Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2003 11:44:18 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Frank Powers Subject: SI/DC birds MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The two hummingbirds, Rufous and Black-chinned, were present at the = Smithsonian/Ripley Garden this morning, and were very active. I = observed them (mostly the Rufous) from about 9:35am to 10:30am. Weather = was COLD (ca. 24f), a bit windy and sunny. Prior to my arrival, Kevin = McGrath had been there from 8:30am, observing both as well. He took a = break (to warm up), going up the mall then came back shortly after I had = arrived, and we both observed the hummers actively moving about, going = from feeder to feeder, tree to tree. The Rufous announced itself first, from the arborvita to the right of = the garden, where it had been sheltered in its branches. It perched for = a while in the crape myrtle, then flitted from tree to tree, going to = the south corner, then over to the willow. It puffed its feathers = while perched on occasion, but not continually. The bright = reddish/orange spot in the middle of its gorget was very visible, as was = the rufous on its flanks. The Black-chinned spent most of its time in the conifer in the middle = island, darting to the shrubs to the right, then disappearing into or = behind the arborvita. Didn't see it a whole lot, or well. Both were present simultaneously at least twice and seemed to tolerate = the other's presence (though they weren't that close together). The feeder in the Silver Bell tree was mostly frozen. The one in the = Willow was not. The Salvia blooms were showing through the melting = snow. How much longer can they last? Or will the freezing nights bring = them to their end? Two Northern Mockingbirds were also present. One, perched in the crape = myrtle, was eating snow. Also interesting were the two Peregrine Falcons that swooped over the = Arts & Industry Building heading west northwest, causing a flock of Rock = Doves to take to the air (Kevin's sharp eyes caught one, then the = other). Later, as I was leaving, heading west on Jefferson (?), one was = gliding over the mall toward the north, going over the Museum of Natural = History. Good birding, Frank Powers Glen Echo, MD frankpowers@comcast.net =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================