I spent this hot, humid day birding at various sites in Washington DC, in
the company of Marian and Peluca Alvarez, visiting birders from
Spain. Here are some highlights of the day:
o At the Maintenance Yard of Rock Creek Park, near the Nature Center --
several each of Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Black-and-White, and Canada
Warblers, plus American Redstart. At one point there were about 10
Baltimore Orioles in view at the same time. We also saw Scarlet Tanager
and Summer Tanager (in both cases, single females).
o Along the entrance road to Hains Point, the Glossy Ibis first seen on
Tuesday, 8/17, was refound and photographed. It was very close to the gate
just north of where the one-way road starts.
o Near the Lincoln Memorial, there was a large (presumably female)
adult Cooper's Hawk perched in a tree by the Potomac.
o In Anacostia Park, a 2nd summer Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen and
photographed, in the company of Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls. Many of
the Laughing Gulls were this year's young. The Lesser Black-back was the
first of its species I have ever seen in DC outside the winter months. My
Spanish companions corroborated the i.d.; this is a species with which they
are very familiar. Along the Anacostia we also had 2 Forster's Terns and a
single Caspian Tern.
o At the eastern end of Anacostia Park, in longish wet grass, we found
a group of about 20 Lesser Yellowlegs and 15-20 Pectoral Sandpipers. This
was at the time of high tide on the river. No 'peep' in sight, however.
o There was a single Snowy Egret at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens,
together with at least a dozen Great Egrets.
o In the Fern Valley section of the National Arboretum, we found an
Ovenbird, saw an Indigo Bunting (singing male) and heard an Eastern
Towhee. Nearby there were Chipping Sparrows with young.
We had around 70 species for the day -- very good in my experience for late
summer in Washington.
Mike Bowen
Bethesda, MD
D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike)
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda MD 20817-3845
Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764
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