(Wet) Sunday in DC/No.VA
GAIL@UMDD.UMD.EDU
Mon, 12 Apr 99 09:57:19 EDT
Hi all --
Barry and I tool Elizabeth Winter out yesterday afternoon to try and catch
up with some new birds. Needless to say, the weather was a bit drippy but
we all had raingear and were ready for the wet. We picked Elizabeth up at her
hotel just before noon, our first stop was Georgetown Reservoir. Not much
except Greater Black-backed and Herring Gulls, plus Double-crested Cormorants.
Next to Fletcher's Boathouse where things were somewhat livelier -- we
found a lovely Yellow-throated Warbler singing, then a flock of Yellow-rumps
with two yellow Palm Warblers. On the river, Bonaparte's and Ring-billed Gulls,
several Caspian Terns, and two Ospreys. The Y-T and Palm Warblers, plus a
cooperative Red-bellied Woodpecker were new for Elizabeth.
Next stop was LBJ Grove, where we had quite a bit of activity, highlighted
by a male Pine Warbler, lots of Myrtles, about 4 Hermit Thrushes, both
Kinglets, White-throated, Chipping and Field Sparrows, many Rough-winged
Swallows over the channel, and a Black-crowned Night Heron. The Pine W. and
W-T Sparrows were lifers for Elizabeth.
After that we tried Roosevelt Island (where they have put in a great new
boardwalk through the swampy north side). Interestingly, it didn't seem as
lively as the first two spots, but we still saw and heard many Gnatcatchers,
four Eastern Phoebes, more Hermit Thrushes, a few Yellow-rumps and Red-
breasted Mergansers in the river.
Hain's Point was pretty dead -- we were amazed at the number of golfers out in
the wet -- a few Bufflehead and Mergs in the river.
Our last stop was Huntley Meadows (venturing into Northern Virginia) --
as soon as walked onto the boardwalk, we saw a nice flock of about 45
Rusty Blackbirds, a lifer for Elizabeth. Unfortunately, there was no sign
of the Red-headed Woodpeckers which others have reported this year at about
the same spot. We did manage to get excellent closeup looks at a King Rail.
It was too cold and foggy to expect much woodcock activity, so decided to
call it a day and maybe try later in the week for woodcock and bittern.
Anyawy, not a nice day weather-wise, but certainly a lot more fun than sitting
at home in front of the boob tube! Elizabeth saw six new birds, too.
Cheers,
Gail Mackiernan