MIDDLE ATLANTIC 
past Assat. (FJ) Though Northern Gannets 
are merely uncommon in summer, most are 
subads., so 2 ads. at Assat. 24 Jun (SA) were 
rare in that respect. 
Though an occasional individual will sum- 
mer on barrier islands, often among Brown 
Pelican or gull colonies, lone American White 
Pelicans were of interest at Ft. McHenry, Balti- 
more 10 Jun (JP et al.) and at Poplar 16 Jun 
(fide PO); single flyovers were seen 18 Jun at 
the District of Columbia (GB) and Patuxent 
Research Refuge, Prince Georges OFa)- An 
American White Pelican at Blackwater 
N.W.R., Dorchester continued from the winter 
through the season (m.ob.). Initially colo- 
nized by 13 Brown Pelican pairs in 2005, a 
Sandy 1., Northampton site supported 740 ads. 
this summer (AW). A total of 1760 Brown Pel- 
ican young was banded in the upper Bay 8-19 
Jul (HTA, JW): 1434 at Peach Orchard Pt., Ac- 
comack and 326 at South Pt. Marsh, Accomack. 
More than 20,000 Brown Pelicans have now 
been banded in the Bay (fide HTA). A color- 
banded Brown Pelican at Pt. Lookout, St. 
Mary’s 29 Jul (PR, fide HTA) had been ringed 
as a chick at South Pt. Marsh 12 Jul 2000. 
A second-year Neotropic Cormorant at Vi- 
olettes Lock, Montgomery 17 Jun-1 Jul (ph. 
DCz, m.ob.) furnished a 3rd state record, the 
2nd at this location (the first was also ob- 
served in Virginia). 
An ad. female frigatebird was at False Cape 
12 Jul (DC). Five American Bitterns at Elliot 
L, Dorchester 27 Jun (DS, MG) represented an 
excellent summer count in Maryland, where 
the species is a rare breeder; one at Truitt’s 
Landing, Worcester 10 Jul (LS et al.) was also 
notable. The black-billed Great Egret, often 
called the Great White Egret, was again re- 
ported at Chine. 27Jun-20Jul (ph. GL, MAK, 
RLA, ESB et al.); this is likely the same bird 
that resided at Chine, late May-early Jun 
2008 and at False Cape 4-24 Aug 2008. A Lit- 
tle Blue Heron in breeding plumage at the 
Dulles Wetlands, Loudon, VA 13 Jun was un- 
expected (MAG, GH). Rare on the Piedmont, 
a Tricolored Heron was at Violette’s Lock, 
Montgomery 26-28 Jul (RO, MO). A juv. Yel- 
low-crowned Night-Heron at Swoope, Augus- 
ta 2-5 Jul ( AL) marked the first county record 
since the mid-1990s. 1mm. White Ibis were 
reported from more than five inland loca- 
Roseate Spoonbill records are exploding to the 
Region's south: in Georgia, the Carolinas, Ten- 
nessee, the Gulf Coast states, and even into the lower 
Midwest. Prior to this season, the only Virginia record was 
photographed at Back Bay 3 Jun 1996, though photo- 
graphs were lost before they could be reviewed. Thus, a 
Roseate Spoonbill observed this summer near Lynd- 
hursLAugosfo 15-19 Jun (GHe, AMc, m.ob.; ph. BTeetal.) 
delighted birders and furnished a first firm Virginia record. 
Remarkably, additional records soon followed, including 
2 Roseate Spoonbills seen by multiple parties at Chin- 
coteague N.W.R. 5 Jul [fide ESB). A single Roseate Spoon- 
bill arrived at Craney 1. 8 Jul (BW/, SD, AM, DR) and stayed 
into early Aug (BW et al.). 
Prior to this season, Maryland had two Roseate 
Spoonbill records (1979, 1996) from Smith I., a Chesa- 
peake Bay island divided between Maryland and Virginia. 
The 1996 Maryland record occurred just three days after 
the Virginia record and was likely the same individual. 
This season, an imm. Roseate Spoonbill that visited 
Delaware also made brief forays into Maryland to estab- 
lish a 3rd state record. It was reported, e.g., at Fenwick I., 
Worcester, MD 26 Jun (KKa) and 1 Jul (EP). 
tions, including a bird al Stuarts Draft, Augus- 
ta 9 Jul (AL) that established a 4th county 
summer record. Unexpected single Glossy 
Ibis were at Shirley Plantation, Charles City, 
VA 11-25 Jul (LB, LBa) and Green Springs 
Trail, James City, VA 12-13 Jul (BW, SD). A 
White-faced Ibis at Chine. 7 & 13 Jun QT; PL, 
fide RH) was likely the same bird noted there 
in spring. 
