An early lunch walk around the Mall and the Lincoln Monument
produced several highlights, not all bird-related.  On the
Mall proper, the fenced off lawn portions are being seeded, 
which seems to have attracted a number of sparrows, including
White-throated and Slate-colored Juncoes.  
   At Constitution Gardens there were groups of mixed Song and
White-throated sparrows, and an Eastern Phoebe.  Birds tended 
to be flighty and hard to see, perhaps because a red fox was
alternately hunting squirrels and avoiding me in the area - racing 
off when I got too close, then stalking the squirrels.  As usual
the tourists were oblivious, as far as I could see.
   At the Korean War Memorial, a Bald Eagle posed majestically in
one of the large elms immediately behind the monument area.  
This time I informed some of the tourists (a tour group of 
Germans, I believe), and they were very appreciative, taking 
lots of pictures.
   At the DC Veteran's Memorial was a large flock of Golden-
crowned Kinglets, one of which almost hopped onto my shoe!
   At the Mary Ripley Garden between the Hirshhorn and A&I
museums, there was a Brown Thrasher.

             Jim

Jim Felley
Smithsonian Institution