After a fruitless winter of watching the thistle feeder and a big whiff during CBC season, I was resigned to being what felt like the only birder in the area without a siskin sighting this irruption year.  Ft. Bayard Park came through this morning, though, as a single PINE SISKIN finally joined a group of goldfinches.  Action was otherwise minimal in the park today, probably due to the BROAD-WINGED HAWK comfortably perched in a low branch at the top of the hill.  This my second sighting of that species in the park, and the first for the siskin.

Yesterday the birds in Ft. Bayard were slightly less interesting, but more numerous, as the Chipping Sparrow flock had built to about 17-20 and was joined by 5-6 juncos.  

Ben Jesup and I also took a walk on the National Mall yesterday and had a nice mix of early migrants: a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, about 6 HERMIT THRUSHES, a BROWN THRASHER, 2 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, 8-10 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, an OVENBIRD, and good sparrow diversity, with 8 species (counting Towhee and Junco, but not House, of course) including FIELD, CHIPPING, SAVANNAH, and SWAMP. 

Jason Waanders
NW DC
jwaandersATstarpower.net