The Montgomery Bird Club "Earliest Bird" field trip into the District
of Columbia today, 1/1/10, finished up as usual at the Roaches Run
Waterfowl Sanctuary near Reagan National Airport in Arlington,
Virginia. Our bird of the day, a perched, then fishing, male OSPREY,
was seen for several minutes from the parking lot just off the GW
Parkway. Perhaps this bird has been around for a while; anyway, we
hope that it will stay for the DC Christmas Bird Count, which is
scheduled for January 2, having been postponed from December 19.
DC birding was tough today, with many fewer waterfowl than usual for
this date. We searched the Canada Goose flocks in vain for a
previously reported Cackling Goose. Only Lesser Scaup (and Mallard,
of course) were common ducks. The Constitution Gardens pond was
mostly frozen and held just 6 Ring-necked Ducks. We saw 2 active
Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a big flock of House Sparrows near the
Federal Reserve building on Constitution Avenue, signs perhaps of a
more expansionary financial policy in the new decade.
The LBJ Memorial Grove in between the GW Parkway and the giant south
parking lot of the Pentagon once again was generous to us Early
Birders, giving us great looks at Winter Wren, Golden-crowned
Kinglet, and Brown Creepers. No warblers this year, though. This
neat little park is technically in DC. It can be reached only by
driving south on the GW Parkway, due to ongoing construction of the
"Humpback Bridge."
Good Birding.
Mike Bowen
Montgomery Bird Club, MOS
D.H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD 20817
Telephone: (301) 530-5764
e-mail: dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom
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