Date: 11/18/12 8:55 am
From: Gail B. Mackiernan %<3Ckatahdinss...>%3E <katahdinss...>
Subject: [MDBirding] nice morning at National Arboretum


Hi all,

A lot of we DC listers are convinced that sooner or later, some good winter finches are going to show up at the National Arboretum in NE DC. There have been a few siskins and purple finches reported, but no real "biggies." However we keep looking, as the habitat looks so great with all those cone-bearing trees and berry-filled shrubs. Today Barry and I speant about two hours searching all the conifer and berry areas we could find. It was a pleasant morning to be out, and although we didn't strike it rich, we saw a lot of nice birds. The most activity seemd to be in the Asian Garden and along Valley Road just beyond the pond. A strange-looking, large (but unlabeled) tree with a lot of hanging clusters of bright red berries hosted a mixed, noisy flock of Bluebirds, Robins, Waxwings, Goldfinches, a Hermit Thrush and a single Red-breasted Nuthatch. The nearby scrubby meadow and streamside had 6 species of sparrow, including Fox, Field and some late Chippings. A fly-over warbler in the same area, only seen through the windshield, was very yellow underneath and looked like a Palm, but was not relocated. A bright male Kestrel sat on one of the Capitol columns. Very nice morning...

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD

Bird of interest:

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
American Kestrel 1 adult male at Capitol columns
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Eastern Bluebird 8
Hermit Thrush 2
Cedar Waxwing 25 in two flocks
warbler sp. 1 unidentified fly-by; yellow underneath (maybe Palm)
Eastern Towhee 2
Chipping Sparrow 6 with juncos feeding in birches and at Valley Rd.roadside; well-seen
Field Sparrow 12 two flocks in scrubby stream edge and birch grove along Valley Rd
Fox Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 35
Dark-eyed Junco 40



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