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After hearing about migrants filtering through Rock Creek Park and other sites for the past week, I tried my luck in finding some of my own at the National Arboretum this morning. Last night must have been an off-night for migration, because migrants were fairly scarce on the ground (and in the trees).
The Azalea Gardens had a few big flocks of robins, especially on the lower portions of the hill. An ovenbird skulked along the side of the trail. Near the top I found a small mixed flock with a few black-and-white warblers and tufted titmice. A little further down the trail, there was a wood thrush.
The meadows behind and around the columns were the liveliest area this morning, mostly due to the large flocks of goldfinches, which sported a mix of breeding and nonbreeding plumages. One first winter blue grosbeak was in the brush across the street from the columns. (I have been quite pleased that blue grosbeaks have appeared consistently at the Arboretum this year.) Meanwhile a small flock of indigo buntings, mostly in winter plumage, were in the tall grass next to the columns. The same area held at least one field sparrow.
Elsewhere in the gardens I saw a Baltimore oriole.
Unfortunately, I forgot my camera this morning, so I have no photographs for this post.
BIRD SPECIES SEEN: 37
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Crow
European Starling
American Goldfinch
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
BUTTERFLY SPECIES SEEN: 4
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Variegated Fritillary
Common Buckeye
Monarch
