I stopped off at a few places in the District of Columbia this 
morning, December 11, to see whether the recent colder weather had 
pushed any waterfowl our way.  Looks like not much happened.

At Georgetown Reservoir there were:

12 RING-NECKED DUCK
12 RUDDY DUCK
12 BUFFLEHEAD
1 LESSER SCAUP (female)
1 AMERICAN COOT

Not many gulls there either, and most of them were Ring-bills.  The 
number of Rock Pigeons there seems to be on the rise.  Good if you 
are a passing Peregrine Falcon, I guess. (I did not see a Peregrine 
either here or near the 14th St. railroad bridge, where Gail and 
Barry reported two yesterday.)

At Hains Point, there were a few Mallard here and there but not much 
else.  An adult BALD EAGLE was perched up nicely (and another one 
near the water entrance to the Tidal Basin.  I had a brief glimpse of 
a zooming MERLIN as I drove in by the north part of the golf 
course.  A FOX SPARROW chipping loudly in the overgrown  weeds in the 
enclosure where the NPS keeps mulch was a nice surprise -- only my 
second Fox Sparrow in D.C. this year.

Constitution Gardens lake was 2/3 frozen over, but the unfrozen parts 
had, in addition to lots of Canada Geese and Mallards, the 4 NORTHERN 
SHOVELER (3 hens and a drake) that Jim Felley and others have 
previously reported.  The Reflecting Pool was totally iced, with no 
birds on it.  However, with moderating temperatures in the next few 
days, both bodies of water should be fully open by the time of the DC 
Christmas Bird Count this Saturday.

Hey, DC Birders, is anyone checking McMillan Reservoir these 
days?  In the past, I have found that it can be quite good at 
attracting diving ducks. I have not been there for almost a year; in 
late December, 2005, there were both Ring-necked Ducks and Canvasbacks there.

Good Birding and Christmas Counting!

Mike Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club


D. H. Michael Bowen (Mike)
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda MD 20817-3845
Tel/Fax: (301) 530-5764
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