Well there was quite a bit of "action" at the Maintenance Yard near the
Nature Center in Rock Creek Park, NW DC, today, at least for a while. And
elsewhere in DC, too.

Action at the Maintenance Yard basically took place between 6:45 a.m. and 8
a.m., after which things slowed down considerably.

Highlights:

--  Around 10 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, all females or young males
--  a female SUMMER TANAGER and 2 female SCARLET TANAGERS
--  Warblers:  BLUE-WINGED, PARULA, CHESTNUT-SIDED, MAGNOLIA,
BLACK-THROATED                             GREEN, BLACK-and-WHITE, AM.
REDSTART, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, HOODED
--  YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO
--  COMMON NIGHTHAWK (over the "Dog Run" at around 9:30 a.m.)

At around 10:30 a.m., I found a single adult SNOW GOOSE in with Canada
Geese on the first football field south of the Lincoln Memorial, towards
the FDR Memorial.  The bird was not banded and flew with a few of the
Canadas to the north, over towards the reflecting pool.

I do not know the origin of this bird, as I do not recall it having been
reported by Jim Felley or others who regularly bird the monuments area in
DC.  Certainly I don't recall seeing a Snow Goose with Canadas in DC in
recent years.

Later in the morning, in Anacostia Park, NE DC, there was a PIED-BILLED
GREBE in the Anacostia River.

Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls are still numerous, but Herring and Great
Black-backed numbers are slowly building.  Tern numbers are down -- I
spotted only 2 Forster's.

  While I was looking (unsuccessfully) for shorebirds in the east part of
the park, which was wet 3-4 weeks ago, an adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER flew
directly over me, heading across the Anacostia towards the Congressional
Cemetery.  This is a place neither I nor anyone else birds very much
because access and parking are not easy. . . . . . but perhaps birding
there might pay off.  It's possible that Red-headed Woodpeckers are
breeding somewhere round there.  Mary Paul of the USGS found one regularly
on the River Trail of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens last winter.  Also, Sally
Wechsler reported seeing one fly over "The Ridge" in Rock Creek Park this
morning.

Good Birding!

Mike Bowen
Bethesda, MD

D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike)
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda MD 20817-3845
Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764
e-mail: