Hi all --

Barry and I did a run around some DC spots, looking mostly for interesting
gulls, without too much success, although we did see a few birds of
interest.

Anacostia Park: Two ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS are still along the river at
Poplar Point, the two were together in the area of brushy riverside
vegetation near where an old willow tree juts out over the scrub. We watched
them feed for a few minutes on the ground; one also was picking something
off the underside of leaves. They were NOT with the sparrow flock, which was
further upriver near the sewage outfall stonework. A adult or near-adult
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was out on the ice near this area as well. There
were a lot of large gulls, mostly Greater Black-backed with good numbers of
Herring, but no white-winged types.

Hains Point: Pretty slim pickings, almost entirely iced-in. About 500 Canada
Geese on the golf course but could not find the Cackling. No gulls of note,
but there was a female COMMON GOLDENEYE in the bit of open water near the
14th St. Bridge. No Merlin, no Peregrine -- nasty cold wind so they were
probably hunkered down.

Tidal Basin: Maybe 75 large gulls, GBB and Herring, nothing of note.

We saw at least 2000 Canada Geese today, between all the sites -- more than
usual it seems, maybe many have been forced out of inland lakes though the
Potomac itself is very iced-up.

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD