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Subject:

Earliest 2005 birds in DC

From:

Michael Bowen

Reply-To:

Maryland Birds & Birding

Date:

Sat, 1 Jan 2005 15:11:41 -0500

I led a Montgomery Bird Club (MOS) field trip this morning to various 
places in Washington DC.  The weather started as distinctly cold, but by 
the time we had finished, just after noon, the temperature was well into 
the sixties.  A pleasant start to another Birding Year.

The list follows:

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT  several flying over Hains Point
GREAT BLUE HERON   Anacostia River
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON  9 in trees, Washington Channel, up from NPS 
headquarters
TURKEY VULTURE  over Georgetown Reservoir  (GR)
BLACK VULTURE  seen over GR, after noon only
SNOW GOOSE  1 young bird in with Canada Geese east of Lincoln Memorial
CANADA GOOSE  all over the place
MALLARD  GR and Washington Channel
CANVASBACK    4 on GR
LESSER SCAUP  3 on GR and ca. 100 off Ft. McNair
GREATER SCAUP  1 drake seen at close range off Hains Point
RING-NECKED DUCK  50 on GR
BUFFLEHEAD  2 on GR
HOODED MERGANSER  4 on GR and 2 at Tidal Basin
AMERICAN COOT  1 at GR, few more in Washington Channel
RED-TAILED HAWK  flying over DC-295 by Anacostia
PEREGRINE FALCON  2 birds: 1 on 14th St. railroad bridge, another perched 
in Kenilworth Park
RING-BILLED GULL  many at GR, Hains Point, Anacostia Park (AP)
HERRING GULL   same as above, but fewer birds
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL  same as above, fewer birds again
ROCK PIGEON  big group at GR, few elsewhere (Peregrine food!)
MOURNING DOVE  Hains Point
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD  Ripley Garden (RG), Smithsonian Institution
N. FLICKER  1 flying, AP
BLUE JAY  AP
AMERICAN CROW  AP
FISH CROW  downtown and AP
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET  briefly at RG
CAROLINA WREN  RG
AMERICAN ROBIN  Hains Point
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD   Tidal Basin, AP
EUROPEAN STARLING  RG and other places
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT  a female on ground at RG - not at all shy
SONG SPARROW   Hains Point
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW   Anacostia Park
NORTHERN CARDINAL  Ripley Garden
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH    GR
HOUSE SPARROW  RG


After I returned home following the trip, I had a call from Participants 
Sandra and Peter Wilson, who reported that they had seen 2 REDHEAD in 
McMillan Reservoir, DC, on their way home.

Mike Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club
Bethesda, MD

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