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Subject:

Rock Creek & Reno Res.

From:

Gary Allport

Reply-To:

Gary Allport

Date:

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 14:32:28 -0400

Composed on the eve of Sunday 16th but would not send...

Dear All

A few bits and bobs from the last 48hrs.

I went for a short walk in Rock Creek by the Porter St Bridge last night.  
The only birds of note were a singing House Wren and two Wood Ducks on the 
creek.  Otherwise pretty quiet.

And so it was this morning in the Maintenance Yard twixt 7 and 9 am this 
morning - fewer birds than last Sunday - but with the following of note:
G C Kinglet  1
R C Kinglet 10
Gnatcatcher  4
Y R Warbler  4
Pine Warbler 1 (first I've seen around the Stables)
Hairy Woodpecker 1 
Sharp-shin 1
Common Loon 35 over (19, 11, 5 - very nice)
Tree Swallow 3 o'er
Blue Jay 25 (in three groups)
Chipping Sparrow  2

I met a couple of birders who'd seen Brown thrasher and Ovenbird on 
Saturday.

I then took my son up to Fort Reno (Nr Tenleytown, Wisconsin NW DC) to fly 
our kite.  I had heard that it's possible to see raptors there so I had 
taken my binocs but was quite unprepared for the volume of birds visbly on 
the move.  It was quite difficult to count numbers accurately what with so 
much going and a lively 2 year old to boot, but I got the following raptors 
in 40 minutes starting at 11am:

Turkey Vulture   15
Black Vulture     6
Red tailed hawk  12
Cooper's Hawk     5
Bald Eagle        1 
Broad-winged Hawk 8 (3,5)  
Unident          25+

plus 4 Common Loons and three groups of ca. 30 Chimney Swifts plus a bunch 
of unident hirundines which I presume were Tree Swallows. Amazingly busy. 
 
I went back with the 'scope later in the afternoon and saw much smaller 
numbers but a wider spread of species. 15-1600:

Turkey Vulture      5
Black Vulture       2
Red tailed hawk    21
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 (might have been local)
Cooper's Hawk       3
Sharp-shin          2   
Bald Eagle          3
Osprey              3 
Unident             8

Plus 17 Cormorants and a Killdeer over.
 
What fun!
Gary