. 
A spectacular roost of about 10,000 Purple 
Martins was along the Pamunkey R., New 
Kent, VA in early Aug (SH, JFi). Two Purple 
Martins at Lake Shore, Anne Arundel 29 Sep 
(MGr) were late. Small numbers of Cave 
Swallows penetrated the Virginia and Mary- 
land Eastern Shore: up to 8 were at Bull’s 
Landing, Northampton 11-12 Nov (HTA, 
RLA); another 8 were at Kipt. 12 Nov (HTA); 
up to 2 were at Berlin, Worcester 15-17 Nov 
(BHu et al); and a lone bird was at Chester- 
town, Kent 29 Nov (HH). Fall Cave Swallows 
are rare away from the Eastern Shore in fall, 
so 6 with Tree Swallows near Shirley Planta- 
tion, Charles City 30 Oct (ph. ABr) were no- 
table, as were the 3 Cave Swallows that fed 
over Mainland Farm, James City 17 Nov 
(BW). Single Barn Swallows at Kipt. 12 Nov 
(HTA), at New Point Comfort, Mathews, VA 
16 Nov (ABo), and at Chestertown, Kent 29 
Nov (HH) were late. 
A Brown-headed Nuthatch at Fairy Stone 
S.P., Patrick, VA 31 Aug-1 Sep (SBa) was at w. 
edge of range in the state, aside from the pop- 
ulation in Pulaski. A Winter Wren at Finzel 
Swamp, Garrett 2 Sep (DY) was surprising, as 
this is not a known breeding location. Two 
Sedge Wrens at Kenilworth Park, D.C. 13 Oct 
(PP et al.) were notable, as were singles at Oc- 
Representing Virginia's third report but first accepted record, this hatch-year male -ji 
Calliope Hummingbird was loyal to a Bedford County feeder from mid-October 2008 
through 13 February 2009 (here 6 December). Photograph by Mary Pat Morris. 
58 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
