Yesterday's lunchtime walk produced the following highlights:
   In Washington Channel:
A Double-crested Cormorant caught an eel, and had a tough time with
its prey.  After struggling for a couple of minutes, it finally swallowed the
eel, but then I could see the birds' throat swelling, I presume as the eel
tried to get back out!  The cormorant kept on kinking its neck and 
swallowing, and also kept washing its bill - perhaps the eel was producing
a lot of mucus?  Finally the meal stayed down.
   At the Tidal Basin, a family of Rough-winged Swallows and a lot
of Barn Swallows. 
   At the FDR Memorial: lots of catbirds and Eastern Kingbirds. 
At the entrance, a juvenile-plumaged male Orchard Oriole fussed at me.
   At the DC Veterans' Memorial, a pair of Great Crested Flycatchers
were moving around in the trees.

Seen everywhere:  Fledgling starlings pestering their parents.

Not seen anywhere:  Cicadas - I miss them already.
   Ring-billed Gulls - the last one seems to have left.

Jim 

Jim Felley
Smithsonian Institution