Though my postings have been few this summer, I have been birding 
regularly on the Mall.  Things have been incredibly slow, at least until 
today.
   The highlight, found everywhere on my walk, was feeding flocks of 
(yellow form) Palm Warblers.  At various places, these flocks were 
intermixed with other forms (details below).  Also everywhere were flocks 
of White-throated Sparrows.  These were also variously intermixed with
other species. Finally, there were still Catbirds at almost every stop.
   The Details:
    Constitution Gardens.  The local highlight here was a hunting Red-
tailed Hawk (perhaps the same one I have been seeing since 
September).  Dodging and weaving among the trees at ground level,
it came close to catching a squirrel.   The warbler flocks here 
included many Yellow-rumped Warblers and several Phoebes.  The
sparrow flocks included Dark-eyed Juncos.
   DC Veterans Monument.  More Phoebes among the Palms.
More juncos among the sparrows.
   Tidal Basin, north end.  Palms and yellow-rumps.  Among the
sparrows, a juvenile White-crowned Sparrow.
   Shrubs along the Potomac side of the FDR Memorial:  Ruby-
crowned kinglets and yellow-rumps among the warblers.
Among the sparrows, many Song Sparrows and many Savannah 
Sparrows.
   South side of FDR Memorial.  Palm warbler flocks included
large numbers of Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned kinglets, 
and an Orange-crowned Warbler.

   Overall, the number of Palm Warblers was astonishing!  I don't
think I've ever seen so many warblers on the Mall in one day.
On any day, I would have considered a Savannah Sparrow, or
a White-crowned Sparrow or an Orange-crowned Warbler to be a
notable sighting.  Seeing all in one walk was amazing.  This will
definitely count as a walk to remember.

Also, I have filled the hummingbird feeder and placed it on the
same tree in the Ripley Garden (between the A&I building and
the Hirshhorn Museum on the Mall).  No hummingbird sightings
yet, but I asked (and received) permission from Janet the 
gardener to be proactive this year.
  Finally, Janet reports that a Woodcock was seen earler this
week in the Ripley Garden.

                                   Jim

Jim Felley
Smithsonian Institution