Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 10:23:23 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Gail Mackiernan Subject: Kenilworth DC today Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Hi all, We decided to visit Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and the adjacent Kenilworth Park this morning. The Gardens are in great shape, water-lilies and lotus blossoms in full cry, even the giant Victoria water-lilies are starting to bloom. A bumper crop of chokecherries has attracted a host of birds, mostly the "local gems" but among the hundreds of Robins and scores of Red-winged Blackbirds and Mockingbirds were a family party of Phoebes, several Brown Thrashers, a Warbling Vireo, Baltimore Oriole, a few Gnatcatchers, singing Common Yellowthroats and Indigo Buntings. One could expect a rarer surprise with so much bird activity! Waterbirds were also in evidence, with a number of Great Egrets, a juvenile Green Heron and many many Wood Ducks. Shorebirds on the flats included 10 Killdeer, 6 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Solitary and 1 Spotted Sandpiper, and two Least SPs. Ospreys were also in evidence. At the Park, we enjoyed the antics of a family party of Kestrels, as the youngsters tried (without too much success) to catch the many dragonflies (chiefly Black Saddlebags) which were cruising the meadow. (Have the Kestrels been recorded for the DC Atlas?) A fly-by adult Bald Eagle, couple more Great Egrets, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls and a singing but unseen Blue Grosbeak completed the list. A nice morning and we left just as it was starting to get HOT! Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper Colesville, MD ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================