This morning I took a birding walk in the National Arboretum. Among the 
highlights were a flock of about a dozen CHIMNEY SWIFTS hawking insects 
over the holly and magnolia garden. This is the latest date I have seen 
swifts in DC. I also saw a couple of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES in the 
pines at the top of Hickey Hill (across the road from the Asian garden). 
I think I heard others elsewhere in the arboretum, but I am not too good 
at distinguishing the different nuthatches by ear yet. Here are the full 
highlights:

Sharp-shinned Hawk
Chimney Swift
Eastern Phoebe
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Chipping Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco

The last two were highly numerous this morning.

Good birding,

John Beetham

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John D. Beetham
Washington, DC

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