Greetings.  I spent a good number of hours on Saturday night trying my luck for Great Horned Owls in and around Rock Creek Park for my Atlas Block and beyond.  No luck on GHOs for the third year including Christmas Counts.  Possible Fox or Coyote calls around Ft. DeRussy.
 
 
Today I was out looking for signs of hawk nesting in Rock Creek Park and only picked up an imm. Red Tailed Hawk hunting around the Maintenance yard area.
 
However, I was surprised to find a pair of Barred Owls in and around what seems to be an obvious nesting tree, in a location that I had not observed earlier.  Both owls flew off before I could get all the digiscope stuff set up.  It was one of those experiences where you look at the tree and think - gee, looks like a good nesting tree with lots of space for Mom owl and chicks.   I think I'll take a look at those cavities and see what might be in there.  Bingo!  One owl sitting / sleeping so inconspicuously that I didn't see it with the naked eye.  The yellow bill gave it away on closer observation.  After both owls flew off during my attempts to digiscope, I looked around the tree for pellets and white wash.  I found a few areas of droppings, and some furry remains.  It looked like deer fur, but there were no bones or other evidence of what kind of animal was killed.
 
For folks interested in coyotes in DC, the park staff informs me there are first hand park employee sightings of the pack around Mass Ave. and Beach Dr.  There is also a freshly cleaned deer carcass at the maintenance yard.  Looks like the pack found it and gnawed all the meat off.  
 
Other observations - not too many - 
Pileated Woodpecker
Red Bellied Woodpecker
White Breasted Nuthatch
Tufuted Titmouse
Carolina Chickadee
Carolina Wren
Cardinal
American Crow
Mourning Doves
Robins
No sparrows!
No Downy Woodpeckers or Northern Flickers
It was pretty darn quiet out there.
 
Denise Ryan
Washington, DC