STORKS THROUGH OWLS 
A rare summer visitor, a Wood Stork soaring 
with 2 Turkey Vultures near Millsboro 
Springs, Bath, VA 7 Jul (ABo, GK) was no- 
table. An Osprey was building a rather late 
nest near the South R. in downtown Waynes- 
boro, VA 6 Jul (BTe). Interesting Mississippi 
Kite records include singles near Percival’s L, 
Lynchburg, VA 6Jun (PLy, JPi); al North East, 
Cecil, MD 6 Jun (CS); at Ft. Smallwood, Amie 
Anmdcl 9 Jun (MG); and in s. Canrpbell, VA 2- 
3 Jul (RB, TDa). The VG.D.I.E has conducted 
Bald Eagle counts along the Potomac R. in 
Jun and Jul since 2006. The first of this year’s 
counts yielded a record 488 Bald Eagles, of 
which 288 were adults. In addition to sup- 
porting breeding birds, the Potomac R. and 
the Bay host migrant eagles from southeastern 
states in the summer (fide SH). A Northern 
Harrier at Hope, Queen Arme’s 4 Jun (HTA) 
was unexpected, as this species is scarce away 
from the Eastern Shore marshes. 
An ad. and fledgling King Rail at Swan Har- 
bor, Harjord, MD 28 Jul (DL, PLe) provided 
another breeding record for this manmade 
wetland. Three King Rails were at Occoquan 
Bay N.W.R., Prince William, VA 4 Jul QBa), 
though not at the usual lower Catamount Cr. 
location. An ad. King Rail with 4 chicks and 
an ad. Virginia Rail with 6 chicks were en- 
couraging sights at Huntley Meadows Park, 
Fairfax 27 Jul (HG et al). An American Coot 
at Back Bay 16 Jun (DH, fide JG) was a rare 
summer resident. 
The annual VD.G.I.F plover survey docu- 
mented 37 Wilson’s Plover pairs on three 
northern Accomack barrier islands (As- 
sawoman, Metompkin, and Cedar Islands), 
surpassing the 2008 total of 31 pairs but well 
below the 1991 peak of 50 pairs (RBo). The 
survey also located 182 Piping Plover pairs on 
11 separate barrier islands, a sharp decline 
from the 2008 peak of 208 pairs. Forty-five 
Piping Plover pairs were recorded at Assat., 
with an average of 1.5 young per pair fledged 
(fide TP). The Nature ConservancyWD.G.I.E 
American Oystercatcher monitoring project 
found 375 pairs on the Virginia Atlantic bar- 
rier islands (AW), 200 of which were on 5 n. 
Accomack islands: Assat., Wallops, As- 
sawoman, Metompkin, and Cedar (AW). 
Eighty-four American Oystercatcher nests 
were observed on eight Accomack bayside is- 
lands (RBo). Notable Black-necked Stilt re- 
ports included 20 birds at Chine. 2 Jul (RLA, 
ESB) and 4 at Craney 1 & 9 Jul (BW, DR). 
Four downy Black-necked Stilt young were at 
Craney 28 Jul (BW, SD, AM, DR). Two Black- 
necked Stilts were at Assat. 6 Jun (SA); the 
species nested again at Hart and Poplar. Two 
American Avocets, rare inland, were at 
Jamestown L, James City 17 Jul (D&PL). 
Poplar hosted 2 & 7 American Avocets, re- 
spectively, on 6 & 21 Jul (JR); and a lone bird 
at Piney Run, Carroll 9 Jul (BHo) provided a 
very rare Piedmont record. 
Two Spotted Sandpipers at Powhatan, VA 
25 Jun (WE) were very late or early; another 
was at Staunton View Park, Mecklenburg 27 
Jun (AD, TT). An Upland Sandpiper at Alpha 
Ridge, Howard 31 Jul (RC et al.) was a rarity 
for cen. Maryland. A late migrant Whimbrel 
was at George’s Island Landing, Worcester 6 
Jun (ZB, SA). The Center for Conservation Bi- 
ology migration project tallied 80 Whimbrels 
at Box Tree Cr., Northampton 9 Jul and about 
(* A After decades of tantalizing observations of Anhingas behaving as though they might be breeding, Virginia at last had 
confirmed breeding record this season. An Anhinga pair nested in a Great Blue Heron rookery at Harwood's Mill 
Res., York, VA 1 1 Jun (DYo). An ad. Anhinga was photographed on the nest 14 Jun. By 22 Jun, the nest was unoccupied, and 
2 fledgling Anhingas were observed. Elsewhere, single ad. male Anhingas were at a swamp on Cabin Point Rd., Sussex, VA 12 
Jun (ph. AD), at ponds on Hicks Ford Rd., Southampton, ]lk 16 Jun (EE), and near Heathsville, Northumberland, VA 18 Jul (RD, 
fide TS). This Northumberland pond hosted 2 Anhingas last summer. An Anhinga was again at Stumpy L., Virginia Beach 12 
Jul (PL, fide RLA), where restricted access limits surveying for nests to a small portion of the reservoir. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) 
NUMBER 4 
579 
