Dear All
With apologies for tardy posting a few additional snippets from a very
enjoyable weekend of birding in DC.
Greg Butcher and I went to the Hains Point and Potomac shoreline areas
yesterday, Saturday. Best birds of the morning were single Gadwall and Pintail
in amongst a small group of Mallards on the Potomac just south of Memorial
Bridge. We also saw 3 Black Ducks on the Potomac just south of National
Airport before learning from Rob Hilton that a (the?) Surf Scoter was on
Georgetown Reservoir, so we nipped up Reservoir Road and saw that. Very
nice - thanks Rob. The only other bird of note yesterday was a nice Northern
Harrier over the house (Van Ness NW DC)
This morning I spent an hour in Rock Creek Park before joining Greg and Linda
for a few hours on the Anacostia.
Wallace posted earlier and clearly saw more than I in Rock Creek but the Dog
Run was certainly busy at first light with lots of birds around including many
juncos and a couple of good sized sparrow groups. Best birds were a Blue-
headed Vireo and Red-breasted Nuthatch.
The Anacostia was very enjoyable birding. We started at Poplar Point which
yielded good spaarows - single Field, White-crowned and Vesper - along with
a Wilson's Snipe, two Black Ducks, two overflying American Pipits and 10+
Palm Warblers. There were several hundred Laughing Gulls on the river but
most were too distant to grill for Franklins - pity - but we were able to pick up
a nice adult Lesser Black-back cruising the far bank.
Moving on the the Aquatic Gardens we found conditions to be, erm, aquatic.
Lots of rain water has topped up the lily ponds and there were quite few
Canada Geese and mallards enjoying the fun but only one Wood Duck of note.
The boardwalk area was quiet yielding a single Great Egret and two Black
Ducks.
There was a good trickle of raptors all morning with five adult Bald Eagles, 3-4
Cooper's, one Sharpie, two Red-shouldereds and what was probably a Great
Horned Owl at Poplar Point.
Best to all
Gary Allport
GAllport at Audubon.org
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