Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 16:29:16 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Michael Bowen Subject: DC sightings on August 9 Comments: cc: Voice of the Naturalist , Mary Paul , Brent Steury , Stephen_Syphax@nps.gov Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Here are highlights of sightings made at Kingman Lake, DC, on the very hot morning of August 8: 3 GREAT BLUE HERON 6 GREAT EGRET 1 AMERICAN KESTREL (over RFK Stadium parking lot) 30-40 KILLDEER 1 GREATER YELLOWLEGS 7 LESSER YELLOWLEGS 2 SOLITARY SANDPIPER 4 SPOTTED SANDPIPER 3 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 1 WESTERN SANDPIPER new for me in DC) 10 LEAST SANDPIPER 4 PECTORAL SANDPIPER 2 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (new for me in DC) 1 LAUGHING GULL 4 RING-BILLED GULL 2 FORSTER'S TERN Some of these birds were seen while I was on a survey with Mary Paul of the U.S. Geological Survey of "Heritage Island," an island in the Anacostia in the area known locally as "Kingman Lake," which is reached from the RFK Stadium parking lot near Benning Rd. This area is currently out of bounds to the general public, but is intended to be opened at least partially some time in the future. The island is only 8 acres in size but it abuts some nice, newly reconstructed marshland and mud flats. The majority of the shorebirds were seen, as I have come to think of as usual, in the Kingman Lake area upstream of the Benning Rd. bridge, alongside the Langston golf course, before I met with Mary to go to Heritage Island (which is downstream of the bridge).. Mary has asked me to issue an invitation to interested DC-area birders to accompany her on some of her surveys of Heritage Island this summer, which will be performed during the week (not at the weekend). She surveys Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Kenilworth Park and Kingman Lake north of the Benning Rd. bridge also, on different days. A knowledge of local butterflies, dragonflies, etc., is very desirable, along with complete familiarity with local birds by sight and sound. If you think you can help on occasion, please contact Mary at mary_paul@usgs.gov (Mary does not subscribe to MDOsprey). I have accompanied Mary several times in the past, but by no means can I go every time she goes out. Thanks much. Mike Bowen Bethesda MD D.H. Michael Bowen 8609 Ewing Drive Bethesda MD 20817 (Montgomery County) Tel.: (301)530-5764 dhmbowen@yahoo.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================