Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 20:54:05 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Paul Subject: Chipping Sparrow + in DC Comments: cc: Janni Ottavio MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Highlights of today's ANS field trip to the National Arboretum included: - 1 CHIPPING SPARROW (seen well by all as it fed with Song & White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos, - 1 (poss. 2) EATERN PHOEBE, though unfortunately this was seen before the trip officially started, - 1 ad. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL as it flew up the Anacostia with a Herring Gull. What was most interesting about this bird was that it was very vocal - calling loudly the whole time it flew up the river. The group described the call as somewhere between a Red-shouldered Hawk and a sick Canada Goose. - 1 ad. male HOODED MERGANSER, flying upriver. - 1 EASTERN TOWHEE. We started the trip at 10:00, and the rain stopped us at about 12:30. We found 38 species just in that 2.5 hours, not including the Phoebe, and a probable Great Horned Owl (flushed by crows and a Red-shouldered Hawk). We also had a very cooperative Merlin near the Grove of the States before the trip, though it didn't stick around for the group either. There are large numbers of American Robins and Starlings feeding on the fruit trees, with a few Cedar Waxwings, House Finches, and woodpeckers thrown in. I estimated 150 Robins, though I'm sure that's way low. Good birding, Paul Pisano Arlington, VA cheep@erols.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================