Date: 9/25/12 3:00 pm
From: Jason Berry <jgbrc...>
Subject: [MDBirding] McMillan Reservoir DC... just starting to heat up?


Hi Everyone,

For the last couple of years I've monitored the bird activity at McMillan Reservoir - (an urban water sources for DC).� The winter and spring of 2010/11were great as was fall 2011.� But the warm winter month of 2012 resulted in virtually no waterfowl.� I'm crossing my fingers that we'll have a a real winter this year, birds are starting to show up:

Today:


Canada Goose� 8
Mallard� 2
Pied-billed Grebe� 2� � possibly continuing birds from a couple of weeks ago
Double-crested Cormorant� 4
Killdeer� 2
Laughing Gull� 45
Ring-billed Gull� 75
Herring Gull� 8
Lesser Black-backed Gull� 2� � yellow legs, close to size of Ring-billed Gulls, dark wings...� Resting on bouy
Great Black-backed Gull� 3
Mourning Dove� 1
European Starling� 10
Song Sparrow� 1

While this might not sound "interesting", at the low ebb in late June, there can be as few as 3 species - (crows, Chimney Swifts and a starling or two - and zero gulls).� At it's height it can have 5-6 species of waterfowl, 3-4 species of gull, and a variety of raptors and birds sulking in nearby stands of trees and bushes.� Here's an eBird table of birds seen at McMillan Reservoir:

http://ebird.org/ebird/GuideMe?step=saveChoices&getLocations=hotspots&parentState=US-DC&bMonth=01&bYear=1900&eMonth=12&eYear=2012&reportType=location&continue.x=36&continue.y=9&hotspots=L271348


Good birding!

Jason Berry
Washington, DC

P.S. It's located at Harvard St. and 5th St. NW. just east of Howard University.� Best viewing is from the west shore on 5th st. Gulls tend to rest on a bouy line off the eastern shore and waterfowl tend to rest and feed in the end of the reservoir closest to the direction of the wind.

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