I birded along the Potomac in DC from Constitution Gardens south to Hains Point this morning. Constitution Gardens had a good diversity of waterfowl, including:
Ring-necked Duck - 57
Ruddy Duck - 3
Bufflehead - 2
Lesser Scaup - 1
Greater Scaup - 1 (nice side by side with Lesser and Ring-necks from about 50 ft).
Cackling Goose - 2 (two definite "Richardson's" Cacklers, and probably 1 more with a group of >100 Canadas)
West Potomac Park and the Tidal Basin were quiet except for a Hooded Merganser in the Tidal Basin, and a flock of >500 Brown-headed Cowbirds (conservative estimate) feeding on the closed-off athletic field in West Potomac Park. This flock included one mostly white leucistic female cowbird.
In the fog along Hain's Point, The Potomac and Anacostia Rivers were mostly empty except for the growing flock of Scaup which is up to about 520 birds (almost exact count) southeast off the tip of Hain's Point. With a scope, I was able to pick out from this raft: one male Redhead, one Ring-necked Duck, a Pied-billed Grebe, and at least 2 Greater Scaup (probably more of the latter).
Scott Loss
Washington DC
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