Message:

[

Previous   Next

]

By Topic:

[

Previous   Next

]

Subject:

DC birds, 11/14

From:

"FELLEY, JAMES"

Reply-To:

FELLEY, JAMES

Date:

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 13:40:04 -0500

A walk around the Lincoln Monument and Tidal Basin produced lots of
birds, 
though nothing unusual.  A Red-tailed Hawk was perched in a tree near
the 
Washington Monument, a large flock of cowbirds (a few hundred) was at
the 
DC Veteran's Memorial, a flock of robins was at the FDR Memorial, and a 
large adult Cooper's Hawk was chasing an adult Red-shouldered Hawk at
the 
north end of Hains Point 
   This was probably the highlight of the walk, as the birds offered a
look 
of two similarly colored birds of similar size, the only distinguishing 
characters being mode of flight and relative length of the tail.  When I

first saw them they were back-lit, and I thought it was a Red-tail being

chased by an accipiter of similar size.  That could only be a Goshawk!  
I got wonderful, but disappointing looks at both as they flew by me
quite closely.

Jim

Jim Felley
Smithsonian Institution