I took my lunchtime walk around Constitution Gardens and the DC
Veteran's Memorial today.  Here is what I found:  Pretty much
everywhere, there were scattered Yellow-rumped Warblers, juncos and
White-throated Sparrows (none in huge numbers, though).  Also there were
many Eastern Towhees singing in the trees, and finally plenty of robins,
grackles and starlings.
   Constitution Gardens:  The pond has been drained and tractors are
busy scooping up mud, etc. The only shorebirds I saw were a single
Killdeer and a single Spotted Sandpiper.  Anyone visiting the area while
the water is low should look for other shorebirds.  There were some
American Coots and a pair of Bonaparte's Gulls, but apart from those,
the usual suspects (Ring-billed Gulls, Mallards, Canada Geese) filled
out the roster.  No usual ducks were there, that I saw.
   In the area surrounding the pond were a number of Savannah Sparrows
(some quite brightly colored) and two Field Sparrows.  
   DC Veteran's Memorial:  The main highlight here was 3 or 4 singing
Brown Thrashers.

Jim

Jim Felley
Smithsonian Institution